Samurai Rebellion
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VHS Movie Reviews of Samurai Rebellion
Movie Review: Lesser-known samurai classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Director Masaki Kobayashi and cinematographer Kazuo Yamada are the guiding powers behind this smouldering psychological drama. Set in 18th Century Japan, this tells the story of a taciturn samurai (Toshiro Mifune, of course) trapped in an unwinnable conflict with his corrupt and venal feudal lord. For a samurai film ,this is surprisingly nonviolent... for nearly two hours there is no bloodshed, but the script slowly ratchets up to a seething boil... When the battle comes, it's unquestionably cathartic, but also relentlessly tragic. The real heart of the film is the black-and-white cinematography, with each scene defined by intensely formal composition and tightly controlled beauty... It's a highly structured work of art, but soulfully so... Not Mifune's best work (in a CD extra, the director admits that Mifune's mind was not on his work, but rather on the production company that he had just started...) but it's still a fine performance. Definitely worth watching; you'll be engrossed from start to finish.Movie Review: what a great tragedy
Summary: 5 Stars
what a great screenplay! on of the best tragedies i've ever seen. perfect casting, directing and editing. the scenario and the plot are just perfect. never saw any tougher situation like this. the endurance, the honor, the humiliation, the gentle kindness, the manipulation, the friendship, the great son and the shameless wimpy son, the principle of being an honest man and a good husband, a good wife and a wonderful woman. as a perfect tragedy, you've got it all in this film. watch it and like what they said in this film: put yourself in that situation, what you're gonna do?
this film should be included in my 10 best films.
Movie Review: Outstanding Samurai Drama: Love, Honor And Loyalty
Summary: 5 Stars
With well-developed characters, and outstanding actors, director Masaki Kobayashi, filmed not only a classic samurai film, but a great dramatic film as well. In fact, it is less a samurai film than a drama dealing with life during the Tokugawa era. This classic samurai film stars the legendary actor, (Toshiro Mifune) as Isaburo Sasahara. During the samurai period the daimyo, [the feudal lord], controlled the goings on of his samurai. One of these, Lord Masakata Matsudaira (Tatsuo Matsumura) has ordered that one of his concubine, Lady Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa) be banished from his sight. However, since she is the mother of his son, she cannot be treated indifferently. Therefore, it is arranged that she be married to the son of one of his loyal samurai. The son, Yagoro Sasahara (Go Kat) is the eldest son of the loyal samurai, Isaburo Sasahara (Toshiro Mifune).
However, even though the marriage is arranged, the two soon fall in love. Moreover, the two eventually have a daughter, Tomi. Seeing that his son has found love [something Isaburo has never known with his own wife], Isaburo decides to retire and make his son Yogoro head of the family clan. Meanwhile, Matsudaira's eldest son has died, making Ichi's son the heir. When Matsudaira demands that Lady Ichi return to the castle immediately, Yogoro refuses. The always loyal Isaburo backs his son up on this too. Yet, the lord shows no loyalty as he has Lady Ichi kidnapped. This creates a problem for Matsudaira, as he has wronged Yogoro. Therefore, in the eyes of the Shogunate, Yogoro is right, and Matsudaira is wrong. As a result, Matsudaira tries to save face with a show of force.
What eventually ensues is a showdown between Isaburo and his good friend Tatewaki Asano (Tatsuya Nakadai). Tatewaki Asano is an honorable man, and good friend, but as the film shows, it is loyalty that is at the heart of the film. Loyalty [whether deserving or not] that lead these two samurai to their eventual duel. Moreover, the film is a drama that must be played out. As I wrote in the beginning of this review, the film is more drama than your usual samurai film. And this is good, and necessary for this particular film. The drama unfolding in the film is important for setting up the story and suspense which will manifest itself in the end. This is one of the better samurai films out there, with an excellent cast and terrific story. It is highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]
Movie Review: Mifune at his Best
Summary: 5 Stars
Samurai Rebellion (a bad translation to appeal to western chambara fans)bears a lot in common with Kobayashi's other masterpiece Hara Kiri. As Donald Richie notes, Hara Kiri is one of the best anti-Samurai films ever made, because like all of Kobayashi's films he deals with the individual vs the establishment, in this case, the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Samurai Rebellion attacks the shogunate at it's prime in 1727. And the individual is Isaburo Sasahara, played by Mifune Toshiro, in one of his best roles in his long career. His performance is understated and builds until the bloody end. Kato and Tsukasa also deliver intense and multifaceted performances. Nakadai, the star of Hara Kiri, puts in a good performance with his distinctive voice.
I think it is a mistake to think of this film as a Samurai action picture but instead it is a family drama and the three main characters are a paragon of true Bushido in the face of a cruel and vain bureaucracy.
