1950 film
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Shinobu Hashimoto and Akira Kurosawa
based on the short stories RASHOMON and IN A BAMBOO GROVE by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
(my review of the 1915 short story)
(my review of the 1922 short story IN A BAMBOO GROVE)
It's a rainy day in 12th century Japan. Buildings are in a heavy state of disrepair, bodies litter the streets, and the hungry masses scrounge for whatever they can. Taking shelter beneath a massive, crumbling gatehouse on the edge of town, three men - a woodcutter, a priest, a commoner - recount the testimony of a bizarre murder. While passing through the woods, a samurai and his wife have a run-in with a bandit. The woman is raped, her husband killed. Not a bizarre incident, in and of itself, but the three people involved (including the late husband, through a medium) offer up completely contradictory explanations for who ultimately killed the man.
It's amazing that nearly the entire content of IN A BAMBOO GROVE is present in the film, the testimonies of the witnesses adapted almost word for word in a way that masterfully stretches ten pages of material to roughly an hour of screentime without feeling padded or drawn out. And what's nice is that Kurosawa gets away with the somewhat ironic grandstanding of the three main testimonies, where each person points to themselves as the likely culprit, by not only having the witnesses relate events, but by having other characters relate what the witness related, thus adding that extra Telephone Game layer of blurred or exaggerated detail. It's only with a fourth and final testimony, entirely created by Kurosawa, that we get to hear directly from a witness, and the films captures this level of directness by having his story be the most human, the most brutally emotional, the most believable recounting of the saga. But it also reflects the individual's personal bias that all three were monsters equally responsible for the event and, thus, we once again hit the wall of who to believe.
More curious is how Kurosawa used the story RASHOMON. It seemed, at first, that it offered little more than the setting of the framing story, but many of the themes of what people are willing to do in hard times come forward near the back-end of the picture and offer up some nice social commentary that helps add personal plight to those involved.
The cast is uniformly excellent with the main trio bouncing from wildly different interpretations of their characters based on who's telling the story. The samurai (Masayuki Mori) either burns with rage or sobs with regret as he watches his wife abused before him. The wife (Machiko Kyo) offers her vow to one man, then the other, always suffering as she's spurned for an act beyond her control. The bandit (Toshiro Mifune) roars like a lion, laughs like a monkey, or darts his eyes like an uncertain child. Each performer is at the top of their game, making each rendition a fully fleshed-out human being. And let's not forget Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, and Kichijiro Ueda, all Kurosawa vets, as the tellers of these tales.
The direction is simply beautiful. From the composition of his shots to the perfectly controlled pace of his editing, I've never seen a film from the early 50s with such mastery of its visual content. Kurosawa pulls off things with a camera on rails that I didn't think were possible before the advent of Steadicam. It's a marvel to behold.
This film is a masterpiece and, once again, I know my simple reviewing skills are far less that what's required to do it justice. Go out. See it. Absorb it. Discuss it. Appreciate it. You'll be glad you did.
(purchases bare-bones DVD)
(purchase special edition DVD)
(purchases DVD box set of 25 Kurosawa films)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
October 21, 2008
Sanctuary #4: Folding Man
2008 episode
directed by James Head
written by Sam Egan
created by Damian Kindler
(previous)
(next)
The team comes upon a hidden society of Folding Men - humans with flexible bones who can fit through tight crevices - and learn that many of the young members have been hooked on a narcotic by a ruthless man, cryptically named Nomad, who wants to control them for his own purposes.
This was a really tight episode that did a fantastic job of grafting a supernatural element on the otherwise traditional tale of a drug lord taking a foothold on the streets and leaving a trail of victims in his wake. Best expressing this is a wonderful performance from Peter Outerbridge as one of Nomad's junkie hoods who, through the help of our heroes, starts to break through the drugs and mental manipulation.
At least, until the twist at the end. If I said what movie it came from, I'd blow the secret, but I thought they did a nice job of using the formula here. I truly wasn't expecting it.
This series really is starting to come into its own with a good cast dynamic and a clever blending of supernatural concepts and real-world machinations. Now, if only they could just play around with the lighting a little more so the actors actually blend with the digital backgrounds. It's not terrible, but still quite noticeable.
(purchase)
(official website)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
directed by James Head
written by Sam Egan
created by Damian Kindler
(previous)
(next)
The team comes upon a hidden society of Folding Men - humans with flexible bones who can fit through tight crevices - and learn that many of the young members have been hooked on a narcotic by a ruthless man, cryptically named Nomad, who wants to control them for his own purposes.
This was a really tight episode that did a fantastic job of grafting a supernatural element on the otherwise traditional tale of a drug lord taking a foothold on the streets and leaving a trail of victims in his wake. Best expressing this is a wonderful performance from Peter Outerbridge as one of Nomad's junkie hoods who, through the help of our heroes, starts to break through the drugs and mental manipulation.
At least, until the twist at the end. If I said what movie it came from, I'd blow the secret, but I thought they did a nice job of using the formula here. I truly wasn't expecting it.
This series really is starting to come into its own with a good cast dynamic and a clever blending of supernatural concepts and real-world machinations. Now, if only they could just play around with the lighting a little more so the actors actually blend with the digital backgrounds. It's not terrible, but still quite noticeable.
