Nichiren

This movie Nichiren is basically what you would expect it to be. A 1979 Japanese-made period movie (jidai-geki) about a monk who sets out to establish a purer Buddhist sect in Japans Kamakura period. The actor Yorozuya Kinnosuke gives a walloping performance, at times it feels overly dramatic. The story follows him from when he "graduates" from his local temple in Chiba. He studies in Kyoto but disagrees with mainstream teaching. He resolves to bring a simpler and purer version of Buddhism to the masses but keeps running into setbacks. He is banished several times and there are several attempts on his life. One scene, which is very dramatic, has Nichiren about to be executed but saved through supernatural intervention. The background music is grand and helps indicate the mood. What I liked best in this movie was the historic background: I learned about the Nichiren sect, I could see how the regent controlled the shogun, a Mongolian invasion is mentioned. A good movie for anyone interested in Kamakura period history.

Director Nakamura Noburo - not to be confused with Nakagawa Nobuo, another director, OR Nakamura Nobuo, an actor - directed 60 films between 1941 and 1979, this being his final one. The film is a biography of 13th century Buddhist monk Nichiren (Nakamura Kinnosuke). Being an important historical figure for the Japanese, Nichiren's life had been filmed several times before this, most notably in 1958 by director Watanabe Kunio. His grand-scale film depicted how Nichiren stopped the two attempts by Mongols to conquer Japan, by using his magical powers. The film is pretty fun, and matinee idol Hasegawa Kazuo starred as the main character.

In comparison, Nakamura's 1979 film is an attempt at telling a more biographical account of Nichiren's life. This however does not stop the film from using a little magic here and there. Since it had already been filmed, Nakamura does not really focus on the Mongol thing, but instead keeps the film close to its main character. The film attempts to be easy to follow and informative, which is why I was let the down by the fact that there was even a little magic in it. It makes the film feel less trustworthy and more a tale than a historical account. Of course reliable historical sources from that period are hard to come by.

Nakamura's lead performance is good. All in all this is a competently made, old-fashioned film biography, that doesn't even try to challenge the norms of genre. If you're interested in the subject and want something less-silly than the Hasegawa adventure romp, this should get the job done.