Movie Review: A powerful movie of love, honor, duty, injustice and self-respect, with an equally powerful performance by Toshiro Mifune
Summary: 4 Stars
Don't come to Samurai Rebellion expecting a strutting, slashing, melodramatic sword flick. Joichi is a movie that deals with major issues -- love, honor, duty, injustice and, above all, self-respect -- and does so in such a sad and noble way that the inevitability of the outcome approaches tragedy. Note that elements of the plot are discussed.
We're in the middle of the long Tokugawa Shogunate, 1725. There has been peace for years and while the samurai code of obligation and duty is as rigid as ever, there are no wars to fight. When a local daimyo casts aside a concubine, the mother of his youngest son, he sends her to a retainer, Isaburo Sasahara (Toshiro Mifune) with the order that she marry Sasahara's oldest son, Yogoro (Go Kato). Isaburo is probably the best swordsmen in the district, but he is a minor functionary and has been married 20 years to a woman who scorns him. He accepts his fate with his wife, a termagant, and simply tries to do a good job at the lower level assignment he has. The order by their lord divides the family, but finally Yogoro agrees to marry the woman, Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa). The two develop a deep love for each other. They have a daughter, Tomi. Then three years after the daimyo sent her to the Sasahara family, he orders her return. His eldest son has died and it would be a disgrace to have the mother of the new heir married to a retainer. By now Sasahara has resigned as head of his family and turned responsibility over to Yogoro, placing Ichi, whom he has come to love as a father, over his domineering wife. Yogoro plans to refuse the order and Ichi is determined to stay as his wife. But great pressure is brought to bear on both of them as well as on Sasahara. Sasahara says the decision must be Yogoro's...but he makes clear what his feelings are. Duty and obligation are placed on Yogoro and Ichi by members of the family and by the officials of the daimyo. Yogoro wavers for a moment. Sasahara has had enough. "My father-in-law was impressed with my swordsmanship," he tells the couple. "As head of the Sasahara clan, he asked me to marry into the family. But otherwise I have no talents. In other words, I am a worthless man. So in order to prove myself for these past 20 years I have fought to preserve our good name and social standing. So why am I so obstinate now? The cruel injustice involved, for one thing. But your beautiful love for each other has touched me most of all. There's never been a shred of love in my married life! Promise me, Yogoro, that you'll never let Ichi go!" Turning to Ichi, he says, "No matter what happens, never leave him! Promise me!"
The three will not agree to the return of Ichi. The daimyo will not change his cruel order. Up to now the movie has been spent exploring the life of Isaburo Sasahara, his home, his family, his relationships with his superiors, all of whom expect obedience. Family councils are held. The daimyo's minions plot ways to force the return of Ichi. Threats are made. Seppuku is ordered. At one point Ichi is tricked into the daimyo's castle. Sasahara and Yogoro prepare to defend their home. He virtually shouts out to his daimyo's stewart, who has come to manipulate an agreement from him, "And tell everyone this for me! I, Isaburo Sasahara, in all my life have never felt more alive than I do now.!" Sasahara knows full well what the outcome of his defiance will most likely be. So do Yogoro and Ichi. The injustice of it, and their love, make them as determined as Sasahara. A confrontation is inevitable and occurs in a spasm of violence. Sasahara finally takes his baby granddaughter and walks toward Edo, carrying her in his arms. He will plead his case before the Shogun. He makes it as far as the frontier gate of the daimyo's lands. There is no happy ending. We are left only with Sasahara's hope for his granddaughter and with the satisfaction of seeing a man who found self-respect. I'm not sure if this is enough to make a tragedy, but it comes close. Isaburo Sasahara found nobility along with self-respect.
The black and white film is beautifully photographed. Kobayashi takes his time letting us see Sasahara's life and how he and his family live. He helps us understand the unyielding social order of Sasahara's world. He builds an understanding of the kind of man Sasahara is and became. We can understand how, seeing his son's love for Ichi and how it is returned, he will not see his son's life turn into his life. All the obligations to a corrupt, self-indulgent and cruel lord become meaningless as he sees the futility of what his life turned out to be. This is a fine movie with major themes. It would not be as powerful as it is without superlative performances by the thee main actors, particularly Toshiro Mifune. He moves believably and powerfully from a cautious man who is emotionally deadened into a man who has been changed by the love he sees between his son and Ichi, and then outraged by the injustice done to them.
The Criterion DVD presentation looks very good. The film is part of Criterion's Rebel Samurai four-film package. It can be bought separately. There is an excerpt from a filmed interview with the director and a Donald Richie essay in an enclosed brochure.