In his late works, Nobuhiko Obayashi became a very keen and critical observer of his home country, its society and politics, posing the question whether they had actually learned anything from the past. “Casting Blossoms to the Sky” is the first movie in what is now considered a trilogy of anti-war features, with “Seven Weeks” (2014) and “Hanagatami” (2017) being the other parts. Following his visual and narrative approach of combining layers of dream, reality and time, Obayashi focuses on several incidents and experiences of a woman traveling to Nagaoka, a city famous for its fireworks tradition, but also a place which may hold the key in understanding the present as well as the possible future of Japan.
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
As a newspaper journalist, Reiko Endo (Yasuko Matsuyuki) has always been interested in the history of places, such as Nagaoka. After the earthquake...
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
As a newspaper journalist, Reiko Endo (Yasuko Matsuyuki) has always been interested in the history of places, such as Nagaoka. After the earthquake...
- 8/4/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Japanese actor Joe Odagiri has made his directorial debut with They Say Nothing Stays the Same, a drama that premiered at the Venice Film Festival back in 2019 followed by a subsequent release in its native country. Now finally receiving a U.S. release courtesy of Film Movement on November 12, we’re pleased to debut the exclusive new trailer for the film shot by the great Christopher Doyle, longtime collaborator of Wong Kar-wai.
The drama follows an old ferryman in a remote Meiji-era community. His life is a peaceful, cyclical existence, given meaning by the essential role he plays in transporting people, livestock, and goods across the water, connecting villages and lives. When news arrives that a bridge is being built, it’s clear that his services will no longer be needed. Meanwhile, his life will be equally transformed by the appearance of a mysterious young woman whom he saves from drowning.
The drama follows an old ferryman in a remote Meiji-era community. His life is a peaceful, cyclical existence, given meaning by the essential role he plays in transporting people, livestock, and goods across the water, connecting villages and lives. When news arrives that a bridge is being built, it’s clear that his services will no longer be needed. Meanwhile, his life will be equally transformed by the appearance of a mysterious young woman whom he saves from drowning.
- 10/18/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
In his late works, Nobuhiko Obayashi became a very keen and critical observer of his home country, its society and politics, posing the question whether they had actually learned anything from the past. “Casting Blossoms to the Sky” is the first movie in what is now considered a trilogy of anti-war features, with “Seven Weeks” (2014) and “Hanagatami” (2017) being the other parts. Following his visual and narrative approach of combining layers of dream, reality and time, Obayashi focuses on several incidents and experiences of a woman traveling to Nagaoka, a city famous for its fireworks tradition, but also a place which may hold the key in understanding the present as well as the possible future of Japan.
“Seven Weeks” Opens Japan Society, NY and Nationwide Virtual Cinemas and Theaters, July 9, courtesy of Kimstim Films
As a newspaper journalist, Reiko Endo (Yasuko Matsuyuki) has always been interested in the history of places,...
“Seven Weeks” Opens Japan Society, NY and Nationwide Virtual Cinemas and Theaters, July 9, courtesy of Kimstim Films
As a newspaper journalist, Reiko Endo (Yasuko Matsuyuki) has always been interested in the history of places,...
- 7/8/2021
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
While it might sound simple in theory, finding one’s true calling is perhaps one of the most demanding challenges in life. No amount of knowledge can prepare a person for this seemingly endless and at times quite frustrating task, but the rewards of finally recognizing that one thing, that passion and love for something is truly magnificent. What is most surprising is when it catches you off guard with a craft, a hobby or a piece of art which has nothing to do with how you lived and perceived your life before, and thus has the potential to change the course of your life. For his debut feature “Haruka’s Pottery” such a discovery is the foundation of the story for director and screenwriter Naruhito Suetsugu. It is about a young woman finding her true calling, the challenges that come with it and about discovering the astounding skill to change one’s life.
- 9/28/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
After his endeavors in the samurai comedy, Katsuhide Motoki took a complete turn with his latest film, which is based on Jun Ikeibo’s novel “Soratobu Taiya” (which was also adapted into a TV series in 2009), and revolves around a “fight” between a medium-sized company and a large one.
