Rashomon (1950)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshirō Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijirô Ueda, Noriko Honma
Certificate: 12
Genre: Mystery
Awards: None

Arguably most important film in bringing Japanese cinema to the international forefront, Rashomon is still a fascinating and rather unique film today. The film shows multiple accounts of the murder of a samurai during the Heian period (11th century) of Japan. None of the stories correlate with each other  and could even all be false.

Using a short story by Ryunosuke Akutogawa, Kurosawa uses the Japanese cinema tradition of recounting a story rather than showing it in order to show that there is no such thing as an absolute truth. Everyone holds there own version of reality. The short story is expanded, however, to portray a Japan that needs to look for hope in a time of despair. Rashomon is perhaps one of Kurosawa's more hopeful films (compare the ending of this with Seven Samurai or Ran).

Kurosawa's triangular shots and mastery in action keeps the pace of the film flowing at an enjoyable rate whilst the performances always entertain. Mifune again shows how interesting an actor he is with his portrayal of the bandit. Yet most of the characters get to be played from multiple perspectives due to the story and thus performances become even more engaging. Kyô shows how a Japanese woman of the time would be seen by different classes and societies as she plays the part of the raped samurai wife, sometimes sympathetic and sometimes manipulative.

Rashomon would be worth a watch for the novelty of its storytelling alone but under the direction of a master-craftsman just coming into his element, the film shines incredibly bright. Although not as awe-inspiring as his later films, Kurosawa's breakout film is rightfully placed in his pantheon of great achievements.

****Good

Tokyo Story (1953)

Director: Yasujirô Ozu
Starring: Chishû Ryû, Chieko Higashiyama, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimura, Sô Yamamura, Kuniko Miyake, Kyôko Kagawa, Shirô Ôsaka
Certificate: U
Genre: Drama
Awards: None

Tokyo Story focuses on an elderly couple who visit their adult children in the Japanese capital. When the two arrive, however, nobody seems to have time for them. Both their daughter and son are too busy with their own lives and treat them as more of a burden to bear. The characters that seem the most interested in the grandparents are in fact the two who are not related to them. Fumiko (Miyake) - the wife of their oldest son - shows a caring for them whilst Noriko (Hara) - the widow of their son killed in World War Two - becomes the kindest person in their visit to Tokyo.

One of Ozu's greatest strengths is the ability to create brilliant, fully fleshed characters that feel like real people. With Tokyo Story, he achieves this to a magnificent degree. Every character feels like a plausible person with their own reasons as to why they act in the way they do. Both Ryû and Higashiyami perform flawlessly as the central couple, never revealing what they actually think due to the society of formality that 1950s Japan was. It is very rare to have an old couple as the central characters of a film - even in social realism, the focus is usually on an individual rather than a duo - which allows the film to hold a unique position in cinema.

The rest of the cast is all flawless. Sugimara portrays an arguably negative view of the modern woman who has stepped away from tradition and does so in a memorable fashion. The most up-front and honest character in the film is also perhaps the most dislikable. Kagawa is brilliant as the young idealist who has not been corrupted by the world yet. It is, of course, Hara as Noriko who stands out due to her complex and conflicted character.

Ozu uses his unique style of shooting to create a film that could be the closest to objectivity possible. The use of low shots, front on faces and lack of camera movement allow us to see the family as if we are within it, not necessarily identifying in any of the characters but rather becoming engaged in their lives.

Tokyo Story also seems to tie the two main themes of Ozu's earlier work together. The idea of modernism arriving and the resignation people must face because of it which was so prominent in There Was A Father and The Only Son is shown by the couple being left behind by their family and their disappointment of their children's lives. The ideas of family being a bond that should not be broken is also extremely prominent. Ozu does not seem to be as hopeful as he was in Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family anymore, with the same event happening in both films but with very different responses.

If you have any interest in Japanese Cinema or Social Realism in general, Tokyo Story is more than worth your time. Ozu has become legendary for his unique and thoughtful way of showing the lives of his characters and this film is known as his crowning glory. Definitely a good introduction to a truly intriguing director.

