Zatoichi

[Hai_hai]

Zatoichi, the movie remake, was interesting.
I don't know why he was blond.
Plus, he was always gripping the katana with the bottom of his hand on the tsuba. I don't get that. Was that a movie waza or an actual waza?
I thought the tap dance sequence at the end of the movie ruined it. Tap/stomp dancing didn't exist way back then. They might as well have had a Bob Fosse number.

[Siglith234]

[QUOTE=Hai_hai]Plus, he was always gripping the katana with the bottom of his hand on the tsuba[QUOTE]

He always did that.. It gave him an edge against the people doing it traditionally.. He was melee he needed to be close in because he couldnt fight the people from far away.

[ben]

I loved it! I especially loved the dance routine at the end! A reminder of what a champon of old and new culture the Japanese psyche is! I think only somone who works as hard as Kitano could have pulled it off, would have dared. He's obviously not precious about his "babies". I mean what about those rice-farmers during the film? Or the crazy samurai-wanabee fat guy?

I don't think it was a substantial film. It was very, very light, but somehow still satisfying. The perfect antidote to Zwick's heavily earnest "Last Samurai". (Which I enjoyed too BTW).

The film I want to see now is Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei). It was on theatrical release here for about 5 minutes and I missed it >:(. It stars Sanada Hiroyuki http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/twilightsamurai.htm
I imagine it will fall somewhere in between.

b

PS - Yeah, why was he blonde? He looked good though...

[Andoru]

Zatoichi is indeed interesting! The amount of gore is certainly more than adequate.

I've watched Twilight Samurai. I like Hiroyuki Sanada (especially in The Last Samurai) and he certainly has the calibre to act as a samurai. Mind you, though the title has "samurai" in it, it's not as "samurai" as you'd expect.

[JSchmidt]

In terms of Kitano's movies, it's important to notice that he uses the name 'Beat Takeshi' for Zatoichi, which he really only uses for comedy/non-serious movies...so, the dance-sequence at the end, didn't surprise me at all :).
Twillight Samurai is probably more 'samurai' than most other movies, as it shows more of the average life style of a samurai than we normally see...ie the daily grind and not running around challenging people to duel, with the odd battle added here and there.
Very beautiful movie...really enjoyed it.

Jakob

[Kendo-Militia]

I thought the movie was funny and i enjoyed it. The Tap dancing was a bit too much. Over all it was worth the money spent. I tcost us $9- to see the movie and there was a total of 4 people in the theater. So it was kinda like a private screening.

[men's intruder]

the film was great, they are playing with battodo, toyama ryu style, by Nakamura Sensei School.

chiburi and noto very real, but the blod noormaly doesn't go that easy i think. anyway worthy.

baka samurai: the best, all of us somehow sometime.

:smiley:

[Willow]

Twilight Samurai is a beautiful movie. It's a really interesting study of Japanese life at the time and the two sword fighting scenes seem very authentic and 'unchoreographed'. This is a movie I will buy on DVD when it becomes available as it would really stand up to repeated viewings.
There were many great scenes but I loved the fishing scene most - because I've just started learning kendo! (ah yes, my shoulders...)

[DCPan]

Twillight Samurai is probably more 'samurai' than most other movies, as it shows more of the average life style of a samurai than we normally see...ie the daily grind and not running around challenging people to duel, with the odd battle added here and there.
Very beautiful movie...really enjoyed it.

Jakob

Ame Agaru (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=AEBD-10003) is another good one.

IMHO, Ame Agaru > Nogasore Seibei (Twilight Samurai) > Zatoichi

Another thread (http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2827&page=1&pp=15&highlight=agaru)

[Willow]

I will definitly look out for Ame Agaru.
Here is quite a good interview with Sanada Hiroyuki about making TS and LS
http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=10823

[Kendo-Militia]

[QUOTE=JSchmidt]In terms of Kitano's movies, it's important to notice that he uses the name 'Beat Takeshi' for Zatoichi, which he really only uses for comedy/non-serious movies...so, the dance-sequence at the end, didn't surprise me at all :).


All I could think of during the dance sequence was," I shouldn't have had a large soda. Is this movie almost over?"

[Zaphiel]

so one should have see the movie.........???

[Kendo-Militia]

so one should have see the movie.........???

Go see the movie. Everyone that I talked to about the movie loved it except mixed emotion on the dance sequence. I thought the dancing was lame but others enjoyed it. But other than that part, I think everyone will agree it was a good movie.

[Paburo]

if i remember well, beat takeshi said on an interview that he just wanted to make the character more original and more 'his' style, thus the blonde hair.

historically at that time noone used to bleach their hair, so along with the claque dance at the end, its a time incoherence.

the movie is kinda surrealistic from the first scene, but i liked all of it even if it wasnt that historically accurate. amusing, violent and surreal. like a samurai version of sonatine, and thats just what i was expecting from beat takeshi.

p.s. gennosuke hattori rocks!!

[Eiliries]

Watch Samurai Fiction, that movie is hilarious!!!!!

[Johnny Utah]

Also try the old classic, Shogun Assassin :smiley: