Reviews

Nemury Kyoshiro was one of the most well know chanbara series in Japan. With Raizo Ishikawa who died at 37 years old.

I have a huge deception when i see this movie. When you compare with the first Zatoichi or another chanbara of the time, you find this one very boring. But unlike other series like James Bond or Zatoichi for example, the better have to come.

Watch for the other. As the series evolve, the film are better. (sorry for my bad english)

You begin to understand how the personality of Nemury work. He was a lucid ronin who talk too much. Even when he is in big trouble, he just can't shut his mouth.

You begin to understand too Nemury have inner demons. But it's not clear.

Lovable characters and some good action scene... Fair movie. But the better are to come.

I find this episode better than the first.

More dark, more rebel. The ronin play by Raizo Ishikawa meet some truly bad people. The villains are so greedy and ambitious who just want them dead, but they are so human.

Remember, we are in the sixties. At this time, contestation was in many movies. This one are very sarcastic. Good swordfight scenes.

Many directors say they are influence by Nemury Kyoshiro series. they always said it's a violent series, very dark and symbolic. But when i watch the 3 first, i just dont understand how they can say that.

But with this one, i understand. This movie was disturbing and very violent for the time it was made. Nemury deal with religion, hypocrite, greedy people and lunatics aristocrats. The villains are sadistic and the heroes kill without problem.

This movie set the path for the bloody chanbara of the 70's like Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood or Henzo The Blade.

Many directors say they are influence by Nemury Kyoshiro series. they always said it's a violent series, very dark and symbolic. But when i watch the 3 first, i just dont understand how they can say that.

But with this one, i understand. This movie was disturbing and very violent for the time it was made. Nemury deal with religion, hypocrite, greedy people and lunatics aristocrats. The villains are sadistic and the heroes kill without problem.

This movie set the future chanbara of the 70's like Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood or Henzo The Blade.

People always say it was the better samurai flick of all time (with 7 Samurai). I have to admit, i not agree with that. It was a cool film (cool it's the word) and a perfect exemple of the kind of movies who was popular in Japan at this time. Chanbara (swordfight film) and Yakuza Eiga was the big deal in the 60's in Japan and this movie have all the elements. Kurosawa hate the Yakzua, it's the reason why he never made a Yakuza Eiga (to be a little bit harsh, i will say that's why critics know nothing about Yakzua Eiga, because Kurosawa never made this kind of genre altough it was one of the most popular genre in Japan). A lot of Jidai-geki with yakuza was made til 1910. But in this movie, they are ridicule and kill by Mifune.

Like i said before, i dont think it's the better Kurosawa (i prefer High And Low or Rashomon) but it was funny. But i prefer Sanjuro, the sequel.

The fact this movie have all this influence (people who disagree are blind) it's because it's one of the only chanbara we saw in occident. Chanbara was a genre very popular in japan, a very cool genre. But it's was one of the only of this kind. 7 Samurai or Rashomon was not chanbara, just jidai-geki.

What my point? I think if another chanbara was show to us at this time, the people was enjoy it too. And maybe more. because in term of fun and quality, a lot of chanbara can be name. The Zatoichi serie or Nemury Kyoshiro (The first 3 films was a little bit boring for many people, but watch til the 4 episode.. it was very disturbing) or some Okamoto movies like Samurai Assassin with Mifune. And many directore like Kenji Misumi made a good technic work. and if you want deep drama and chanbara, i suggest Harakiri by Kobayashi.

Yojimbo it's a fair movie to me, but not the greatest masterpiece of all time... It's my opinion.

Ok A Touch Of Zen can be describe like a Wu Xia Pian, but it is a good movie in all the direction. Not only a good wu xia pian, a good movie.

Critics of Occidental country always ignore the genre movie. It is why by exemple, we never saw "Ninkyo Eiga" from Japan, but it is the moste populare genre in the 60-70 era. When a director like Sergio Leone made too much succes, they can't ignore him. But in general, they try to put their own idea of the each country's cinematography on the dictionnary. Japan are a zen country who made slow movie like Ozu (althought Ozu try to made movie like American with Japanese things).

This is why the history of cinema are full of injustice. King Hu are one the great injustice. Yes, he made wu xia pian, a martial art genre movies. Swordplay movie in fact.

But is movies are a perfect mechanic, an exemple of editing. Hu made is own editing and like the piano play by Glenn Gould, we recognise his style when you pay attention of editing.

Hu dont want to use "wire" or special effect. He want use "editing" and camera to suggest anythings.

A Touch Of Zen are a gem. But i understand, it is maybe too much asian for the american country. All the first alf of the movie are talk and slow pacing. But the others alf are action, action and action. I dont know who want to watch that. Intellectual who love serious movies will love the first alf but maybe they just think acyion are too stupide. Same thing for the teenager who love action pack.

But, if you forget all your expectation, you will be touch byééé magic of poetry. Hu made a 3 distinctive parts movie. The first focus on individuality, the second on politics and the third on religion.

The first hour focuys on a naive scholar who discover strange yhing happen in the village where he live whit his old mothers. Suspens and mystery are the substance of this part.

The second show politics manipulation and the substance of war. This is the Hu tradionnal part. We are in Dragon Inn Gate, Fate Of Lee Khan or all the politics corruption things. A lot of martial arts.

The third part introduce us in the things of spirit. Hu show us a personn face to himself, the society and the spiritual....

But dont epect the spiritual journey like American movies. It his a King Hu movie. Ellipse and short cut are always where you dont expect and the focus always where you never goes....

A great movie.

Stephen Chow is a popular star in Hong-Kong. And the most aggressive and rebel. In the past he attack many establishment , are very vulguar. A klind of Marx Brother on cocaine.

But with this movie, he finish what he begin with Forbidden City Cop. Inject some emotion and doing a self critic of himself and his work. In the past Chow never play the victim, always the clever guys who destroy everything on his way. But He show us fragility for the first time here.

Here is the story of social worker who want to be a real actor. He always squat the "plateau" of different movie.

We can see in various sketch, many perspective of Hong-Kong industry of cinema. John Woo's flick, horror movie, stardom... Chow are the guide. But in the same time he declare his love for his work. Actor! Not just the Actor for movie, but many kind of comedy (in the real sense of the word). And he have enough confident in himself for doing serious variation...

But dont be araid! Stephen Chow do not play Hamlet. He's always an absurd guys who do stupid and non-sensical thing.. Pragmatic people, dont like this movie.