(purchase)
(official website)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
October 15, 2008
Mantech: Robot Warriors #2
1984 comic issue. Illustrated by Dick Ayers and Chic Stone. Written by Rich Margopoulos.
Related Reviews:
- The previous issue of the series.
- The next issue of the series.
"Counter-Attack"
After the exciting events of last issue, our heroes have managed to recover a Terrorizer, a rocket glider used by Tyranik's evil robo-goons. What they don't know is that the vehicle is a Trojan Horse of sorts as, when they try to disassemble it, the Terrorizer springs to life, spreading destruction under Tyranik's remote control.
It's a typical little action plot. The characters still don't have much distinction and the art's mediocre, but it moves at a good pace and has some decently exciting moments. At least Margopoulos has broken his habit of having the characters refer to each other by name in every single balloon. Things read so much smoother now.
And props for revealing that Negatech, leader of Tyranik's hench-robos, is so deeply programmed to hate living beings that he feels physical pain every time his own creator gives an order. Though I doubt it'll be explored in great detail, it is a wonderful concept that does lend a twinge of pity towards an otherwise cardboard villain.
"Trapped in the Valley of Dreams"
"When Dreams Become Nightmares"
Dr. Goode's ship crashes in a remote swamp and the Mantechs race to the rescue. What they find are plants whose fumes seep into a person's head, lulling them into a false sense of security as the vines slowly pull them under. While the way all three Mantechs end up shedding their helmets is a bit of a stretch, it's nice to finally get some distinction in their personas as each finds himself in a different setting back on Earth, the world they may never return to.
I'll give it to the talent, this was a surprisingly gripping read that really made me feel for the team. Especially Aquatech who lashes out when he discovers that the return to his fully human self was just a fantasy, leaving him once again in this cybernetic form... as a freak.
So, out of our eight main players, we now have two with any real depth. Hopefully they can dig a little deeper into the others with the remaining pair of issues.
"Tales of Planet Mekka: The Millennium War"
It's an old story: people are afraid of invaders, they construct a giant computer with a robot army to protect them, computer overthrows their society, war plunges everyone back into the dark ages. Yes, it's been done before, but I still think they did a decent job here. Especially how the planet is now divided between advanced cities, barbarian kingdoms, and robot-controlled wastelands, in a way that leaves much potential for some big, epic storytelling... which we most likely won't get a chance to explore.
For more information about this issue, check out its page at the Comic Book Database. Though out of print, copies aren't too hard to find at various online retailers.
Related Reviews:
- The previous issue of the series.
- The next issue of the series.
"Counter-Attack"
After the exciting events of last issue, our heroes have managed to recover a Terrorizer, a rocket glider used by Tyranik's evil robo-goons. What they don't know is that the vehicle is a Trojan Horse of sorts as, when they try to disassemble it, the Terrorizer springs to life, spreading destruction under Tyranik's remote control.
It's a typical little action plot. The characters still don't have much distinction and the art's mediocre, but it moves at a good pace and has some decently exciting moments. At least Margopoulos has broken his habit of having the characters refer to each other by name in every single balloon. Things read so much smoother now.
And props for revealing that Negatech, leader of Tyranik's hench-robos, is so deeply programmed to hate living beings that he feels physical pain every time his own creator gives an order. Though I doubt it'll be explored in great detail, it is a wonderful concept that does lend a twinge of pity towards an otherwise cardboard villain.
"Trapped in the Valley of Dreams"
"When Dreams Become Nightmares"
Dr. Goode's ship crashes in a remote swamp and the Mantechs race to the rescue. What they find are plants whose fumes seep into a person's head, lulling them into a false sense of security as the vines slowly pull them under. While the way all three Mantechs end up shedding their helmets is a bit of a stretch, it's nice to finally get some distinction in their personas as each finds himself in a different setting back on Earth, the world they may never return to.
I'll give it to the talent, this was a surprisingly gripping read that really made me feel for the team. Especially Aquatech who lashes out when he discovers that the return to his fully human self was just a fantasy, leaving him once again in this cybernetic form... as a freak.
So, out of our eight main players, we now have two with any real depth. Hopefully they can dig a little deeper into the others with the remaining pair of issues.
"Tales of Planet Mekka: The Millennium War"
It's an old story: people are afraid of invaders, they construct a giant computer with a robot army to protect them, computer overthrows their society, war plunges everyone back into the dark ages. Yes, it's been done before, but I still think they did a decent job here. Especially how the planet is now divided between advanced cities, barbarian kingdoms, and robot-controlled wastelands, in a way that leaves much potential for some big, epic storytelling... which we most likely won't get a chance to explore.
For more information about this issue, check out its page at the Comic Book Database. Though out of print, copies aren't too hard to find at various online retailers.
In a Bamboo Grove
1922 story
written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
(my review of the 1950 film adaptation)
When a man is found dead in a bamboo grove, the testimonies of various people are collected to piece together his fate. They all seem to agree on the setup - a man and his wife travel down the road and are captured by a bandit who ties up the man and rapes the wife - but what exactly happened next is anyone's guess as the three characters involved (even the dead man, thanks to a medium) have different reasons for his demise.
It's such a simple yet intricate story about human fallibility and I can see why it's had, partially thanks to the film, such a lasting influence.
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
(my review of the 1950 film adaptation)
When a man is found dead in a bamboo grove, the testimonies of various people are collected to piece together his fate. They all seem to agree on the setup - a man and his wife travel down the road and are captured by a bandit who ties up the man and rapes the wife - but what exactly happened next is anyone's guess as the three characters involved (even the dead man, thanks to a medium) have different reasons for his demise.
It's such a simple yet intricate story about human fallibility and I can see why it's had, partially thanks to the film, such a lasting influence.
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
October 14, 2008
Rashomon
1915 story
written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
(my review of the 1950 film adaptation)
Seeking shelter from the rain beneath a pillared gate, a recently dismissed servant ponders his future. Noticing a light over discarded, diseased corpses, he finds a woman plucking hair for a wig.
This isn't so much a story as it is an anecdote on what people are willing to do when an economic depression leaves them scrabbling for resources. Though brief, the characters are rich and distinctive, the historical setting clear without being overly detailed, and the message comes our way as an opening ended question instead of a moral lecture. A fine little piece of writing.
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
(my review of the 1950 film adaptation)
Seeking shelter from the rain beneath a pillared gate, a recently dismissed servant ponders his future. Noticing a light over discarded, diseased corpses, he finds a woman plucking hair for a wig.
This isn't so much a story as it is an anecdote on what people are willing to do when an economic depression leaves them scrabbling for resources. Though brief, the characters are rich and distinctive, the historical setting clear without being overly detailed, and the message comes our way as an opening ended question instead of a moral lecture. A fine little piece of writing.
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
Sanctuary #3: Fata Morgana
2008 episode
directed by Martin Wood
written by Martin Wood and Damian Kindler
created by Damian Kindler
(previous)
(next)
The team heads of to Scotland to recover a trio of women from a tomb guarded by ferocious creatures. Right off the bat, I could see where this plot was going: a revelation that the sisters are the monsters with the creatures keeping them from roaming free. That's how the story always goes and it seemed no different here.
But then the plot pulled a fast one on me. What could have been a cliched tale took a further twist that not only covered some great themes about free will, but set up a potentially recurring enemy that's a dark mirror to our heroes. Fantastic.
And that's not the only thing that impressed me this time around. The characters are falling into a nice dynamic that finally helps differentiate it from other shows, the action is kicked up a notch with a much more energetic camera, and the dialogue doesn't suck.
I knew the series needed to make some big changes following the mediocre pilot, but I didn't expect the quality to take such a leap just one episode later. If they keep it up, this will definitely be a show I go out of my way to watch each week.
(purchase)
(official website)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
directed by Martin Wood
written by Martin Wood and Damian Kindler
created by Damian Kindler
(previous)
(next)
The team heads of to Scotland to recover a trio of women from a tomb guarded by ferocious creatures. Right off the bat, I could see where this plot was going: a revelation that the sisters are the monsters with the creatures keeping them from roaming free. That's how the story always goes and it seemed no different here.
But then the plot pulled a fast one on me. What could have been a cliched tale took a further twist that not only covered some great themes about free will, but set up a potentially recurring enemy that's a dark mirror to our heroes. Fantastic.
And that's not the only thing that impressed me this time around. The characters are falling into a nice dynamic that finally helps differentiate it from other shows, the action is kicked up a notch with a much more energetic camera, and the dialogue doesn't suck.
I knew the series needed to make some big changes following the mediocre pilot, but I didn't expect the quality to take such a leap just one episode later. If they keep it up, this will definitely be a show I go out of my way to watch each week.
(purchase)
(official website)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
My Own Worst Enemy #1: Breakdown
2008 episode
directed by David Semel
written by Jason Smilovic
created by Jason Smilovic
(next)
Edward is an operative for a top secret branch of the government. He's ruthlessly efficient with absolutely no qualms about using people before taking them out. 19 years ago, he volunteered for a program where chips were implanted in his brain to create a cover identity: Henry Spivey, an average joe in the suburbs with a wife, two kids, and a boring desk job.
One day, the chips glitch and the two personalities wake up in the middle of each others' lives.
Man, is it great having Christian Slater back. He's at the top of his game, keeping the differences between the personas subtle instead of broad. The way they walk, the depth of their gazes, how one flinches in the face of a moral dilemma that the other would just barrel through ... he brings so many tiny, little moments to each character, yet keeps them quiet in a way that blurs the lines between the two.
The organization is a little too typical in that Edward/Henry is just a commodity, albeit a valuable one, that they are willing to terminate should the situation progress. Adding to the typicality is Alfre Woodard as Mavis Heller, the commander of the operation. Though there was the tiniest fraction of hesitation on her part when the option of deleting Edward came up, she's pretty much the standard stern leader with secret objectives and unknown motivations. We'll see where she goes.
Better is Henry's coworker Tom, who doubles as another agent named Raymond. I've been a fan of Mike O'Malley since GUTS, so it was great seeing him in an against-type role where he gets to bust out the acting chops. He keeps the mysteries of his performance just as close to his chest as Slater, to the point where I honestly can't tell if he's just faking a double life, or if he has the same mental implant.
