Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune), was considered to be the source of amusement for those considered to be the real samurai. He is portrayed to be this angry and comedic character that follows the samurai. However, as the film progresses, the audience is able to see the depth
Yojimbo: Ideology and Interpretation Yojimbo was directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1961. It is the story of a nineteenth century Japanese village that is controlled by two opposing merchants and their clans. The visit of a wandering samurai, who seeks work as a hired killer, interrupts their arguing over a gambling concession. The samurai, Sanjuro, is able to exploit both gangs using his skill with a sword. The story is an Eastern take on the Hollywood western with a dash of satire, with “The
This film incorporates the rules and expectations a samurai is supposed to obey. This is illustrated through the problematic relationship that arises between a farmer’s daughter (Shino) and a samurai (Katsushrio) (Yoshimoto 2000). They are forbidden from being together due to their social ranks. This depicts the social hierarchy that existed within the Japanese society where a farmer cannot be with a samurai, as he has a higher rank and is devoted to the ideals of bushido (Martinez 2007). Kurosawa’s
various permutations of the plot of Rashomon numerous times, probably without realizing. In the film, a rape and consequent murder are told five different times, by a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura) who seems to have witnessed the event, a bandit (Toshiro Mifune) who committed the rape, the wife of a samurai (Machiko Kyo) who was raped, and the ghost of the samurai (Masayuki Mori), who is channeled by a medium after his murder. In each telling, the viewer is presented with five realities that, through
The film Seven Samurai is about a village of farmers who have repeatedly suffered yearly raids by a group of merciless bandits. These bandits steal from the farmers and kidnap the women. Unable to protect themselves, the farmers decide to hire a samurai to do the job for them. This changes the course of their lives in numerous ways. Initially, not everyone in the village agrees with the idea of hiring a group of samurai to kill the bandits and protect them. They are indifferent about the situation
The jidaigeki samurai film genre has been through a significant change in the pre World War II and post World War II periods. Due to the social circumstances, the earlier samurai films were more dramatic, with more dialogue than action. Post World War II films diverted towards action based, producing more violent characters with darker themes. The samurai is usually seen as a physically or psychologically damaged fighter, with dramatization of death and violence. In addition, the protagonists are
Seven Samurai, directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa is a grand tale and a pioneer film for its genre. The story takes place in 16th century Japan and focuses on a rag tag group of master less samurai known as 'Ronin' who ultimately come together to come to the aid of a poor farming village under the attack of plundering bandits. The film follows the farmers needing to find samurai who are willing to work for three meals of rice a day. They come across an elder samurai who accepts their offer
Rashomon is a Japanese film that that was produced in 1950 by the director, Akira Kurosawa, which is considered one of the most important filmmaker in the history of cinema. Since early age, Akira Kurosawa had interest in samurai stories because his father was and shared his samurai experiences with Akira. In addition, writers such as Kanze Nobumitsu have said that Rashomon is an interpretation of the everyday life of the accident Japanese society. The old temple represents the ancient Raseimon gate
Yojimbo (Kurosawa, 1961) presents an overall stronger story than A Fistful of Dollars (Leone, 1964) as it focuses less on the action sequences on more on character development. In particular A Fistful of Dollars (Leone, 1964) appears to depict some of the more meaningful scenes with an excessive amount of swashbuckling that ultimately detracts from the significance of particular scenes. This can be seen in the respective scenes of both films when the two factions are sparring with one another near
Kaneto Shindō’s Onibaba,through its stark portrayal of the animalistic side of human life, engages with the questions of sin and evil. ‘Onibaba’ are women who have turned to demons as a result of negative karma. As the retelling of a popular mythological tale, the film inverts the traditional story of the ‘onibaba’ or demon hag who is punished by the Buddha for thwarting a young girl’s spiritual ambitions.Kichi’s old mother and widowed wife live by ambushing warriors and selling their armour and
