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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 13, 2018 22:10:01 GMT
Hideo Gosha Hitokiri literally means manslayers, it is the title for an outstanding very dark historical samurai film aka Tenchu .
I'd like to see some of Hideo Gosha's work. I've not seen 'Hitokiri' but I did read Yukio Mishima when I was at school. I also saw Paul Schrader's biopic 'Mishima : A Life In Four Chapters' (1985) with Ken Ogata playing the author.
Hi there petrolino Yukio Mishima is an excellent actor, one particular incredibly powerful scene will haunt you, chillingly prophetic.. He is paired with Ayako Wakao in the wonderful crime drama , Man Of The Biting Wind (1960) ,Yasuzô Masumura … b&w promotion still, the film is in colour
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 14, 2018 5:33:47 GMT
The Daigo Fukuryū Maru incident was one of the inspirations for the producers and writers developing the famous science fiction classic, Gojira, Godzilla (1954). An excellent, insightful film taking us onboard the fishing vessel was made in 1959. Daigo Fukuryū Maru , Lucky Dragon No. 5 (1959) Directed and written by Kaneto Shindo A devastating environmental tale from the director which he based on a real life incident, highlighting the fact that, between 1946 and 1958, 23 American nuclear devices were detonated at Bikini Atoll at seven test sites located on the reef, inside the atoll, in the air, and underwater. Shindo's compelling film tells the story of radioactive exposure and the subsequent sickness encountered by a Japanese fishing crew of 23 men aboard their tuna boat the Daigo Fukuryū Maru .The crew were contaminated, irradiated by nuclear fallout from the United States Castle Bravo thermonuclear weapon test at Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954. When the navigator and crew spot a flash they all come up on deck to watch. They soon realize and are now obviously spooked, having witnessed a nearby atomic explosion. The men begin to wind up their fishing gear, shortly grey ash starts to fall, blanketing them and their boat. By the time the vessel returns to port, the Daigo Fukuryū Maru crew have been burned brown. The film follows the crews plight and explores the fallout back on dry land. The highly radioactive men are separated from families and eventually hospitalized whilst their catch and vessel causes much panic... The Daigo Fukuryū Maru had been catching fish outside the US Government declared danger zone. However, this powerful test was more than twice the strength predicted , weather patterns that day blew nuclear fallout, in the form of a fine ash, well outside the "declared danger zone" !...
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 14, 2018 6:28:55 GMT
The wonderfully multi talented actress Junko Fuji became famous starring as the female lead in numerous yakuza films and the subset of these films, the excellent Toei, Ninkyo eiga; chivalry films. In these honour bound tales Fuji was often cast alongside her male counterparts stars Ken Takakura and Kōji Tsuruta. She appeared first in the early sixties, her career peaking later in the decade, especially when she starred in her own film series as the knife-wielding gambler Red Peony in the Hibotan Bakuto or Red Peony Gambler series. It was a great shock to fans and Toei company executives when she announced her early retirement aged 27 in 1972, although after some years she did return to acting and is still an active today...
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 14, 2018 8:36:54 GMT
Kōji Tsuruta appeared in over 200 feature films, he was also a talented singer . Kōji Tsuruta made his film debut in 1948 as a handsome & promising actor, he instantly became popular, not just with his female fan base, the general public were enthralled with his acting style. Joining the Toei Studios in 1960, Kōji Tsuruta found much success with the ninkyo eiga trend of chivalrous yakuza films. He was perfectly suited & cast as the stoic honourable outlaw torn between the contradictory values of duty and personal feelings, a man willing to fight and die to save the boss, or the honour of the clan... Rising over the next decade Tsuruta became the lead star of Toei, one of the hardest working at the studios, his incredible output saw him starring or guest-starring in a film every month at the height of his popularity. A shift in tone of the yakuza genre in the 70s to a more modern storyline, saw a decline in the quality of films and notably Kōji Tsuruta's performances suffered, he made his last film in 1985.