The plot was great. Instead of using just a throwaway encounter, we get a villain with close ties to Edward's past, a character who easily could have been a recurring menace. It's a nice way for us to see Edward's world before, in a surprisingly believable fashion, it starts to intrude on that of Henry.
I really like this show. I wasn't sure what to expect from the ads, but I was surprised by the skill of the plotting, the depth of the personas, the way that tiny moments of wit cut into extremely tense, dangerous scenarios. If there's one problem, it's that I don't see how this will play out over the course of multiple television seasons. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful story they've set up here, but it's one that could easily be wrapped up with just another episode. I'm worried it'll get stale if they set into a formula and just loop it over and over and over again.
I'll reserve those minor reservations for now until I can see where they go in the next few episodes. Even if things start to hit a lull, MY OWN WORST ENEMY is off to such a great start, I'll probably keep watching regardless.
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
directed by David Semel
written by Jason Smilovic
created by Jason Smilovic
(next)
Edward is an operative for a top secret branch of the government. He's ruthlessly efficient with absolutely no qualms about using people before taking them out. 19 years ago, he volunteered for a program where chips were implanted in his brain to create a cover identity: Henry Spivey, an average joe in the suburbs with a wife, two kids, and a boring desk job.
One day, the chips glitch and the two personalities wake up in the middle of each others' lives.
Man, is it great having Christian Slater back. He's at the top of his game, keeping the differences between the personas subtle instead of broad. The way they walk, the depth of their gazes, how one flinches in the face of a moral dilemma that the other would just barrel through ... he brings so many tiny, little moments to each character, yet keeps them quiet in a way that blurs the lines between the two.
The organization is a little too typical in that Edward/Henry is just a commodity, albeit a valuable one, that they are willing to terminate should the situation progress. Adding to the typicality is Alfre Woodard as Mavis Heller, the commander of the operation. Though there was the tiniest fraction of hesitation on her part when the option of deleting Edward came up, she's pretty much the standard stern leader with secret objectives and unknown motivations. We'll see where she goes.
Better is Henry's coworker Tom, who doubles as another agent named Raymond. I've been a fan of Mike O'Malley since GUTS, so it was great seeing him in an against-type role where he gets to bust out the acting chops. He keeps the mysteries of his performance just as close to his chest as Slater, to the point where I honestly can't tell if he's just faking a double life, or if he has the same mental implant.
The plot was great. Instead of using just a throwaway encounter, we get a villain with close ties to Edward's past, a character who easily could have been a recurring menace. It's a nice way for us to see Edward's world before, in a surprisingly believable fashion, it starts to intrude on that of Henry.
I really like this show. I wasn't sure what to expect from the ads, but I was surprised by the skill of the plotting, the depth of the personas, the way that tiny moments of wit cut into extremely tense, dangerous scenarios. If there's one problem, it's that I don't see how this will play out over the course of multiple television seasons. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful story they've set up here, but it's one that could easily be wrapped up with just another episode. I'm worried it'll get stale if they set into a formula and just loop it over and over and over again.
I'll reserve those minor reservations for now until I can see where they go in the next few episodes. Even if things start to hit a lull, MY OWN WORST ENEMY is off to such a great start, I'll probably keep watching regardless.
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
October 10, 2008
Scandal
1950 film
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Ryuzo Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa
When a painter offers a ride to a popular singer on a mountain road, a photograph hits newsstands and the two are branded a secret item. Embarrassed and angered, they sue the publisher in this, a harsh criticism from Kurosawa of the corrupt, slandering tabloid culture.
Toshiro Mifune and Yoshiko Yamaguchi light up the screen as the charismatic young couple, a pair that might actually have hooked up down the road had the scandal not exploded in their face. Yet the film's greatest strength is also its major weakness.
Coming to their defense is Takashi Shimura in a gripping performance as Hiruta, a slumped, stuttering lawyer who desperately wants to help innocent people, especially his tubercular daughter, but constantly fails because of his gambling and compulsive, self-destructive behavior. Shimura is fantastic in the role as a worm we can't help but love, but the reason I call it the film's major weakness is that his story, instead of being an additional layer to the main piece, just kind of stumbles in and shoves everything else aside, hijacking the central plot instead of supporting it. It's hard to complain because it truly is a fantastic character study, but it leaves the final product feeling like two separate films fighting for the spotlight.
That unevenness aside, it's still a darn good picture with solid performances, some wonderful flourishes on Kurosawa's part, and a clever analysis of tabloid journalism that, while condemning, feels like a fair judgement rather than an over-the-top assault. Well worth a look.
(purchase - DVD boxset of four post-WWII Kurosawa films)
(purchase - DVD boxset of 25 Kurosawa films)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Ryuzo Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa
When a painter offers a ride to a popular singer on a mountain road, a photograph hits newsstands and the two are branded a secret item. Embarrassed and angered, they sue the publisher in this, a harsh criticism from Kurosawa of the corrupt, slandering tabloid culture.
Toshiro Mifune and Yoshiko Yamaguchi light up the screen as the charismatic young couple, a pair that might actually have hooked up down the road had the scandal not exploded in their face. Yet the film's greatest strength is also its major weakness.