Recall is screening at Camera Japan
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose. The already stretched...
Recall is screening at Camera Japan
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose. The already stretched...
- 9/30/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
After his endeavors in the samurai comedy, Katsuhide Motoki took a complete turn with his latest film, which is based on Jun Ikeibo’s novel “Soratobu Taiya” (which was also adapted into a TV series in 2009), and revolves around a “fight” between a medium-sized company and a large one.
“Recall” is screening at the 19th Jeonju International Film Festival
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose.
“Recall” is screening at the 19th Jeonju International Film Festival
Tokuro Akamatsu runs a transport company that has been handled to him by his father, along with his father’s long time associate, Naokichi . He treats his employees like family, with his approach extending to his clients, and despite some difficulties due to the size of his entrepreneurship, he manages to keep it afloat. However, when one of his drivers is involved in a freak accident, where a wheel is detached from the truck ending up killing a woman who was walking in the pavement with her son, all hell breaks loose.
- 5/6/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Japanese director Sion Sono is one of the most prolific filmmakers working today, having released five films last year, including “Shinjuku Swan,” a live action adaptation of the popular manga series by the same name. The film followed Tatsuhiko (Gou Ayano), an adult entertainment talent scout working in the red light district of Tokyo. It has yet to receive a release in the United States, but Sono has already followed it up with a sequel, which follows Tatsuhiko as he clashes CEO Masaki Taki (Tadanobu Asano). The sequel stars Alice Hirose, Kippei Shiina, Yusuke Iseya, Motoki Fukami, Nobuaki Kaneko, Yu Yamada, Yusuke Kamiji, Maryjun Takahashi, Jun kaname, Hideo Nakano and Takashi Sasano. Watch a trailer for the film below. (Note: There are no English subtitles.)
Read More: Fantasia Review: Sion Sono’s ‘Shinjuku Swan’
Sono garnered recent acclaim for directing “Why Don’t You Play In Hell?”, about a renegade...
Read More: Fantasia Review: Sion Sono’s ‘Shinjuku Swan’
Sono garnered recent acclaim for directing “Why Don’t You Play In Hell?”, about a renegade...
- 11/9/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
If there’s one thing that can unite us as a country and bring some potential healing, it’s the gleeful insanity of Sion Sono. After the results of last night, it may feel like we are living in the world of one of his films, but sadly, this is reality. However, the prolific director does have a new feature coming out the weekend of the inauguration (at least in Japan) and the first trailer has arrived.
To get a sense of just how fast the helmer works, his next film is a sequel to 2015’s Shinjuku Swan — a film which has yet to get a U.S. release — based on Wakui Ken‘s manga. Shinjuku Swan II follows Tatsuhiko Shiratori (Gou Ayano) who works as a scout, recruiting girls to work in the adult entertainment business, but conflict arises when he clashes with CEO Masaki Taki (Tadanobu Asano). Unfortunately,...
To get a sense of just how fast the helmer works, his next film is a sequel to 2015’s Shinjuku Swan — a film which has yet to get a U.S. release — based on Wakui Ken‘s manga. Shinjuku Swan II follows Tatsuhiko Shiratori (Gou Ayano) who works as a scout, recruiting girls to work in the adult entertainment business, but conflict arises when he clashes with CEO Masaki Taki (Tadanobu Asano). Unfortunately,...
- 11/9/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Yoji Yamada’s What a Wonderful Family screening on Fantasia International Film FestivalSTORY73%DIRECTION77%ACTING80%VISUALS65%POSITIVESGreat castMeaningful story with social implicationsElaborate directionNEGATIVESThe slow pace and the lack of action may not apply to the mainstream audience2016-08-0174%Overall ScoreReader Rating: (0 Votes)0%
Yoji Yamada has turned towards family films during the latest years, and this time presents a social comedy about a family of three generations living under the same roof.