Bakuchi-uchi: socho tobaku , Big Time Gambling Boss (1968) Kôsaku Yamashita , is Excellent !! 10/10
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 14, 2018 11:52:08 GMT
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Post by petrolino on Jul 15, 2018 10:33:48 GMT
The Daigo Fukuryū Maru incident was one of the inspirations for the producers and writers developing the famous science fiction classic, Gojira, Godzilla (1954). An excellent, insightful film taking us onboard the fishing vessel was made in 1959. Daigo Fukuryū Maru , Lucky Dragon No. 5 (1959) Directed and written by Kaneto Shindo A devastating environmental tale from the director which he based on a real life incident, highlighting the fact that, between 1946 and 1958, 23 American nuclear devices were detonated at Bikini Atoll at seven test sites located on the reef, inside the atoll, in the air, and underwater. Shindo's compelling film tells the story of radioactive exposure and the subsequent sickness encountered by a Japanese fishing crew of 23 men aboard their tuna boat the Daigo Fukuryū Maru .The crew were contaminated, irradiated by nuclear fallout from the United States Castle Bravo thermonuclear weapon test at Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954. When the navigator and crew spot a flash they all come up on deck to watch. They soon realize and are now obviously spooked, having witnessed a nearby atomic explosion. The men begin to wind up their fishing gear, shortly grey ash starts to fall, blanketing them and their boat. By the time the vessel returns to port, the Daigo Fukuryū Maru crew have been burned brown. The film follows the crews plight and explores the fallout back on dry land. The highly radioactive men are separated from families and eventually hospitalized whilst their catch and vessel causes much panic... The Daigo Fukuryū Maru had been catching fish outside the US Government declared danger zone. However, this powerful test was more than twice the strength predicted , weather patterns that day blew nuclear fallout, in the form of a fine ash, well outside the "declared danger zone" !... Sounds like another feather in the cap of Kaneto Shindo, taking on real events like Ishiro Honda.
Do you like Shindo's film 'The Naked Island' (1960)? That one's available on dvd here in the U K.
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 15, 2018 11:24:36 GMT
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 15, 2018 22:15:37 GMT
The Daigo Fukuryū Maru incident Sounds like another feather in the cap of Kaneto Shindo, taking on real events like Ishiro Honda.
Do you like Shindo's film 'The Naked Island' (1960)? That one's available on dvd here in the U K.
Hi there petrolino, The Naked Island apparently saved the day for Shindo's own production company for it was a commercial and International hit which brought him much recognition. The film has an amazing setting, it is very different from his other films, especially for having minimal dialogue. A penetrating study of family and existence, it is well worth a watch . personally I rank it below a number of his other films eg, the ones I mentioned above.. Last night we watched a an excellent film with a script written by Shindo , based on a stage version from Yukio Mishima, which was adapted from a novel from the famous Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo !! the vibrant and visionary ahead of its time pop-art sensation. Kurotokage , Black Lizard (1962) Umetsugu Inoue .. An out there musical crime mystery featuring some outrageous dance numbers and songs The female master criminal at the centre of the story is played by Rashomon’s Machiko Kyo, a star whose dance background is well suited her for those occasions on which her character breaks out into spontaneous soft shoe routines. She plays a cat and mouse game with Japans best private detective Kogoro Akechi (Minoru Oki) The film was remade in 1968 by Kinji Fukasaku in this version Mishima has a cameo as a human statue.
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Post by petrolino on Jul 16, 2018 0:55:10 GMT
Sounds like another feather in the cap of Kaneto Shindo, taking on real events like Ishiro Honda.
Do you like Shindo's film 'The Naked Island' (1960)? That one's available on dvd here in the U K.
Hi there petrolino, The Naked Island apparently saved the day for Shindo's own production company for it was a commercial and International hit which brought him much recognition. The film has an amazing setting, it is very different from his other films, especially for having minimal dialogue. A penetrating study of family and existence, it is well worth a watch . personally I rank it below a number of his other films eg, the ones I mentioned above.. Last night we watched a an excellent film with a script written by Shindo , based on a stage version from Yukio Mishima, which was adapted from a novel from the famous Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo !! the vibrant and visionary ahead of its time pop-art sensation. Kurotokage , Black Lizard (1962) Umetsugu Inoue .. An out there musical crime mystery featuring some outrageous dance numbers and songs The female master criminal at the centre of the story is played by Rashomon’s Machiko Kyo, a star whose dance background is well suited her for those occasions on which her character breaks out into spontaneous soft shoe routines. She plays a cat and mouse game with Japans best private detective Kogoro Akechi (Minoru Oki) The film was remade in 1968 by Kinji Fukasaku in this version Mishima has a cameo as a human statue.
Hi planet. You provide the most awesome information as always, thanks.
