Samurai Films by Roland Thorne Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Roland Thorne
often difficult for audiences to relate to, as they have little in common with the central characters. In Matashichi and Tahei, writers Shinobu Hashimoto and Ryuzo Kikushima give the audience two regular guys, just trying to get along in life, something most of us can easily relate to.
It was this element of The Hidden Fortress that had a large influence on world cinema. George Lucas has stated that the film was one of his main inspirations when writing the script for Star Wars: A New Hope . In particular, the characters of Matashichi and Tahei inspired him to tell his story largely from the perspective of two seemingly unimportant characters caught up in big events, the two droids, R2-D2 and C3P0. The characters of Leia and Obi Wan Kenobi also bear a slight resemblance to Yuki and Rokurota. Lucas has stated that earlier versions of the script of Star Wars: A New Hope actually contained scenes in which Leia and Obi Wan were making their way through enemy territory, as Yuki and Rokurota do in The Hidden Fortress .
THE VERDICT
The Hidden Fortress is a very enjoyable adventure film, utilising widescreen photography and large, well-staged scenes to tell an epic story. Worth seeing alone for the amusing characterisation of Matashichi and Tahei.
Samurai Saga (1959)
Japanese Title: Aru kengo no shogai
Directed by: Hiroshi Inagaki
Written by: Adapted by Hiroshi Inagaki from Edmond Rostand’s, Cyrano de Bergerac
Produced by: Tomoyuki Tanaka
Edited by: Kazuji Taira
Cinematography: Kazuo Yamada
Cast: Toshiro Mifune (Heihachiro Komaki), Yoko Tsukasa (Lady Ochii), Akira Takarada (Jurota Karibe), Seizaburo Kawazu (Lord Nagashima), Kamatari Fujiwara (Rakuzo, owner of the sake house), Akihiko Hirata (Akaboshi), Keiko Awaji (Nanae), Eiko Miyoshi (Okuni)
PLOT SUMMARY
Komaki, a boisterous warrior with a large nose, is in love with Lady Ochii, his childhood friend, but she loves a handsome young samurai named Jurota. Putting aside his own wishes, Komaki helps Jurota woo Ochii by writing him romantic poems to recite. This works for a while, and culminates in Komaki making an impassioned speech to Ochii, declaring his love for her, from the cover of darkness outside her window. Ochii believes Jurota to have made this speech and embraces him, but before their relationship can develop any further war breaks out. At the Battle of Sekigahara Komaki and Jurota fight on the losing side and they narrowly escape the battlefield. Realising Komaki’s words are what Ochii really loves, Jurota urges him to make it back to her safely, committing suicide so as not to slow him down. Ten years pass and Ochii has become a nun. Komaki continues to visit her, but he is found by the Tokugawa, who still hunt him. Tricked into a cowardly ambush, Komaki receives a fatal blow to his head. He manages to visit Ochii one last time as he dies, and as she hears him read to her, she realises it was Komaki who made that speech at her window. Komaki faces death bravely, regretful that he was killed in such a dishonourable fashion, but determined not to lose his indomitable spirit.
ANALYSIS
An adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, Samurai Saga makes use of some interesting subject matter. The material works very well in the context of a samurai film, and director Hiroshi Inagaki should be commended for utilising such unusual material.
Inagaki is able to capture both the pathos and humour present in Rostand’s play. Toshiro Mifune’s energetic performance as Komaki adds humour to the scenes where he and others make fun of his unusually large nose. Worthy of mention is a scene early in the film when Komaki disrupts a kabuki performance. Angered, Lord Nagashima’s samurai attempt to insult Komaki, but he beats them to it, making fun of his own nose in an exaggerated performance, which is very amusing. Komaki then goes on to defeat Nagashima’s men on the stage, composing a song as he does so. Inagaki and his actors are able
It was this element of The Hidden Fortress that had a large influence on world cinema. George Lucas has stated that the film was one of his main inspirations when writing the script for Star Wars: A New Hope . In particular, the characters of Matashichi and Tahei inspired him to tell his story largely from the perspective of two seemingly unimportant characters caught up in big events, the two droids, R2-D2 and C3P0. The characters of Leia and Obi Wan Kenobi also bear a slight resemblance to Yuki and Rokurota. Lucas has stated that earlier versions of the script of Star Wars: A New Hope actually contained scenes in which Leia and Obi Wan were making their way through enemy territory, as Yuki and Rokurota do in The Hidden Fortress .
THE VERDICT
The Hidden Fortress is a very enjoyable adventure film, utilising widescreen photography and large, well-staged scenes to tell an epic story. Worth seeing alone for the amusing characterisation of Matashichi and Tahei.
Samurai Saga (1959)
Japanese Title: Aru kengo no shogai
Directed by: Hiroshi Inagaki
Written by: Adapted by Hiroshi Inagaki from Edmond Rostand’s, Cyrano de Bergerac
Produced by: Tomoyuki Tanaka
Edited by: Kazuji Taira
Cinematography: Kazuo Yamada
Cast: Toshiro Mifune (Heihachiro Komaki), Yoko Tsukasa (Lady Ochii), Akira Takarada (Jurota Karibe), Seizaburo Kawazu (Lord Nagashima), Kamatari Fujiwara (Rakuzo, owner of the sake house), Akihiko Hirata (Akaboshi), Keiko Awaji (Nanae), Eiko Miyoshi (Okuni)
PLOT SUMMARY
Komaki, a boisterous warrior with a large nose, is in love with Lady Ochii, his childhood friend, but she loves a handsome young samurai named Jurota. Putting aside his own wishes, Komaki helps Jurota woo Ochii by writing him romantic poems to recite. This works for a while, and culminates in Komaki making an impassioned speech to Ochii, declaring his love for her, from the cover of darkness outside her window. Ochii believes Jurota to have made this speech and embraces him, but before their relationship can develop any further war breaks out. At the Battle of Sekigahara Komaki and Jurota fight on the losing side and they narrowly escape the battlefield. Realising Komaki’s words are what Ochii really loves, Jurota urges him to make it back to her safely, committing suicide so as not to slow him down. Ten years pass and Ochii has become a nun. Komaki continues to visit her, but he is found by the Tokugawa, who still hunt him. Tricked into a cowardly ambush, Komaki receives a fatal blow to his head. He manages to visit Ochii one last time as he dies, and as she hears him read to her, she realises it was Komaki who made that speech at her window. Komaki faces death bravely, regretful that he was killed in such a dishonourable fashion, but determined not to lose his indomitable spirit.
ANALYSIS
An adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, Samurai Saga makes use of some interesting subject matter. The material works very well in the context of a samurai film, and director Hiroshi Inagaki should be commended for utilising such unusual material.
Inagaki is able to capture both the pathos and humour present in Rostand’s play. Toshiro Mifune’s energetic performance as Komaki adds humour to the scenes where he and others make fun of his unusually large nose. Worthy of mention is a scene early in the film when Komaki disrupts a kabuki performance. Angered, Lord Nagashima’s samurai attempt to insult Komaki, but he beats them to it, making fun of his own nose in an exaggerated performance, which is very amusing. Komaki then goes on to defeat Nagashima’s men on the stage, composing a song as he does so. Inagaki and his actors are able