The Hirata’s, seemingly, are a functional family, despite the fact that the grandparents, their eldest son, Konosuke with his wife, Fumie and their two children, and the younger son, Shota, all live under the same roof, along with their dog, Toto. The only family member away from the house is the daughter, Shigeko, who lives with her husband, Taizo, in an apartment of their own. The only one who seems to be problematic is the grandfather, Shuzo,...
Yoji Yamada has turned towards family films during the latest years, and this time presents a social comedy about a family of three generations living under the same roof.
The Hirata’s, seemingly, are a functional family, despite the fact that the grandparents, their eldest son, Konosuke with his wife, Fumie and their two children, and the younger son, Shota, all live under the same roof, along with their dog, Toto. The only family member away from the house is the daughter, Shigeko, who lives with her husband, Taizo, in an apartment of their own. The only one who seems to be problematic is the grandfather, Shuzo,...
- 8/1/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Stars: Kumi Takiuchi, Takashi Sasano, Aira, Itsuji Itao, Kkobbi Kim, Hôka Kinoshita, Kenji Matsuda, Wakana Sakai, Taro Yabe | Written by Eiji Uchida, Etsuo Hiratani | Directed by Eiji Uchida
In films that have a twisted edge, if a child grows up dysfunctional you know that somebody is likely to die. Greatful Dead is a twisted tale that brings slapstick humour to Japanese horror, looking at what happens when a child grows up without getting the attention she craves.
Nami (Kumi Takiuchi) is anything but ordinary, even though her sister would like her to be. As a child all she wanted was the attention of her parents, but with a mother who travelled the world to save needy children (though not her own) and a father who commits suicide soon after the mothers departure all Nami gets is a fortune to live on and peaceful solitude. Obsessing over lonely people she names...
In films that have a twisted edge, if a child grows up dysfunctional you know that somebody is likely to die. Greatful Dead is a twisted tale that brings slapstick humour to Japanese horror, looking at what happens when a child grows up without getting the attention she craves.
Nami (Kumi Takiuchi) is anything but ordinary, even though her sister would like her to be. As a child all she wanted was the attention of her parents, but with a mother who travelled the world to save needy children (though not her own) and a father who commits suicide soon after the mothers departure all Nami gets is a fortune to live on and peaceful solitude. Obsessing over lonely people she names...
- 1/28/2015
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
★★★☆☆ Eiji Uchida's Greatful Dead (2013) combines several genres with an extremely compelling outcome. Black humour and mild farce combine to provide the tone and make it more than just an intriguing watch. Nami (Kumi Takiuchi) has been disillusioned with the idea of family from a young age; after her mother left to help children in a far flung land her father collapsed in on himself, confiding only in a mysterious woman in red and shutting out his two daughters. Nami's sister attempts ‘a normal life’ but Nami is left to find comfort in the welcoming bosom of a television shopping channel. When her father dies Nami is able to indulge in her hobby of finding and observing other similarly solitary figures. She becomes fixated on one elderly man, Mr Shiomi (Takashi Sasano), with unexpected consequences.
- 1/26/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
#7. Cut Director: Amir Naderi Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Takako Tokiwa,Takashi Sasano, Shun Sugata, Denden Distributor: Rights Available Buzz: Opening Venice's Orizzonti section before shipping out to Toronto, this marks a noteworthy new direction for one of the most important figures in New Iranian cinema of the 70's and 80's. After working as an American filmmaker for a pair of decade, Amir Naderi has gone all "The Five Obstructions" on his career by ordering his latest work to be all things Japanese. With collaborations from Shinji Aoyama (2000's Eureka) who helped co-write the film and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (2003's Bright Future) who served as special consultant, this should be a standout item in Naderi's filmography. The Gist: Described by the festival "as a visual love poem for the cinema set in the world of the yakuza," I'm a huge fan of filmmakers making films about the filmmaking process - in this case...