*****Brilliant

The Fallen Idol (1948)

Director: Carol Reed
Starring: Bobby Henry, Ralph Richardson, Michèle Morgan, Denis O'Dea, Sonia Dresdel
Certificate: PG
Genre: Film Noir
Awards: None

Carol Reed's winning streak, starting with Odd Man Out, continues with The Fallen Idol. Adapted from the story by Grahame Greene, the film shows a murder case from the perspective of a child. Believing that his closest friend, butler Baines (Richardson) has killed his wife, Phillipe (Henry) tries to protect him from the police by lying. He only makes things worse, however, as Baines is in fact innocent but broods suspicion due to the secrecy of all the witnesses.

Like Reed's other films, the cinematography is astounding. The noir-ish glare of the exterior scenes are the highlight with the cobbled streets and tall buildings creating a terrifying version of London yet there is a lot of memorable imagery taking place within the house most of the story is set.

Richardson does great justice to the character of Baines, a rabbit caught in the headlights who seems almost defeatist in his calm manner whilst Morgan and Dresdel both play their characters with obvious talent. O'Dea seems to be channelling James Mason in his performance as the detective. It is Henry who steals the show, however, as Henry. He can be both sympathetic and irritating for all the right reasons considering the story. As it is Philipe's story, Henry's performance was vital for the film to work and it does.

Whilst not as ambitious a film as Odd Man Out or The Third Man, this picture tells a smaller story that is just as engaging.

****Good

Spirited Away (2001)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tatsuya Gashûin
Certificate: PG
Genre: Animation, Fantasy
Awards: Best Animated Film

Spirited Away is often credited as Miyazaki's masterpiece, partly due to the fact that it broke into the mainstream for western audiences, thus allowing Studio Ghibli to become as well known internationally as it is today. The film tells the story of a young girl who travels to a world where the gods life and has to take a job in a bath house where they come to rest in order to save her parents. Throughout the film she learns about the values of tradition whilst keeping hold of the modern parts of thinking that makes her exceptional in this strange world.

The creativity of this film is absolutely amazing. Drawing from the Shinto gods, Miyazaki creates a vast array of memorable and unique characters. There's the greedy witch-like leader of the bathhouse, Yubaba, a strange cloaked character named No Face and three giant green heads that act like dogs just to name a few. Each scene is mesmerising and beautifully animated. The music is also incredibly notable due to its melancholic tune. Spirited Away is a great successor to stories such as The Wizard Of Oz or Alice In Wonderland where we discover a world of wonder and by god is it wonderful.

*****Brilliant

Silence (2016)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Yoshi Oida, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Issei Ogata, Nana Komatsu, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds
Certificate: 15
Genre: Drama
Awards: TBC


It seems almost pointless to say that Silence is a different type of film than the ones that Martin Scorsese is well known for, with so much already being said on how people missed his swinging camera movements and style that made his name, but it is an interesting point to bring up as the film seems to be unfairly compared to films that have nothing to do with it other than the fact that they share the same author.  Silence is not Scorsese first film not to use his most frequent style and hopefully it will not be his last.

The film takes place in 17th century Japan, when the country had isolated itself and outlawed christianity, where two Jesuit priests sneak into the country to try and find their mentor, Father Ferreira (Neeson), who is rumoured to have given up christianity and now lives as a Japanese. On their journey, they meet Japanese christians who have been persecuted by the government.

Scorsese's calm film style seems to be influenced by the Japanese directors of the 1950s, especially Mizoguchi and Ozu whilst the first sequence could come from a colour Kurosawa film. The lingering shots and minimal movement creates a very interesting atmosphere that I enjoyed immensely. It did make the film seem slower yet I think it works as the story is a long meditation on the meaning of faith.

The performances are also solid throughout. As the main lead, Garfield does well - keeping us engaged throughout the character's journey. Driver and Neeson have less to do - In fact Neeson has only a small bit more screen time than he did in Gangs Of New York - yet also perform to good standards. It is the Japanese cast that really stand out though. Oida and Tsukamoto are absolutely fantastic as the christian leaders of their community whilst Kobozuka plays a strange character we both sympathise with as well as become irritated by him.

