Based on the 1,000-year-old "The Tale of Genji", written by a court woman in Kyoto during Japan's Heian Dynasty, Toei Co.'s cinematic version of a famous literary classic is an expensive but disappointing costume epic.
Opening in December in Japan, "Genji -- A Thousand Year Love" marks the feature film debut of veteran TV director Tonko Horikawa. Unlikely to stir up much international interest beyond foreign festival engagements, the film is often beautiful and parts of the episodic storytelling achieve the universal romantic appeal the filmmakers strove for.
But even a 2-hour-and-20-minute movie is bound to cut a lot of corners in attempting to adapt the lengthy original. Indeed, Viking just published a two-volume, 1,200-page English translation of "The Tale of Genji".
Credited to veteran Akira Hayasaka, the screenplay of "Genji" strives to present the best-known characters from what some have called the world's first novel.
But it also attempts to weave in the story of author Murasaki Shikibu (Sayuri Yoshinaga). The daughter of a scholar, Murasaki is already famous for her writing when she's employed to tutor the daughter (Takami Mizuhashi) of a statesman (Ken Watanabe). Hoping to have his daughter marry the emperor, Murasaki's employer enourages the telling of stories about Genji. An idealized "beautiful man" who has many loves, Genji is played with elegance and muted charisma by a woman, Yuki Amami.
The film moves back and forth between Murasaki's world and the romantic realms that her creation Genji exists in. Son of the emperor but destined not to rule, Genji falls seriously in love with his father's new wife, the Empress Fujitsubo (Reiko Takashima), and gets her pregnant. This misstep leads the lovesick hero to essentially kidnap a girl that he raises to be a "perfect woman" (Takako Tokiwa).
But over the years Genji dallies with many other ladies, including his wife (Shinobu Nakayama) who he was married to as a teenager. He eventually builds a mansion with four pavilions themed after the seasons. But not all his true loves are thrilled to take up residence.
The rights of women in the mostly peaceful world depicted are strangely skewed or non-exsistent. Murasaki's lusty, tragic tale causes her charge to question the fate that destines her to become one of many women beholden to one powerful man.
While one doesn't exactly feel transported to the 11th Century, "Genji" tries hard with pretty locations and historically accurate kimonos to make the material a memorable encounter with ancient Japanese culture. Special effects are even part of the package, including spooky sequences with spirits. Alas, the long running time results in a movie that stumbles to a decidedly less than earthmoving conclusion.
GENJI -- A THOUSAND YEAR LOVE
Toei Co.
Director: Tonko Horikawa
Screenwriter: Akira Hayasaka
Producers: Yusuke Okada, Hiroshi Hayakawa, Sadashi Iida, Sumio Kiga, Hisashi
Yamauchi
Executive producer: Tan Takaiwa
Director of photography: Tatsuo Suzuki
Production designer: Yoshinobu Nishioka
Music: Isao Tomita
Color/stereo
Cast:
Murasaki Shikibu: Sayuri Yoshinaga
Hikaru Genji: Yuki Amami
Shoshi: Takami Mizuhashi
Murasakinoue: Takako Tokiwa
Empress Fujitsubo/Lady Kiritsubo: Reiko Takashima
Lady Aoi: Shinobu Nakayama
Michinaga: Ken Watanabe
Running time -- 142 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
Opening in December in Japan, "Genji -- A Thousand Year Love" marks the feature film debut of veteran TV director Tonko Horikawa. Unlikely to stir up much international interest beyond foreign festival engagements, the film is often beautiful and parts of the episodic storytelling achieve the universal romantic appeal the filmmakers strove for.
But even a 2-hour-and-20-minute movie is bound to cut a lot of corners in attempting to adapt the lengthy original. Indeed, Viking just published a two-volume, 1,200-page English translation of "The Tale of Genji".
Credited to veteran Akira Hayasaka, the screenplay of "Genji" strives to present the best-known characters from what some have called the world's first novel.
But it also attempts to weave in the story of author Murasaki Shikibu (Sayuri Yoshinaga). The daughter of a scholar, Murasaki is already famous for her writing when she's employed to tutor the daughter (Takami Mizuhashi) of a statesman (Ken Watanabe). Hoping to have his daughter marry the emperor, Murasaki's employer enourages the telling of stories about Genji. An idealized "beautiful man" who has many loves, Genji is played with elegance and muted charisma by a woman, Yuki Amami.
The film moves back and forth between Murasaki's world and the romantic realms that her creation Genji exists in. Son of the emperor but destined not to rule, Genji falls seriously in love with his father's new wife, the Empress Fujitsubo (Reiko Takashima), and gets her pregnant. This misstep leads the lovesick hero to essentially kidnap a girl that he raises to be a "perfect woman" (Takako Tokiwa).
But over the years Genji dallies with many other ladies, including his wife (Shinobu Nakayama) who he was married to as a teenager. He eventually builds a mansion with four pavilions themed after the seasons. But not all his true loves are thrilled to take up residence.
The rights of women in the mostly peaceful world depicted are strangely skewed or non-exsistent. Murasaki's lusty, tragic tale causes her charge to question the fate that destines her to become one of many women beholden to one powerful man.
While one doesn't exactly feel transported to the 11th Century, "Genji" tries hard with pretty locations and historically accurate kimonos to make the material a memorable encounter with ancient Japanese culture. Special effects are even part of the package, including spooky sequences with spirits. Alas, the long running time results in a movie that stumbles to a decidedly less than earthmoving conclusion.
GENJI -- A THOUSAND YEAR LOVE
Toei Co.
Director: Tonko Horikawa
Screenwriter: Akira Hayasaka
Producers: Yusuke Okada, Hiroshi Hayakawa, Sadashi Iida, Sumio Kiga, Hisashi
Yamauchi
Executive producer: Tan Takaiwa
Director of photography: Tatsuo Suzuki
Production designer: Yoshinobu Nishioka
Music: Isao Tomita
Color/stereo
Cast:
Murasaki Shikibu: Sayuri Yoshinaga
Hikaru Genji: Yuki Amami
Shoshi: Takami Mizuhashi
Murasakinoue: Takako Tokiwa
Empress Fujitsubo/Lady Kiritsubo: Reiko Takashima
Lady Aoi: Shinobu Nakayama
Michinaga: Ken Watanabe
Running time -- 142 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
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