- 9/2/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Lest anyone think Rinko Kikuchi has nothing better to do than pose for obscure magazines or engage in public displays of affection with Spike Jonze, she’s once again defied expectations by joining the cast of a traditional jidaigeki drama. Today it was announced that Kikuchi will play the heroine in Tetsuo Shinohara’s Ogawa no Hotori, opposite Noriyuki Higashiyama.
The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.
Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.
Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.
The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.
Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.
Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.
- 9/29/2010
- Nippon Cinema
Lest anyone think Rinko Kikuchi has nothing better to do than pose for obscure magazines or engage in public displays of affection with Spike Jonze, she’s once again defied expectations by joining the cast of a traditional jidaigeki drama. Today it was announced that Kikuchi will play the heroine in Tetsuo Shinohara’s Ogawa no Hotori, opposite Noriyuki Higashiyama.
The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.
Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.
Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.
The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.
Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.
Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.
- 9/29/2010
- Nippon Cinema
[Once again, thanks goes to the intrepid, Christopher Bourne for the following review.]
Hideyoshi Date (Katsunori Takahashi) is at his wits' end when we first meet him in Hideo Sakaki's Accidental Kidnapper. Deep in debt, with no job, no prospects, and no family, he's ready to end it all, and tries to do so, but he doesn't even have the nerve to commit suicide.
Wacky events are set in motion when Densuke (Roi Hayashi), a grade school boy, gets into Hideyoshi's cab and demands to be taken to his prep school. Hideyoshi at first tries to get rid of him, but when he learns that Densuke comes from a rich family, he seizes on the opportunity to get himself out of his financial hole. Recalling the advice of an old prison mate (Takashi Sasano) who pops up now and then to give fantasy pep talks, Hideyoshi hits upon the idea of demanding ransom from Densuke's parents. Densuke is also on the run...
Hideyoshi Date (Katsunori Takahashi) is at his wits' end when we first meet him in Hideo Sakaki's Accidental Kidnapper. Deep in debt, with no job, no prospects, and no family, he's ready to end it all, and tries to do so, but he doesn't even have the nerve to commit suicide.
Wacky events are set in motion when Densuke (Roi Hayashi), a grade school boy, gets into Hideyoshi's cab and demands to be taken to his prep school. Hideyoshi at first tries to get rid of him, but when he learns that Densuke comes from a rich family, he seizes on the opportunity to get himself out of his financial hole. Recalling the advice of an old prison mate (Takashi Sasano) who pops up now and then to give fantasy pep talks, Hideyoshi hits upon the idea of demanding ransom from Densuke's parents. Densuke is also on the run...
- 7/7/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Although it was made recently, Yôji Yamada's Bushi no ichibun has a very old feel to it. Even though the film's characters seldom contain their true feelings and thoughts, this doesn't mean that the film can't make its point.
This adaptation of Shûhei Fujisawa is set in feudal Japan. Shinnojo Mimura (Takuya Kimura), a lower-rank samurai, is one of a feudal lord's "poison tasters". This means that before the lord eats his meal, Shinnojo and other men taste it. Since Shinnojo finds his job dull, he tells his wife Kayo (Rei Dan) that he wants to open a kendo (fencing) school accessible to any child notwithstanding the caste they belong to. Unfortunately, Shinnojo is struck by an illness after he had tasted for the lord a sashimi made from shell fish. In fact, because this shell fish is out of season (the cooks didn't know it) it can harm anybody who consumes it.
This adaptation of Shûhei Fujisawa is set in feudal Japan. Shinnojo Mimura (Takuya Kimura), a lower-rank samurai, is one of a feudal lord's "poison tasters". This means that before the lord eats his meal, Shinnojo and other men taste it. Since Shinnojo finds his job dull, he tells his wife Kayo (Rei Dan) that he wants to open a kendo (fencing) school accessible to any child notwithstanding the caste they belong to. Unfortunately, Shinnojo is struck by an illness after he had tasted for the lord a sashimi made from shell fish. In fact, because this shell fish is out of season (the cooks didn't know it) it can harm anybody who consumes it.