Coming to their defense is Takashi Shimura in a gripping performance as Hiruta, a slumped, stuttering lawyer who desperately wants to help innocent people, especially his tubercular daughter, but constantly fails because of his gambling and compulsive, self-destructive behavior. Shimura is fantastic in the role as a worm we can't help but love, but the reason I call it the film's major weakness is that his story, instead of being an additional layer to the main piece, just kind of stumbles in and shoves everything else aside, hijacking the central plot instead of supporting it. It's hard to complain because it truly is a fantastic character study, but it leaves the final product feeling like two separate films fighting for the spotlight.
That unevenness aside, it's still a darn good picture with solid performances, some wonderful flourishes on Kurosawa's part, and a clever analysis of tabloid journalism that, while condemning, feels like a fair judgement rather than an over-the-top assault. Well worth a look.
(purchase - DVD boxset of four post-WWII Kurosawa films)
(purchase - DVD boxset of 25 Kurosawa films)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
October 9, 2008
Stray Dog
1949 film
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Ryuzo Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa
While I've enjoyed many of the Kurosawa films I've gone through up until now, this right here is the first that I'd call a masterpiece. It's so simple, so powerful, so elegant, so ... marvelous.
Murakami is a rookie cop who's shocked one day to discover that his pistol has been stolen. When the first of seven bullets is used in a violent crime, he dedicates the next week to tracking down the weapon and its current wielder.
That's the plot in a nutshell. It's one of those great basic concepts that either sinks or swims based entirely on execution, and, man, does Kurosawa deliver. Like so many noir classics, the plot is only a piece of the picture, the other half being the rich world in which it's set. Here, we see the expansion of the black market and criminal underground as western influences sink deeper and deeper into Japanese culture, and police are still getting the hang of new laws like due process and Miranda rights.
Though he could have reigned a few moments in a bit, Toshiro Mifune lights up the screen as Murakami, an eager young man new to the force, who can't help but feel responsible for the escalating situation. Especially when he learns the culprit is a fellow former soldier who went through many of the same hardships he suffered both during and after the war.
As is so often the case, Takashi Shimura steals the show as Detective Sato, a lovably toadish superior who takes Murakami under his wing during the investigation. He's the typical mentor figure, teaching the rambunctious Murakami to be patient, use his head, understand the criminal, even though his methods are sly and his friendships among the underworld questionable. And he more than anyone else best carries off the sweltering summer heat of the setting as he finds clever new ways to dab himself with a soiled handkerchief.
The rest of the cast is marvelous, with especially notable bits from Kurosawa vets Noriko Sengoku, Reisaburo Yamamoto, and Eiko Miyoshi. If anyone was weak, it was the stiff Keiko Awaji as a dancer tied to the villain. But, while her character is pivotal, her performances wasn't enough to bring the picture down.
No, I still stick to my claim that this is a masterpiece. From the story to its world, from the characters to their defining themes, this is a picture that should not be missed, Kurosawa buff or no.
(purchase dvd)
(purchase dvd in a box set with 24 other Kurosawa films)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Ryuzo Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa
While I've enjoyed many of the Kurosawa films I've gone through up until now, this right here is the first that I'd call a masterpiece. It's so simple, so powerful, so elegant, so ... marvelous.
Murakami is a rookie cop who's shocked one day to discover that his pistol has been stolen. When the first of seven bullets is used in a violent crime, he dedicates the next week to tracking down the weapon and its current wielder.
That's the plot in a nutshell. It's one of those great basic concepts that either sinks or swims based entirely on execution, and, man, does Kurosawa deliver. Like so many noir classics, the plot is only a piece of the picture, the other half being the rich world in which it's set. Here, we see the expansion of the black market and criminal underground as western influences sink deeper and deeper into Japanese culture, and police are still getting the hang of new laws like due process and Miranda rights.
Though he could have reigned a few moments in a bit, Toshiro Mifune lights up the screen as Murakami, an eager young man new to the force, who can't help but feel responsible for the escalating situation. Especially when he learns the culprit is a fellow former soldier who went through many of the same hardships he suffered both during and after the war.
As is so often the case, Takashi Shimura steals the show as Detective Sato, a lovably toadish superior who takes Murakami under his wing during the investigation. He's the typical mentor figure, teaching the rambunctious Murakami to be patient, use his head, understand the criminal, even though his methods are sly and his friendships among the underworld questionable. And he more than anyone else best carries off the sweltering summer heat of the setting as he finds clever new ways to dab himself with a soiled handkerchief.
The rest of the cast is marvelous, with especially notable bits from Kurosawa vets Noriko Sengoku, Reisaburo Yamamoto, and Eiko Miyoshi. If anyone was weak, it was the stiff Keiko Awaji as a dancer tied to the villain. But, while her character is pivotal, her performances wasn't enough to bring the picture down.
No, I still stick to my claim that this is a masterpiece. From the story to its world, from the characters to their defining themes, this is a picture that should not be missed, Kurosawa buff or no.
