Enjo Raizo Ichikawa and Tatsuya Nakadai

[Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

Just obtained this film last week. What an excellent example of matchless directing from Kon Ichkawa. Frankly, I'm blown away. Never knew the flick existed until one of the evil bootleggers on ebay listed this title. I can't believe Criterion didn't scoop this up! Flawless filming there.

Anyone seen this fim? What were your thoughts on it?

[Guest Daisho2004]

vengeance, what is the title?

[Guest Dahnamics]

Enjo

[Guest KevinClo]

It’s a fictionalized account of the burning of the Golden Pavilion temple that took place in 1950. Ichikawa as the stutterer and Nakadai as the cripple have some really good acting in this movie. It's a drama and not an action movie.

It is a typical Yukio Mishima story. In all his stories, the main character always does the same thing as his final fate. There is always some form of protest against Japanese society in that it has been trivialized or commercialized too much. Mishima stresses the values of the feudal samurai days. This is seen throughout the movie as a lot of the ideals at the temple have been trivialized or the motives are less than sincere. For example, this isn’t spoiling very much, there is a scene where investigators are all concerned about how they could replace or rebuild the temple in order to keep commercial tourism going. As if this is the main reason one would want the public to visit a Buddhist temple.

I am not Mishima’s biggest fan because he is a little to extreme for me. His real life was the same as his characters. One should see this movie and Ken to get the idea.

KC

[Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

I do not understand why a company like Criterion hasn't released this film. I think it may have been shot in the late fifties. When I received the DVD from an ebay purchase it came with no info on the slip cover at all.

It was a real treat to see such a realistically filmed story with both Tatsuya Nakadai and Raizo Ichikawa. Despite this film having very little action -I usually cannot stand sitting through japanese or chinese films if there's not enough action- I was coached right along through a film of profound interest in human nature and sardonic humor. Raizo stutters and when his father dies is left to the master of a school who peruses the image of being an upright monk -though we see the contrary- who by Raizo's humble and unchecked honesty is won back over to the principles of uprightness -this takes the entire length of the story. Tatsuya plays a very sarcastic cripple who besides praying on womens sympathies for sexual companionship, deals in stolen goods, and loan sharking. Raizo befriends the philosophical Tatsuya identifying with one another because their both being outcasts and objects of humiliation in japanese society. Through it all Raizo's pure and true character even wins over the corrupt and bitter Tatsuya. The director Kon Ichikawa flows through this testimony of conflicting dishonest interests between people and their self centered contempt for those who are less fortunate around them seemlessly and spot on the mark with every scene. I'm talking flawless continuity here. Kon Ichikawa is a master craftsman. I've never seen any of his films that I'm aware of and I'm actually gonna put this flick in quite soon just get a clearer understanding of the story's concept.

There are some excellent quotes in the film. The dialogue in the story is profoundly thought out. One quote by Raizo who's rejecting his mothers attempt to live with him at the monastery and expressing his feelings about why he has a hard time talking to people, "When you learn your alone and live in despair then... words don't come easily." Another great quote by the priest of the monastery who being remostrated by Raizo, who'd witnessed the priest visiting a brothal and stating he knows he (the priest) has been breaking his own vows, annoyed by this meddlesome neophyte the priest snaps back with, "So? knowing without understanding means nothing!"

Tatsuya comes off as this Boris Karloff type character being severely crippled, yet who can still walk though most awkwardly, plays is role with matchless conviction.

An extremely realistic film, so much so, it's surreal.

5/5 an absolute must have for Raizo Ichikawa and Tatsuya Nakadai fans.

You'll find it on ebay delivered for $14

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"Don't let your fate crush you!"

The film was very well done.

[Guest Tosh]

That was a great review Vengence, now I have to see this movie, I also want to see Ken, I remember a thread on that one a while back.

[Linn1]

this movie is already owned by someone else, (I double checked to make sure it was the same one) so Criterion couldn't get it if they wanted. I actually got this on the old US tape in a used bookstore for $5 a few years ago. It is a good film.