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| June 19th, 2008 | #1 |
| mallam Offline | |
Join Date: May 2008
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Samurai Spy (japanese with english st)
Samurai Spy  Movie Info: Director: Masahiro Shinoda Cast: Eiji Okada, Koji Takahashi, Tetsuro Tamba, Rokko Toura Original Title: Ibun sarutobi sasuke Production Country: Japan 1965 Review: Samurai Spy (aka: Ibun Sarutobi Sasuke, or The Strange Tale of Sasuke Sarutobi), Masahiro Shinoda’s jidai-geki chanbara pseudo-noir, is at once the tale of feudal era intrigue, a wrong-man drama, a violent, yet resoundingly anti-war, anti-persecution swordsman film, and a meditation on Japanese - US relations during the Cold War. The story concerns Sasuke Sarutobi (Koji Takahashi), swordsman and spy for the politically neutral Sanada clan (read: Japan), on a mission to find a Yagyu clan defector whose information could possibly sway the balance of power between the quietly warring Tokugawa (read: Russians) and Toyotomi (read: United States) clans. On his mission Sasuke is repeatedly thrust into danger, perpetually shadowed by a mysterious, white clad ninja of the Yagyu clan, getting caught up in chaotic swordfights, catching the eye of a beautiful female spy, and constantly being approached by “special interests” seeking to pick his brain. Further complicating matters is Sasuke’s knack for happening upon crime scenes, more than once leading to accusations for murders he did not commit. The story itself isn’t extremely compelling, as Sasuke’s spy is so passive he might as well have paid admission and joined the film’s audience, but it does maintain interest with its rapid fire shuffling of alliances. Though I have taken my fair share of Asian history courses, I won’t pretend to recall much about the battle of Sekigahara, the outcome of which, 14 years prior to the film’s narrative, provides much of the basis for the clan intrigue. Suffice it to say, however, by the end of the film friend has turned to foe, and foe to friend, and back again more than a handful of times. At first glance these relations appear far more complicated than they really are, though thankfully for adept viewers, a little reflection should make every plot piece fall easily into place. The film is surprisingly violent for its day, including sequences of lopped off limbs, hooks through the neck, and throwing stars through hands. The action, certainly more ninja than samurai, is fairly stylized and at times overly-dramatic, but nevertheless fun. Shinoda (Double Suicide, Moonlight Serenade), however, doesn’t let the violence obscure his anti-war message, balancing these sequences of bloody ninja action with ponderings on the nature of warfare and even the deaths of foot soldiers, sent on their missions by gruff old men who never themselves see conflict. As far as the cold-war political statement is concerned, this one borders on parable, the relations and symbolism being simplistic enough that even those with little to no background with the situation addressed should have a good understanding of the stance of the picture. The tale also makes a point of addressing the oppressive treatment, or should I say mistreatment, of Christians during Tokugawa era Japan in conveying its message of tolerance. But it is a shame, what with all its high intentioned symbolism, that the ultimate baddie in the picture is revealed to be none other than the most hatchet-faced one of the bunch. Worthy of note is Shinoda’s foray into cinematography. Where the film’s story and intellectual offering may be found lacking, this more than provides for the eyes. Though largely experimental, the compositions are nonetheless beautiful. In battles Shinoda plays with depth of field, cutting from deep focus long shots to flattened close-ups. Occasionally altercations are nearly entirely obscured by underbrush, trees, and other natural growth. Still shots of architecture and countryside are strikingly beautiful. Complementing the images, oddly enough, is Shinoda’s selection of Latin jazz as soundtrack, helping make Sasuke Sarutobi’s tale all the more strange. A cinematic supermodel, more beautiful than complex, Samurai Spy proves a pleasant diversion from the everyday. At the very least it should serve as a gateway for viewers interested in Shinoda’s work. LANGUAGE: japanese SUBTITLE: english DVDRiP avi 102 min 750 mb PW: malamute http://rapidshare.com/users/AT6HGV  / mallam
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