(purchase dvd)
(purchase dvd in a box set with 24 other Kurosawa films)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
October 4, 2008
The Quiet Duel
1949 film
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Senkichi Taniguchi and Akira Kurosawa
based on the play by Kazuo Kikuta
In the days leading up to the war, Kiyoji Fujisaki (Toshiro Mifune) was a successful surgeon with a promising future and a loving fiance. But after he spends several years in a combat medical tent, he returns to post-war Japan a different man. He takes up residence in a shabby, ghetto clinic that caters to those who can rarely afford treatment. He builds around him a staff of volunteers or people who owe him favors. And he refuses to marry his dedicated fiance because of a devastating secret: while working on a patient wounded in combat, he caught his finger on a scalpel and became infected ...
Syphilis was the prominent STD of the time. The AIDs before AIDs, if you will. A bacteria that slowly seeped into a person's system and ate away at their organs and brain or caused disfiguring deformities, its treatment and potential cure would take years of constant injections and tests.
This is the fate, the quiet duel, Kiyoji finds himself fighting. He internalizes the struggle, repressing his desires to be with the woman he loves for fear of what he could spread her way. And things get complicated when that old infected patient shows up in his life once again.
Kurosawa brings his talent to the table with his crisp photography and editing, and his great eye for little details in both design and performance. But, I'm sad to say, this film is a failure. No matter how strong his skills are, they just can't yank him free from the melodramatic mess of a script, its bloated emotions and cautionary preaching, and a lead character that lacks any form of arching development. I'm serious about that last bit; he starts as a dedicated, self-sacrificing surgeon, and ends the same way. All of the characters around him change, sure, but poor Kyoji remains constant.
Not even Kurosawa's heavyweight actors, Mifune and Takashi Shimura - as Kiyoji's father and business partner - can make this material work. Sure, they each have moments where their unquestionable talent shines through, but the material is so sappy and over-the-top that it blows up their performances into something that, dare I say, was occasionally laughable.
The only member of the cast who nailed it, in my opinion, was Noriko Sengoku as Rui Minegishi. A dancer in a nightclub, she tried to kill herself with an overdose of pills when she found herself pregnant and alone. Kiyoji not only saved her life, but gave her a home in the hospital and a job as an apprentice nurse. She hates him for this, first appearing as a loafing procrastinator with a sharp tongue, but her constant observations of the steadfast surgeon with a cross on his shoulder start in her a series of changes that help her grow into something proud, something beautiful, and I was so caught up in her journey, I almost started to tune out the mediocrity around her.
I'm sorry, but this is not a great film. Are there some absolutely fantastic moments in there? Hell yes! But there's also a lot of soapy dreck. Kurosawa completists are the only people I'd recommend it to because most others would probably walk out halfway through, feeling both bored and patronized to.
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Senkichi Taniguchi and Akira Kurosawa
based on the play by Kazuo Kikuta
In the days leading up to the war, Kiyoji Fujisaki (Toshiro Mifune) was a successful surgeon with a promising future and a loving fiance. But after he spends several years in a combat medical tent, he returns to post-war Japan a different man. He takes up residence in a shabby, ghetto clinic that caters to those who can rarely afford treatment. He builds around him a staff of volunteers or people who owe him favors. And he refuses to marry his dedicated fiance because of a devastating secret: while working on a patient wounded in combat, he caught his finger on a scalpel and became infected ...
Syphilis was the prominent STD of the time. The AIDs before AIDs, if you will. A bacteria that slowly seeped into a person's system and ate away at their organs and brain or caused disfiguring deformities, its treatment and potential cure would take years of constant injections and tests.
This is the fate, the quiet duel, Kiyoji finds himself fighting. He internalizes the struggle, repressing his desires to be with the woman he loves for fear of what he could spread her way. And things get complicated when that old infected patient shows up in his life once again.
Kurosawa brings his talent to the table with his crisp photography and editing, and his great eye for little details in both design and performance. But, I'm sad to say, this film is a failure. No matter how strong his skills are, they just can't yank him free from the melodramatic mess of a script, its bloated emotions and cautionary preaching, and a lead character that lacks any form of arching development. I'm serious about that last bit; he starts as a dedicated, self-sacrificing surgeon, and ends the same way. All of the characters around him change, sure, but poor Kyoji remains constant.
Not even Kurosawa's heavyweight actors, Mifune and Takashi Shimura - as Kiyoji's father and business partner - can make this material work. Sure, they each have moments where their unquestionable talent shines through, but the material is so sappy and over-the-top that it blows up their performances into something that, dare I say, was occasionally laughable.
The only member of the cast who nailed it, in my opinion, was Noriko Sengoku as Rui Minegishi. A dancer in a nightclub, she tried to kill herself with an overdose of pills when she found herself pregnant and alone. Kiyoji not only saved her life, but gave her a home in the hospital and a job as an apprentice nurse. She hates him for this, first appearing as a loafing procrastinator with a sharp tongue, but her constant observations of the steadfast surgeon with a cross on his shoulder start in her a series of changes that help her grow into something proud, something beautiful, and I was so caught up in her journey, I almost started to tune out the mediocrity around her.
I'm sorry, but this is not a great film. Are there some absolutely fantastic moments in there? Hell yes! But there's also a lot of soapy dreck. Kurosawa completists are the only people I'd recommend it to because most others would probably walk out halfway through, feeling both bored and patronized to.
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
October 1, 2008
Mantech: Robot Warriors #1 (comic)
1984 comic issue. Illustrated by Dick Ayers and Chic Stone. Written by Rich Margopoulos.