- 5/2/2010
- by [email protected] (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
By Austin Lugar
for MovieSet.com
{Ed Note: ‘Departures‘ is also known by the Japanese title ‘Okuribito’}
Like most film nerds, I watched the Oscars with a lot of anticipation and predictions. So when the Best Foreign Film category came along, I was hoping The Class was going to beat out Waltz With Bashir because, as I mentioned, I’m a nerd. Yet Departures went home with the golden statue, which left all of America saying, “What in the world is Departures?” It only played at the Hawaii Film Festival in 2008, which qualified it for the Oscars and is only now starting to trickle to theatres across the country.
Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) and Shokichi Hirata (Takashi Sasano) in 'Departures.'
So now that I’ve seen it, I can safely say: Yes, it deserves the prize. There are a lot of movies about death, but there aren’t many...
for MovieSet.com
{Ed Note: ‘Departures‘ is also known by the Japanese title ‘Okuribito’}
Like most film nerds, I watched the Oscars with a lot of anticipation and predictions. So when the Best Foreign Film category came along, I was hoping The Class was going to beat out Waltz With Bashir because, as I mentioned, I’m a nerd. Yet Departures went home with the golden statue, which left all of America saying, “What in the world is Departures?” It only played at the Hawaii Film Festival in 2008, which qualified it for the Oscars and is only now starting to trickle to theatres across the country.
Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) and Shokichi Hirata (Takashi Sasano) in 'Departures.'
So now that I’ve seen it, I can safely say: Yes, it deserves the prize. There are a lot of movies about death, but there aren’t many...
- 9/1/2009
- by Austin Lugar
- MovieSet.com
We're all for getting out in the summertime, but there might not be anything more refreshing than cooling off in a movie theater... or seeing a movie in the comfort of your air-conditioned home on demand, on DVD, or online... or better yet catching a classic on the big screen at a nearby repertory theater. With literally hundreds of films to choose from this summer, we humbly present this guide to the season's most exciting offerings.
May 1
"Eldorado"
The Cast: Bouli Lanners, Fabrice Adde, Philippe Nahon, Didier Toupy, Franise Chichy
Director: Bouli Lanners
Fest Cred: Cannes, Warsaw, Glasgow, Palm Springs,
The Gist: When Elie (Adde), a hapless young thief attempts to rob Yvan (Lanners), a 40-year-old car dealer, the two form a unlikely friendship that leads to a road trip across Belgium in this slight comedy that won the Best European Film at the Director's Fortnight at Cannes last year.
May 1
"Eldorado"
The Cast: Bouli Lanners, Fabrice Adde, Philippe Nahon, Didier Toupy, Franise Chichy
Director: Bouli Lanners
Fest Cred: Cannes, Warsaw, Glasgow, Palm Springs,
The Gist: When Elie (Adde), a hapless young thief attempts to rob Yvan (Lanners), a 40-year-old car dealer, the two form a unlikely friendship that leads to a road trip across Belgium in this slight comedy that won the Best European Film at the Director's Fortnight at Cannes last year.
- 5/6/2009
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
See eight clips as well as the trailer in various formats for the Regent Releasing Academy Award®-winning drama "Departures," starring Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo and Takashi Sasano. The film opens in limited areas on May 29th. See the gallery here. Trailers in other formats What's "Departures" all about? Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Departures is a delightful journey into the heartland of Japan as well an astonishingly beautiful look at a sacred part of Japan’s cultural heritage. “Departures” follows Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled “Departures” thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to...
- 4/9/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See eight clips as well as the trailer in various formats for the Regent Releasing Academy Award®-winning drama "Departures," starring Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo and Takashi Sasano. The film opens in limited areas on May 29th. Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Departures is a delightful journey into the heartland of Japan as well an astonishingly beautiful look at a sacred part of Japan’s cultural heritage. “Departures” follows Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over...
- 4/9/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See eight clips as well as the trailer in various formats for the Regent Releasing Academy Award®-winning drama "Departures," starring Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo and Takashi Sasano. The film opens in limited areas on May 29th. Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Departures is a delightful journey into the heartland of Japan as well an astonishingly beautiful look at a sacred part of Japan’s cultural heritage. “Departures” follows Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over...
