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

Yojimbo (1961)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Kato, Seizburo Kawazu, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Kyu Sazanka, Eijiro Tono
Certificate: PG
Genre: Samurai, Drama
Awards: None

Whilst many of Kurosawa's films have been influenced by Westerns (particularly those of John Ford), Yojimbo is definitely the one that takes the most from the genre. The empty land in the middle of a ruined town could not be more iconic. In this story, a nameless Ronin takes manipulates two rival gangs into destroying each other by playing for both sides. A plot that would be taken scene-for-scene by Sergio Leone when he made A Fistfull Of Dollars.

The film itself has some beautiful black and white imagery and some brilliant action sequences. Kurosawa again shows he is the greatest director of weather with his use of wind in the tense climax. Overall, however, the film does not have as much to watch for as Seven Samurai or The Hidden Fortress. Whilst still a good film made by a master director, I would not rank it as one of Kurosawa's greatest pieces.

****Good

The Hidden Fortress (1958)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Takashi Shimura, Susumu Fujita
Certificate: PG
Genre: Samurai, Adventure
Awards: None

The Hidden Fortress is one of Kurosawa's most light hearted films, yet it still takes part in a cynical and horrific world. After a princess (Uehara) is stranded in a hostile neighbouring province in Japan, General Makabe (Mifune) has the job of escorting her back home without being found by the enemy. They disguise themselves and there gold inside sticks whilst bartering the help of two farmers who have no idea who the princess really is.

The film is famous for showing most of the film from the perspective of the peasants, played by Chiaki and Fujiwara, as they squabble and show themselves to be selfish and cruel characters. Both characters are endearing if not completely likeable and play a great contrast to the moralistic princess and pragmatic General. Like Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress is an ensemble piece that Kurosawa does so well.

The action of the film is a beauty to watch, especially the duel between General Makabe and a rival general using lances. This is the closest Kurosawa ever got to making a simple adventure/action film and thus it is a great film to use an introduction to the filmmaker.

Mifune has the gravitas that one always expects, yet the rest of the actors don't fall by the wayside. Uehara gives just as great a performance as a woman who has never been part of the public and is only now seeing it for the first time. It's rare to see such a focus on a female performance by Kurosawa and yet - like a few others such as No Regrets Of Youth - it is done wonderfully well by both director and actor.

The Hidden Fortress may not be the most respected of Kurosawa's films yet it is certainly incredibly enjoyable. The story, performances, characters and directions allow for a marvellous experience that is most definitely recommended.

*****Brilliant

Throne Of Blood (1957)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki, Akira Kubo, Takashi Shimura, Takamaru Sasaki, Yoichi Tachikawa, Chieko Naniwa
Certificate: PG
Genre: Samurai, Fantasy, Horror
Awards: None

Throne Of Blood is the first of Akira Kurosawa's adaptations of William Shakespeare. This time around he takes on the dark and heavy material of Macbeth. This time, however, it is told as a samurai story about the ruler of Cobweb Castle.

A Great Macbeth has to have a great, well... Macbeth and Toshiro Mifune delivers with every ounce of his being, proving he is definitely the Marlon Brando of Japanese cinema. His brooding and powerful performance is miles away from his character in Seven Samurai. Supporting characters are also worthy of note, especially Yamada's Lady Macbeth and the spirit - played by Chieko Naniwa - who replaces the three witches.

The story is dark and thus the visuals are shown to be just as gritty, terrifying and dismal. There is little action until the end so one should not expect the violence of Kurosawa's previous samurai film as this more ponderous on the atrocities committed by the single character of Washizu and the guilt that reaches into him and his wife, leading to a brilliant climax that has become one of the most memorable images of Kurosawa's career.

As a follow up to Seven Samurai (counting only Kurosawa's Jidai-geki films), Throne Of Blood is a very different beast and is perhaps less enjoyable (especially if one is tired of the Macbeth story) yet it is unique take on a famous play with a brilliant collection of performers and stark imagery that still makes this a great piece of cinema in its own right.

****Good

Seven Samurai (1954)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Seiji Miyaguchi, Ko Kimura, Daisuke Kato, Minoru Chiaki, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Keiko Tsushima, Kamatari Fujiwara
Certificate: PG
Genre: Samurai, Action, Drama
Awards: None

Since its release, Kurosawa's Seven Samurai has acquired quite a status, being his most famous film and the most well known samurai film in the history of cinema. It has also been the influence for many other films, from The Magnificent Seven to A Bugs Life.

The story revolves around a village in 17th century Japan, poor and in desperate need of help due to an oncoming attack by bandits which will rob the population of the means of survival. To defend the village, Seven Samurai are hired led by the wise and noble Kambei (Shimura).

Each of the samurai are given varied and enjoyable personalised that justifies their existence as each gives something different to the film. Kyuzo (Miyaguchi) stands out as the aloof master swordsman as does Katsushiro (Kimura) as the young rookie who goes through his first romance. It is Mifune, however, who once again shines the brightest as the hot headed Kikuchiyo,  stealing almost every scene he appears in.

The action is often applauded in Seven Samurai and one cannot disagree. It is fast paced and grim, with many of the battles in the village appearing a lot like an ant nest attacking invading ants thus giving it a very animalistic approach. The human drama is just as phenomenal with many characters being shades of grey rather then black and white. The farmers are found out to have killed weak and lost samurai when they have the chance whilst the samurai are not always shown to be the completely honourable characters they are normally portrayed as.

At three and a half hours long, Seven Samurai is still worth anybodies time as it is one of the finest pieces of cinema and storytelling you will find with stunning imagery, a brilliant score, wonderful characters and action scenes that put many modern films to shame. it is not as beautiful as Ran, Kurosawa's later period piece; it is more brutal and realistic. Yet that creates a beauty in itself.

*****Brilliant