Silence is not Scorsese's best but it is still a very well crafted, beautiful piece of cinema that is also unique. The themes are incredibly central to viewing the auteur whilst the story and visuals also seem extremely Japanese. Mesmerising and haunting, it is certainly recommended.

****Good

Sanjuro (1962)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Masao Shimizu, Yunosuke Ito, Takao Irie, Reiko Dan, Kamatari Fujiwara, Keiji Kobayashi
Certificate: 12
Genre: Samurai
Awards: None

In the follow up film to Yojimbo, Kurosawa returns to the nameless warrior in a new adventure. This time a group of nine warriors have been tricked by a criminal and are saved from assassination by Sanjuro who then joins them on their quest to rescue the sheriff of their village.

Sanjuro has a lighter tone than Yojimbo due to its use of comedy and lack of torture scenes. Mifune works brilliantly with the same character in a different environment. Whilst in Yojimbo, he was the lone wolf who could do whatever he pleased, here he becomes the leader of the group and, after an order from a hostage he frees, has promised not to kill unless necessary. These are new challenges and therefore new sides to his character come out. Nakadai also returns as a new villain - Hanbai - and again shows what a great actor he is.

Like Yojimbo, this film is quite simple yet it is a joy to watch. All the characters pique an interest whilst the action is as good as one would expect from Kurosawa; A duel near the end is absolutely stunning and worth watching the film for alone. It defies all expectations and shows how formidable Sanjuro actually is. I preferred this film to Yojimbo (but perhaps only because I did not know the plot so well) and it should definitely get more recognition when talking about the Kurosawa catalogue.

****Good

Odd Man Out (1947)

Director: Carol Reed
Starring: James Mason, Kathleen Ryan, Dennis O'Dea, Robert Newton, F. J. McCormick, Robert Beatty, William Hartnell, Cyril Cusack, Joseph Tomelty, W. G. Fay, Maureen Delaney
Certificate: PG
Genre: Film Noir
Awards: None

During the 1940s, Carol Reed made three films back-to-back which remain monuments in cinema. Odd Man Out was the first of these three, featuring an Irish terrorist named Jonny McQueen (Mason) who kills a man in a bank robbery before being shot and left hiding in the streets as the police swarm around looking for him. As he tries to get to safety, Johnny goes on an odyssey of the city, meeting a vast array of different people who react to him in many ways.

Aesthetically, Odd Man Out is beautiful. The use of film noir cinematography allows the city to look stunningly sinister, as if a threat is around every corner. Reed also uses some phenomenal editing techniques in order to bring about the hallucinations Johnny is subjected to. On one occasion, Johnny is hidden in a war bunker before it fades into a prison cell, exactly the same room. I can't remember the last time I saw a hallucination so stunning, due to both technique and the atmosphere conveyed by the film it becomes incredibly haunting.

The real high-point of the film, however, is the characters. In the beginning of the film Johnny is the main focus and Mason fills him with charisma. He makes creating a likeable gangster look easy and his unique voice is just as loveable as ever. Other members of his gang also feature to certain degrees and get there time to shine. Beatty and Cusack bring the best out of their characters and it is disappointing how little screen-time they have but it does add to the story. By the second half of the story, Johnny has grown weaker and says less and less. Mason still acts brilliantly with his body and creates a marvellous contrast to how he was in the beginning. With Johnny becoming less and less active, this creates a hole that other character fill in with exuberance. Perhaps most notable is Robert Newton's Lukey, a drunken homeless painter who wants to draw in order to capture the element of death. Ryan is also great as Kathleen, the woman in love with Johnny and tries to find him. The ensemble paints life into the nameless city as well as its problems with poverty that could be an underlying message from the film.

Odd Man Out is a milestone of British cinema that is often overlooked for its later sibling, The Third Man, although some - such as Roman Polanski - think it is Reed's greatest work. For me, The Third Man is slightly better due to the fact that Odd Man Out's ending is perhaps a bit too prolonged. One may argue that the film had deserved its drawn out ending but I think the pacing did take away from the ending somewhat. Nevertheless, this film comes highly recommended.

*****Brilliant