Summary- Japanese police are readying themselves for a potential war between the yakuza group called the Yamaguchi-gumi and a group of Yamaguchi-gumi defectors and other small gangs calling themselves the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest Yakuza group in Japan, with over 35,000 members, (around 23,000 after the split) making up around 50% of all gangsters in Japan. They have an annual profit over the billions in U.S dollars every year. The yakuza group tries to stick to white
An individual 's perspective can dominate their perception of events. This becomes evident when a story has been recollected by numerous spectators. Gathering the same story from multiple perspectives can be very challenging or very simple. It can cause a true story to fall victim of distortion or it can simply cause the true story to become more clear. This dilemma had been portrayed by numerous individuals including, William Faulkner in his novel, “As I Lay Dying” or the film “Rashomon”, directed
seemed like as good a place as any to start. Although I liked the film, I hope certain elements of it aren’t representative of Kurosawa’s work. Set in feudal Japan, “Throne of Blood” is Kurosawa’s take on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” In this version, Toshirô Mifune plays a trusted general named Taketoki Washizu. After defeating a mutinous samurai in battle, Washizu and his friend and fellow general, Yoshiaki Miki
memorable. As opposed to having Macduff's counterpart act as the catalyst for Washizu's demise, Washizu's own soldiers turn on him, riddling his body with arrows. For a ruling samurai, or shogun, this would be the ultimate symbol of defeat. Toshiro Mifune, the actor that portrayed Washizu and a recurrent performer in Kurosawa films, actually allowed for off-screen archers to shoot arrows within inches of his body in order to capture the terror that Washizu would have experienced. Kurosawa
9. Cruel Story of Youth (Nagisa Osima, 1960) Nagisa Oshima’s second feature film is a prime example of the Japanese New Wave, as it focuses on adolescent delinquency, the sexual revolution, and the failures of the post-war generation. Furthermore, it was his first commercial success and the one that introduced him to the rest of the world. Makoto, a high school student has the habit, along with her friends, to ask for car rides from middle-aged men. During one of those, a lecherous individual tries
with him thrashing ar... ... middle of paper ... ...nder, Ogami makes a sharp departure not only from the law, but also from the very rules that govern existence. Both Ogami and Takezo are played by skilled actors (Tomisaburô Wakayama and Toshiro Mifune respectably) whose every facial movement pulls you deeper inside of the character. Takezo is a bundle of competing impulses; brusque, brutal and aggressive, yet also a tender soul yearning for affection. Ogami’s countenance is one of utter stoicism;
Hollywood has been remaking more classic films than ever before, and the trend is nothing new. Movie studios have been redoing movies since almost the beginning of the industry. In fact, some of our favorite films in recent years have been remakes of films produced years before. Here are five of the best remakes in recent years. 1. REMAKE: YOU’VE GOT MAIL (1998) ORIGINAL: THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) Most people are completely unaware that the very popular and successful 1998 romantic comedy
8 Reasons Why "Seven Samurai" is the Greatest Samurai Movie of All Time The 1950s are considered the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. The aftermath of World War II and particularly the atomic bomb, and the subsequent American occupation left the country scarred, but filled with inspiration and eagerness to start over. One of the most iconic films of this era is Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" one of the most influential movies of all time, and the basis for a plethora productions, with John Sturges’
Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 classic takes us through the story of a brutal rape of a woman and the murder of her samurai husband through differing versions of the events by four different witnesses. Kurosawa stages this through a trial-like setting in which the witnesses address you, the viewer, and give their interpretation of the events. This unique storytelling method has since coined the term ‘The Rashomon effect’. By definition, this is contradictory interpretations of the same event by different
Over at our official Facebook page, we are currently posting daily film recommendations, with each week being a different theme. This is a collection of those recommendations! This week's theme is prison films. Prisons provide an interesting settings for films for a variety of reasons, as the claustrophobic and closed in settings cause tight restrictions in terms of characters and storytelling. Prisoners are always restricted in their actions and are usually criminals, a type of character that is