I'm in the process of lining up some new Japanese viewings to contribute again to this thread as I've picked up many recommendations. Both my sister and mother - one a sketch artist, the other a watercolor painters - love the artistic designs and little intricacies of Japanese culture. I did watch Koji Shiraishi's monster mash 'Sadako Vs. Kayako' (2016) and felt it was alright. But now I'm ready for more vintage Japanese cinema ...
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 16, 2018 8:37:07 GMT
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (1886 – 1965) remains one of the most popular of Japanese novelists, his modern literature explored the intricacies of family life in the dynamic & rapidly evolving 20th-century Japanese society. Human sexuality and destructive erotic desires are strong elements throughout his work, characters driven by their obsessions... Many excellent film adaptations have been made from his work, most notably for me, Chijin no Ai (1924) --- Yasuzo Masumura in 1967. Manji (1930) --- Yasuzo Masumura in 1964 and many others, Shunkinshō (1933) --- Shunkinsho: Okoto to Sasuke (1935) Yasujirô Shimazu & Sanka, Hymn (1972) Kaneto Shindo . Fūten Rōjin Nikki Diary of a Mad Old Man (1962) tells a tale it is a journal of a seventy-seven-year-old man Tokusuke Rôjin, a man of refined tastes who is slowly recovering from a debilitating stroke. Tokusuke discovers that, while his body is deteriorating, he still has strong urges, his libido still rages on. Is it any wonder with all the gentle and kindly attentions from his beautiful daughter-in-law Satsuko (Ayako Wakao) a chic woman with a shady past. Old age has left him pathetic and ridiculous but Tokusuke carries on without a trace of self-pity, his diary reflects this state of mind, it is filled with self-effacing good humour. This marvellous bittersweet film examines the relationship between our sexual desire and the will to live, cleverly weaving in the hilarious with a touch of poignancy. The film was adapted by director Keigo Kimura from a novel by the famous author Jun'ichiro Tanizaki. Fûten Rojin nikki is wonderfully creative and witty, a universal tragicomedy on the fragility of human existence. Ayako Wakao stars with an exceptional performance, enchanting, aloof, surprisingly dark satirical characterization as Satsuko . Highly Recommend !!
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 16, 2018 11:31:13 GMT
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 16, 2018 21:28:08 GMT
Two wonderful literary adaptions of Jun'ichirō Tanizaki from his novel Shunkinshō (1933). Both excellent films are richly textured with absorbing stories of passion & obsession. Each film is accompanied with enchanting traditional music and dance, showcasing the stringed instruments, the sameisen and the koto . Shunkinsho: Okoto to Sasuke (1935) Yasujirô Shimazu Okoto and Sasuke is an adaptation from the novel, A Portrait of Shunkin , Directed by Yasujiro Shimazu's who adapted the beautifully composed film. it was placed third in the 1935 Kinema Junpo Top Ten. The story is a captivating melodramatic tale, telling of an unusual love affair that develops between the brilliant but difficult blind musician Okoto, and her faithful disciple and servant Sasuke. As the opening credits roll we are treated to a wonderful musical introduction, an outstanding feature of the film the instruments, the sameisen and the koto , also highlights some beautiful traditional dance. Sanka , Hymn (1972) Kaneto Shindô
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Post by Aj_June on Jul 16, 2018 21:54:31 GMT
Sounds like another feather in the cap of Kaneto Shindo, taking on real events like Ishiro Honda.
Do you like Shindo's film 'The Naked Island' (1960)? That one's available on dvd here in the U K.
Hi there petrolino, The Naked Island apparently saved the day for Shindo's own production company for it was a commercial and International hit which brought him much recognition. The film has an amazing setting, it is very different from his other films, especially for having minimal dialogue. A penetrating study of family and existence, it is well worth a watch . personally I rank it below a number of his other films eg, the ones I mentioned above.. Hi Planet,
I have seen The Naked Island and enjoyed it immensely. A few things have always surprised me about our ancestors. The life of hardship they led (irrespective of any particular culture on our planet). The Naked Island very beautifully captures the struggle for survival that our species has put up (against nature and not against any particular species) to make it possible for us to reach this stage of human development. The movie has a very simple but stunning imagery. Irrespective of employing so few actors and depicting repetitious actions the film was able to convey so much.
Though I am positively surprised from reading your post that the movie happened to be a commercial success. The reason for that is that The Naked Island is not a very mainstream commercial cinema. It didn't even have a dialogue. So as a cinema lover I am much indebted to the people who recognised its beauty and whose support made it possible for this film to be a commercial success.
