AkuSokuZan

the movie is as exciting as banking can get...yes there is a "gangster" and mafia feel to it and Koji Yakusho, Tatsuya Nakadai, and Mayumi Wakamura really give great performances but that is the problem...the best scenes are the ones with Tatsuya Nakadai in them and that's because he's a great actor -but- the story, based on actual events, just doesn't captivate the audience...and the tragedy of one the characters just didn't draw any emotion---if you know alot about modern Japan then this movie is for you (and I'm sure the story will be more relevant to you) but in my case I have only seen the creme of the crop of Japanese cinema from the 50s, 60s and 70s and I just plain never understood the roots of the Asian economic crisis so I just felt this movie was lacking.

For any of you out there who considers life to be purposeless/pointless and you feel totally helpless and ridiculous...this movie ought to put you back on track. The main character, a middle school teacher is lost, I mean really lost in thought---all the time and seems that even a household pet has a more interesting life...the cat. The movie is hard to describe but let me try--- it is about someone who will find the guts to try to accomplish something after a series of ridiculous and tragic event --- the color of the movie changes dramatically in the last scene because not only has the character awaken to his own life but the audience as well---the movie is that good but only after you figure it out!!!

This filmed theatrical performance centers on the tension between a Japanese ruler and a Korean artist. The ruler a Buddhist who considers himself a living Buddha amidst the suffering of his people brought on by his indifference, the artist a Confucian whose pride has been trampled on so many times he comes to hate even his innocent Japanese student who courts his daughter. One of the many themes in this carefully told story includes the idea of individuality portrayed by a political rebel sporting an ogre's mask. The rebel and the Japanese art student, fueled by their individual power, storm the castle of the corrupt lord like demon's of hell. Although the wheel of karma turns, symbolized by the wheels on the lavish royal carriage, their is always personal choice. The artist chose to imprison his daughter,Yoshika, drive away his foreign protege, and dared the lord to burn the carriage holding his girl. The lord chose, to indulge in an egocentric project to have a painting of himself as an enlightened being, verbally and physically abusing the genius painter, ignore the Korean king's call for help during an invasion, hold the innocent daughter of the artist, and ordered the slaughter of Korean immigrant's as they tried to go home. We, the audience hope for a glance at the evolving masterpiece the artist is working on. The painting is at first inspired the the fear of a chained little boy who squirms at the sight of approaching snakes. Finally, the artist (Tatsuya Nakadai) realizes that the torment of damnation is within himself this whole time. The flames in the movie seem to melt the screen and the haunting flute song becomes the soul of this tragedy. All the actors and actresses perform this tale in a very traditional, super dramatic way. Every time the artist begs for the return of his daughter from the lord you can't help but feel heart broken. The film is a real treasure but slightly flawed due to the innapropriate soundtrak which would be more appropriate for a western epic. Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan clearly contributed to this film's lush and hyper real colors, textures and images. Do anything you can to view this work.