- 4/9/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Love and Honor (Bushi No Ichibun)
Panorama
BERLIN -- In a movie involving samurai and a tale of betrayal and revenge, the expectation is of clashing swords and carnage, but Yoji Yamada's "Love and Honor" (Bushi No Ichibun) turns out to be a tender love story.
Unlikely to satisfy an audience with bloodlust, the picture should do well on the festival circuit and in international art houses for its pensive examination of loyalty.
In an unspecified period in history where the local shogun rules and is served by tremulous servants and guarded by ferocious warriors, a young samurai named Shinnojo (Takuya Kimura) has a noble but unheralded job as one of the ruler's food tasters.
With four other handsomely uniformed and disciplined men, he participates in the ritual of taking one bite and one swallow of everything his lordship is about to eat.
Unhappy with his lot despite the privileges his minor rank affords him and the devotion of his loving wife, Kayo (Rei Dan), Shinnojo dreams of quitting to teach children to become swordsmen.
The likable but serious young man sees the ritual of tasting for poison as foolish tradition until one day he swallows a piece of sashimi from a fish as potentially lethal as the fugu pufferfish. He becomes ill immediately, so the shogun is saved. But after emerging from a coma, the loyal samurai discovers he is blind.
He descends into depression, though Kayo nurses and feeds him devotedly. She not only keeps him from suicide, but when his disability means he can no longer function as a samurai and their income is threatened, she goes to see the head of the castle guard for help.
He is willing to help but only at a price -- and when Shinnojo discovers what price Kayo has been willing to pay, he not only sends her away but also decides that honor must be served by challenging the leader to a duel.
Yamada takes his time with the story, showing husband and wife in their loving relationship and detailing the niceties of the shogun's dining rituals. The pace of the proceedings is never dull, however, thanks to expert performances -- especially by leads Kimura and Dan -- Matuso Naganuma's fine cinematography and the suitably graceful editing of Iwao Ishii.
When the final clash occurs, it has elements of a classic Western gunfight, full of stealth and steel, but Yamada has much more on his mind than simple bloodletting.
LOVE AND HONOR (BUSHI NO ICHIBUN)
Shochiku Co. Ltd.
Credits:
Director: Yoji Yamada
Screenwriters: Yoji Yamada, Emiko Hiramatsu, Ichiro Yamamoto
Based on "Moumokuken Kodamagaeshi" by: Shuhei Fujisawa
Producer: Takeo Hisamatsu
Cinematographer: Matuso Naganuma
Art director: Naomi Koike
Music: Isao Tomita
Costume designer: Kazuko Korosawa
Editor: Iwao Ishii
Cast:
Shinnojo: Takuya Kimura
Kayo: Rei Dan
Also: Takashi Sasano, Nenji Kobayashi, Makoto Akatsuka, Toshiki Ayata, Koen Kondo, Nobuto Okamoto, Tokie Hidari, Yasuo Daichi, Ken Ogata, Kaori Momoi, Mitsugoro Bando
Running time -- 121 minutes
No MPAA rating...
BERLIN -- In a movie involving samurai and a tale of betrayal and revenge, the expectation is of clashing swords and carnage, but Yoji Yamada's "Love and Honor" (Bushi No Ichibun) turns out to be a tender love story.
Unlikely to satisfy an audience with bloodlust, the picture should do well on the festival circuit and in international art houses for its pensive examination of loyalty.
In an unspecified period in history where the local shogun rules and is served by tremulous servants and guarded by ferocious warriors, a young samurai named Shinnojo (Takuya Kimura) has a noble but unheralded job as one of the ruler's food tasters.
With four other handsomely uniformed and disciplined men, he participates in the ritual of taking one bite and one swallow of everything his lordship is about to eat.
Unhappy with his lot despite the privileges his minor rank affords him and the devotion of his loving wife, Kayo (Rei Dan), Shinnojo dreams of quitting to teach children to become swordsmen.
