ddickerson-2

Sister Mary has had it with people who don't get it- the Church that is. It really is very simple and she has to explain it in great detail but the stupid people just don't get it. And she has had it. And, she points out, if one wants to waste a few "sinners" and send them to their rewards all one has to do is go to confession afterward and be exonerated. Hey, what a deal for sinners. Add to this the return of some of her "students" from 25 years ago who want to put on a symbolic nativity play and you have a recipe for impending disaster. Satire has many forms from parody to travesty and this conforms to the latter. But after all that happens Sister Mary stays within the strict confines of the teachings of The Church. Those who don't understand either satire or the true Church will have a problem with this film.

"The Sword of Doom" is one of Tatsuya Nakadai's best performances. His best in my opinion was in the role of Hidatora in Kurosawa's "RAN." Tatsuya is an unusually sensitive actor compared to other actors of his generation who seemed to spit out their lines. His facial gestures and body movement conveyed as much as words at times.The film contains one of the most memorable scenes ever shot; the fight pitting Toshiro Mifune against some 20 assassins in a snow storm borrowed by Quentin Tarantino for "Kill Bill." It is a moving narrative and at times Tatsuya reminds me of Marlon Brando in his early films in his moody performance.

It is too bad the trilogy was never finished. This was to be the first film of the trilogy which is why it leaves much of the story untold. One would have to consult the original work by the author in order to follow the story to its conclusion.

"Last Man Standing" with Bruce Willis might be called "Yojimbo For Dummies".It quickly covers the main parts of the story so that you are not bored with subtleties. Actually it is a remake of a remake of a remake. Let's follow the trail.

The story originated in Dashiel Hammet's novel "Red Harvest" written many years earlier than any of the films."Red Harvest" took place in a large racket-infested American City in the 20's and Kurosawa set his masterpiece "Yojimbo" in Japan as a Samurai adventure.But the story structure is essentially the same. Later it was remade with Clint Eastwood as "Fistful of Dollars." So you might say that "Last Man Standing" (gangsters) is a remake of "Fistfull of Dollars" (cowboys) which is a remake of "Yojimbo" (Samurai) which was a re-telling of "Red Harvest" (gangsters).So now it seems the tale has come full cycle.