Related Reviews:
- The next issue in the series.
"Seige of the Renegade Robots"
"Tomb of the Robots"
"Aquatech: Hero or Traitor?"
"Aftermath: Tales of Planet Mekka"
Notable mainly for their oddly proportioned anatomy and detachable, interchangeable limbs, Mantech is a line of toys from the early 80s that completely escaped my attention until an awesome dude named Rebelwookiee featured them in a nostalgic article on his blog. Being a fan of media tie-ins, I just couldn't resist when I learned Archie put out four issues of a Mantech comic.
How is it? Well... it reads better than most of the Roy Thomas shit I've read. It opens with a kick of action as our heroes defend their battlestation from a horde of renegade robots. Just as confusion starts to set in about the various characters and factions, things flash back to an origin story...
On Mekka, a world gutted by war, two archaeologists uncover the remnants of an ancient computer, which immediately beams the secrets of robotic technology into their brains. Jaxon Goode feels mechanical components could be merged with organic beings as the next stage of evolution. His colleague Tyranik dismisses the inclusion of a human mind as weak. His robots will be cold, merciless, strong, and fully under his control. From that day forward, the two are adversaries.
Minutes later, Jaxon finds an ancient spacecraft that's inexplicably been stored in the underground facility. Inside are three failing cryogenic chambers whose inhabitants have partially wasted away. In an attempt to both save their lives and further his research, Jaxon merges the three men with robotic body parts to create... Mantech!!!
The three heroes - Lasertech, Aquatech, Solartech - are as interchangeable as their body parts and lack any character distinction beyond appearance. Despite some whining from Aquatech, they just give in and agree to fight Jaxon's war for him in defense of a world that isn't theirs. I know this is a simple "Comic's Code Approved" tie-in, but I'd love to see at least a little exploration of these fish-out-of-water fellows who struggle to decide whether they're still human or not.
The plot is surprisingly rousing. As I mentioned above, it opens in the middle of a big action sequence, then pauses for a bit of backstory, then comes back and adds a new twist before settling back for some more history. It's simple, but effective. Sadly, the writing itself falls squarely into the school of "explain the obvious". Not only do the characters ramble on and on in tacky blurts about what we can already see them doing, but Margopoulos must fear we'll lose track of who's who since he has his characters refer to each other by name in almost every single balloon. For example...
SOLARTECH: Quick, Aquatech! Triple deflector shields in section 4, deck 3!
AQUATECH: You don't have to tell me twice, Solartech! So much for your master battle plan....
SOLARTECH: Just do what I ordered, Aquatech - and pray!
The art just barely gets the job done. Both Ayers and Stone have done some wonderful work in the past, but they really phoned this one in. The layouts are flat and boring, the characters awkward and undefined. You'd think a pair of newcomers put this thing together, not industry pros.
So basically, it's your typical 80s tie-in comic. If you like this sort of thing (I need to be in the right mood) or have a nostalgic urge to revisit a beloved line of toys from your childhood, it might be worth tracking down. Most everyone else will just breeze on past.
For more information about this issue, check out its page at The Comic Book Database. Though out of print, copies aren't very difficult to find at various online comic retailers.
Related Reviews:
- The next issue in the series.
"Seige of the Renegade Robots"
"Tomb of the Robots"
"Aquatech: Hero or Traitor?"
"Aftermath: Tales of Planet Mekka"
Notable mainly for their oddly proportioned anatomy and detachable, interchangeable limbs, Mantech is a line of toys from the early 80s that completely escaped my attention until an awesome dude named Rebelwookiee featured them in a nostalgic article on his blog. Being a fan of media tie-ins, I just couldn't resist when I learned Archie put out four issues of a Mantech comic.
How is it? Well... it reads better than most of the Roy Thomas shit I've read. It opens with a kick of action as our heroes defend their battlestation from a horde of renegade robots. Just as confusion starts to set in about the various characters and factions, things flash back to an origin story...
On Mekka, a world gutted by war, two archaeologists uncover the remnants of an ancient computer, which immediately beams the secrets of robotic technology into their brains. Jaxon Goode feels mechanical components could be merged with organic beings as the next stage of evolution. His colleague Tyranik dismisses the inclusion of a human mind as weak. His robots will be cold, merciless, strong, and fully under his control. From that day forward, the two are adversaries.
Minutes later, Jaxon finds an ancient spacecraft that's inexplicably been stored in the underground facility. Inside are three failing cryogenic chambers whose inhabitants have partially wasted away. In an attempt to both save their lives and further his research, Jaxon merges the three men with robotic body parts to create... Mantech!!!
The three heroes - Lasertech, Aquatech, Solartech - are as interchangeable as their body parts and lack any character distinction beyond appearance. Despite some whining from Aquatech, they just give in and agree to fight Jaxon's war for him in defense of a world that isn't theirs. I know this is a simple "Comic's Code Approved" tie-in, but I'd love to see at least a little exploration of these fish-out-of-water fellows who struggle to decide whether they're still human or not.