The likable but serious young man sees the ritual of tasting for poison as foolish tradition until one day he swallows a piece of sashimi from a fish as potentially lethal as the fugu pufferfish. He becomes ill immediately, so the shogun is saved. But after emerging from a coma, the loyal samurai discovers he is blind.
He descends into depression, though Kayo nurses and feeds him devotedly. She not only keeps him from suicide, but when his disability means he can no longer function as a samurai and their income is threatened, she goes to see the head of the castle guard for help.
He is willing to help but only at a price -- and when Shinnojo discovers what price Kayo has been willing to pay, he not only sends her away but also decides that honor must be served by challenging the leader to a duel.
Yamada takes his time with the story, showing husband and wife in their loving relationship and detailing the niceties of the shogun's dining rituals. The pace of the proceedings is never dull, however, thanks to expert performances -- especially by leads Kimura and Dan -- Matuso Naganuma's fine cinematography and the suitably graceful editing of Iwao Ishii.
When the final clash occurs, it has elements of a classic Western gunfight, full of stealth and steel, but Yamada has much more on his mind than simple bloodletting.
LOVE AND HONOR (BUSHI NO ICHIBUN)
Shochiku Co. Ltd.
Credits:
Director: Yoji Yamada
Screenwriters: Yoji Yamada, Emiko Hiramatsu, Ichiro Yamamoto
Based on "Moumokuken Kodamagaeshi" by: Shuhei Fujisawa
Producer: Takeo Hisamatsu
Cinematographer: Matuso Naganuma
Art director: Naomi Koike
Music: Isao Tomita
Costume designer: Kazuko Korosawa
Editor: Iwao Ishii
Cast:
Shinnojo: Takuya Kimura
Kayo: Rei Dan
Also: Takashi Sasano, Nenji Kobayashi, Makoto Akatsuka, Toshiki Ayata, Koen Kondo, Nobuto Okamoto, Tokie Hidari, Yasuo Daichi, Ken Ogata, Kaori Momoi, Mitsugoro Bando
Running time -- 121 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/9/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Love and Honor (Bushi No Ichibun)
Panorama
BERLIN -- In a movie involving samurai and a tale of betrayal and revenge, the expectation is of clashing swords and carnage, but Yoji Yamada's "Love and Honor" (Bushi No Ichibun) turns out to be a tender love story.
Unlikely to satisfy an audience with bloodlust, the picture should do well on the festival circuit and in international art houses for its pensive examination of loyalty.
In an unspecified period in history where the local shogun rules and is served by tremulous servants and guarded by ferocious warriors, a young samurai named Shinnojo (Takuya Kimura) has a noble but unheralded job as one of the ruler's food tasters.
With four other handsomely uniformed and disciplined men, he participates in the ritual of taking one bite and one swallow of everything his lordship is about to eat.
Unhappy with his lot despite the privileges his minor rank affords him and the devotion of his loving wife, Kayo (Rei Dan), Shinnojo dreams of quitting to teach children to become swordsmen.
The likable but serious young man sees the ritual of tasting for poison as foolish tradition until one day he swallows a piece of sashimi from a fish as potentially lethal as the fugu pufferfish. He becomes ill immediately, so the shogun is saved. But after emerging from a coma, the loyal samurai discovers he is blind.
He descends into depression, though Kayo nurses and feeds him devotedly. She not only keeps him from suicide, but when his disability means he can no longer function as a samurai and their income is threatened, she goes to see the head of the castle guard for help.
He is willing to help but only at a price -- and when Shinnojo discovers what price Kayo has been willing to pay, he not only sends her away but also decides that honor must be served by challenging the leader to a duel.
Yamada takes his time with the story, showing husband and wife in their loving relationship and detailing the niceties of the shogun's dining rituals. The pace of the proceedings is never dull, however, thanks to expert performances -- especially by leads Kimura and Dan -- Matuso Naganuma's fine cinematography and the suitably graceful editing of Iwao Ishii.