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 17, 2018 12:18:33 GMT
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 17, 2018 12:23:28 GMT
That's the end of my capsule reviews with thumbnails for now. I have titles I need to revisit and more on hand I have not seen yet.
I finished with a lot of Kurosawa because I've seen more of his titles. He's readily available and dominated Japanese export films for a long time.
I recommend his book Something Like an Autobiography, which ends around the time he was making Rashomon. A remarkable life.
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jul 17, 2018 12:25:56 GMT
Hi there petrolino, The Naked Island apparently saved the day for Shindo's own production company for it was a commercial and International hit which brought him much recognition. The film has an amazing setting, it is very different from his other films, especially for having minimal dialogue. A penetrating study of family and existence, it is well worth a watch . personally I rank it below a number of his other films eg, the ones I mentioned above.. Hi Planet,
I have seen The Naked Island and enjoyed it immensely. A few things have always surprised me about our ancestors. The life of hardship they led (irrespective of any particular culture on our planet). The Naked Island very beautifully captures the struggle for survival that our species has put up (against nature and not against any particular species) to make it possible for us to reach this stage of human development. The movie has a very simple but stunning imagery. Irrespective of employing so few actors and depicting repetitious actions the film was able to convey so much.
Though I am positively surprised from reading your post that the movie happened to be a commercial success. The reason for that is that The Naked Island is not a very mainstream commercial cinema. It didn't even have a dialogue. So as a cinema lover I am much indebted to the people who recognised its beauty and whose support made it possible for this film to be a commercial success. The Naked Island is a wonderful film. I love the meditative pace and near complete absence of dialogue. Quite different to the other Shindo films I've seen ( Onibaba and Kuroneko), but just as mesmerizing.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 17, 2018 23:54:18 GMT
Kiku to Isamu (1959) " why are some people black and some people white ? " Winner of the 10th Blue Ribbon Awards 1959 .. Won: Best Film - Tadashi Imai, Won: Best Actress - Tanie Kitabayashi Won: Best Screenplay - Youko Mizuk Director Tadashi Imai was known for his left-wing social realist filmmaking, here he boldly portrays the first film in Japan to show Blasians (mixed-race children) and the concept of interracial relationships. In recent history & directly linked to the American occupation of Japan following the end of World War II, African-Japanese children were born from unions between American GIs and Japanese women, many were conceived through prostitution. As they aged the biracial children born from these liaisons faced public discrimination and suffered marginalization. Due in part to the re-emergence of nationalism in Japan, but universally, the base human traits of bigotry and ignorance come in to play. The exceptional film explores the lives of two such children, sister & brother Kiku and Isamu, orphaned they live with their grandmother, each has a different black GI father. The multi layered tale touches on race, culture and identity. Outstanding performances, the characterisations impart a tremendous humanistic dimension. Wise grandmother Tanie Kitabayashi is worldly & pragmatic, and in her only ever film appearance? Emiko Takahashi as Kiku gives an incredibly sincere, moving and spirited account. The touching drama has a positive tone and is forward thinking. Each scene builds upon the last, deeply engaging its audience, the progressive story is not impeded by dwelling on the negatives or self pity. The future does holds confronting social challenges for coming of age Kiku and her brother. Under pressure from outsiders and community, difficult decisions must be now faced... At the heart of this brilliant film is Kiku, an inspired and bold casting choice from Imai, it would spoil to say anymore. The wonderful still below, in the context of the journey we have all undertaken, is the most beautiful and heartfelt reflection .. Highly Recommend !!
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 19, 2018 1:29:40 GMT
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Post by Aj_June on Jul 19, 2018 1:55:03 GMT
Hi wmcclain,
I am a massive fan of Sasaki Kojiro (The person whom main character Miyamoto Musashi fights in the last duel). These were semi-real characters from Japan. I have seen Samurai Trilogy and liked them immensely. Mifune was almost perfectly build for playing Samurai. Also loved the direction of Inagaki. 8/10 from me.
Our friend manfromplanetx also introduced me to a director called Tomu Uchida who has also made a 6 part movie series on Miyamoto Musashi. I am looking forward to see those as well. My username on old IMDB used to be Sasaki Kojiro for sometime!
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jul 19, 2018 2:27:52 GMT
So long since I've seen those, time for a rewatch me thinks.
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