The plot is surprisingly rousing. As I mentioned above, it opens in the middle of a big action sequence, then pauses for a bit of backstory, then comes back and adds a new twist before settling back for some more history. It's simple, but effective. Sadly, the writing itself falls squarely into the school of "explain the obvious". Not only do the characters ramble on and on in tacky blurts about what we can already see them doing, but Margopoulos must fear we'll lose track of who's who since he has his characters refer to each other by name in almost every single balloon. For example...
SOLARTECH: Quick, Aquatech! Triple deflector shields in section 4, deck 3!
AQUATECH: You don't have to tell me twice, Solartech! So much for your master battle plan....
SOLARTECH: Just do what I ordered, Aquatech - and pray!
The art just barely gets the job done. Both Ayers and Stone have done some wonderful work in the past, but they really phoned this one in. The layouts are flat and boring, the characters awkward and undefined. You'd think a pair of newcomers put this thing together, not industry pros.
So basically, it's your typical 80s tie-in comic. If you like this sort of thing (I need to be in the right mood) or have a nostalgic urge to revisit a beloved line of toys from your childhood, it might be worth tracking down. Most everyone else will just breeze on past.
For more information about this issue, check out its page at The Comic Book Database. Though out of print, copies aren't very difficult to find at various online comic retailers.
Drunken Angel
1948 film
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Keinosuke Uegusa and Akira Kurosawa
In a postwar ghetto on the edge of a disease-ridden cesspool, the lives of two men change when a criminal pays a visit to a doctor.
Toshiro Mifune is the criminal, Matsunaga. A Yakuza thug accustomed to people bowing in his presence and letting him slide by with treats on the house, he doesn't know how to deal with a diagnosis of tuberculosis in a world where any sign of weakness leaves your peers with the feeling that your position is now up for grabs.
Takashi Shimura is the doctor, Sanada. An alcoholic with a hot temper and a biting tongue, he can't help but become passionately involved in the lives of his patients, even those he deems unworthy of his skills.
The plot is primarily a clash of egos between these two self-loathing yet stubborn men who refuse to budge from their positions on how best to treat Matsunaga's condition. And the two actors, both in the first of many lead roles with Kurosawa (though Shimura did have smaller parts in earlier productions), are more than up to the confrontation, capturing not only the disparate personalities, but the separation of classes in a town where the only people with wealth are those in the criminal underground.
Just as the two seem on the verge of a breakthrough, the plot takes a sudden shift when an old crime lord, Okada, returns from a stay in prison and tries to reclaim his territory from Matsunaga and recover his old flame from her current position as Sanada's nurse. While it's a little contrived to give him such close ties to both men, Kurosawa somehow makes it work by keeping Okada's hijacking of the situation quiet and gradual, slowly sinking into the town like the disease of the infested pond.
While it's a tad heavy-handed and drawn out at times, it's a solid film that perfectly brings to life a Yakuza controlled ghetto where people do whatever they have to in order to scrape by. The performances from the two leads are stunning and it's no surprise that both would go on to long, healthy careers. And there's so many wonderful little touches of Kurosawa's skill, like the continued image of the bubbling pond, or a brutal knife-fight where the two opponents slip through spilled paint, or the introduction of a major character through a guitar serenade.
It's not perfect, but well worth a watch.
(purchase)
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
directed by Akira Kurosawa
written by Keinosuke Uegusa and Akira Kurosawa
In a postwar ghetto on the edge of a disease-ridden cesspool, the lives of two men change when a criminal pays a visit to a doctor.
Toshiro Mifune is the criminal, Matsunaga. A Yakuza thug accustomed to people bowing in his presence and letting him slide by with treats on the house, he doesn't know how to deal with a diagnosis of tuberculosis in a world where any sign of weakness leaves your peers with the feeling that your position is now up for grabs.
Takashi Shimura is the doctor, Sanada. An alcoholic with a hot temper and a biting tongue, he can't help but become passionately involved in the lives of his patients, even those he deems unworthy of his skills.
The plot is primarily a clash of egos between these two self-loathing yet stubborn men who refuse to budge from their positions on how best to treat Matsunaga's condition. And the two actors, both in the first of many lead roles with Kurosawa (though Shimura did have smaller parts in earlier productions), are more than up to the confrontation, capturing not only the disparate personalities, but the separation of classes in a town where the only people with wealth are those in the criminal underground.
Just as the two seem on the verge of a breakthrough, the plot takes a sudden shift when an old crime lord, Okada, returns from a stay in prison and tries to reclaim his territory from Matsunaga and recover his old flame from her current position as Sanada's nurse. While it's a little contrived to give him such close ties to both men, Kurosawa somehow makes it work by keeping Okada's hijacking of the situation quiet and gradual, slowly sinking into the town like the disease of the infested pond.
While it's a tad heavy-handed and drawn out at times, it's a solid film that perfectly brings to life a Yakuza controlled ghetto where people do whatever they have to in order to scrape by. The performances from the two leads are stunning and it's no surprise that both would go on to long, healthy careers. And there's so many wonderful little touches of Kurosawa's skill, like the continued image of the bubbling pond, or a brutal knife-fight where the two opponents slip through spilled paint, or the introduction of a major character through a guitar serenade.
It's not perfect, but well worth a watch.
(purchase)
(purchase)
(wikipedia)
(internet movie database)
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