When the final clash occurs, it has elements of a classic Western gunfight, full of stealth and steel, but Yamada has much more on his mind than simple bloodletting.
LOVE AND HONOR (BUSHI NO ICHIBUN)
Shochiku Co. Ltd.
Credits:
Director: Yoji Yamada
Screenwriters: Yoji Yamada, Emiko Hiramatsu, Ichiro Yamamoto
Based on "Moumokuken Kodamagaeshi" by: Shuhei Fujisawa
Producer: Takeo Hisamatsu
Cinematographer: Matuso Naganuma
Art director: Naomi Koike
Music: Isao Tomita
Costume designer: Kazuko Korosawa
Editor: Iwao Ishii
Cast:
Shinnojo: Takuya Kimura
Kayo: Rei Dan
Also: Takashi Sasano, Nenji Kobayashi, Makoto Akatsuka, Toshiki Ayata, Koen Kondo, Nobuto Okamoto, Tokie Hidari, Yasuo Daichi, Ken Ogata, Kaori Momoi, Mitsugoro Bando
Running time -- 121 minutes
No MPAA rating...
BERLIN -- In a movie involving samurai and a tale of betrayal and revenge, the expectation is of clashing swords and carnage, but Yoji Yamada's "Love and Honor" (Bushi No Ichibun) turns out to be a tender love story.
Unlikely to satisfy an audience with bloodlust, the picture should do well on the festival circuit and in international art houses for its pensive examination of loyalty.
In an unspecified period in history where the local shogun rules and is served by tremulous servants and guarded by ferocious warriors, a young samurai named Shinnojo (Takuya Kimura) has a noble but unheralded job as one of the ruler's food tasters.
With four other handsomely uniformed and disciplined men, he participates in the ritual of taking one bite and one swallow of everything his lordship is about to eat.
Unhappy with his lot despite the privileges his minor rank affords him and the devotion of his loving wife, Kayo (Rei Dan), Shinnojo dreams of quitting to teach children to become swordsmen.
The likable but serious young man sees the ritual of tasting for poison as foolish tradition until one day he swallows a piece of sashimi from a fish as potentially lethal as the fugu pufferfish. He becomes ill immediately, so the shogun is saved. But after emerging from a coma, the loyal samurai discovers he is blind.
He descends into depression, though Kayo nurses and feeds him devotedly. She not only keeps him from suicide, but when his disability means he can no longer function as a samurai and their income is threatened, she goes to see the head of the castle guard for help.
He is willing to help but only at a price -- and when Shinnojo discovers what price Kayo has been willing to pay, he not only sends her away but also decides that honor must be served by challenging the leader to a duel.
Yamada takes his time with the story, showing husband and wife in their loving relationship and detailing the niceties of the shogun's dining rituals. The pace of the proceedings is never dull, however, thanks to expert performances -- especially by leads Kimura and Dan -- Matuso Naganuma's fine cinematography and the suitably graceful editing of Iwao Ishii.
When the final clash occurs, it has elements of a classic Western gunfight, full of stealth and steel, but Yamada has much more on his mind than simple bloodletting.
LOVE AND HONOR (BUSHI NO ICHIBUN)
Shochiku Co. Ltd.
Credits:
Director: Yoji Yamada
Screenwriters: Yoji Yamada, Emiko Hiramatsu, Ichiro Yamamoto
Based on "Moumokuken Kodamagaeshi" by: Shuhei Fujisawa
Producer: Takeo Hisamatsu
Cinematographer: Matuso Naganuma
Art director: Naomi Koike
Music: Isao Tomita
Costume designer: Kazuko Korosawa
Editor: Iwao Ishii
Cast:
Shinnojo: Takuya Kimura
Kayo: Rei Dan
Also: Takashi Sasano, Nenji Kobayashi, Makoto Akatsuka, Toshiki Ayata, Koen Kondo, Nobuto Okamoto, Tokie Hidari, Yasuo Daichi, Ken Ogata, Kaori Momoi, Mitsugoro Bando
Running time -- 121 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/9/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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