If you're going to make a samurai film, I propose that you should have either 1. an engaging plot with interesting characters or 2. lots of wicked-cool sword fights (or ideally, both). Gohatto has neither. What it does have is cool outfits, and lots of men looking at each other longingly (both of which would be fine, if it also had either of the two criteria listed above).
After seeing this movie and `Collage of our Life' in one weekend, I'm starting to rethink by formerly high opinion of Ryuhei Matsuda. Though it could just be the lukewarm performance by everyone else make his trademark 'malaise' outright bland. Even Beat Takeshi, who I thought would be perfect as Hijikata, looked like he couldn't care less about what was going on. Just about the only character that has any personality is Tashiro (Tadanobu Asano), who disappears for about 2/3 of the film. Everyone else is either a flat caricature (Okita smiles a lot, Inoue is old and inept), or just plain flat. Most of the film could have been done with finger puppets to similar effect.
The plot is just as one-dimensional. The whole story takes place during the Bakamatsu, one of the most interesting episodes in Japanese history. Does Oshima use this fascinating period as a poignant backdrop for his drama, or at the very least an excuse for overdone swordfights to disguise the lack of a plot? No, we get these guys sitting around, making contrived references that sound like they're dictating footnotes for a history textbook. Other than that, the bloody struggle to determine the future of Japan is totally irrelevant to the plot. It could have taken place at an open minded country club.
There isn't so much plot development as 'stuff happens'. There a guy, and someone dies, and there's this other guy, then it snows, and they have dinner quote history texts, and pine over the pretty-boy. These haphazard events are tied together by such brilliant transitions as a black screen with the words `Meanwhile' `One month later' `patience is rewarded'. Wow, riveting stuff. Why is Kano-the-cute such an efficient killing machine? What does he have against women? How does that life threatening head wound heal without even a scab? Who knows? There was one moment near the end when I went 'Oh, that's kind of interesting,' and even that little twist wasn't a big surprise.
I'd have no problem with a low key, psychological take on the Bakamatsu, or homoeroticism among the Samurai, if there was even one character in the whole movie I could have cared less about. And even the homosexuality is lukewarm ('Gee. I like the pretty-boy, gosh darn it'). On the other hand, the swordplay is beautiful (in a somewhat authentic way, not a Ryuhei 'Versus' Kitamura bloodfest way), as are the swords themselves (if you're into that kind of thing), but they're too few an far between to cover for the flimsy story. So there's really no reason to see this film at all, no matter what kind of movies you like. Unless you have a major interest in costuming and set design, or simply must see some samurai manlove.
After seeing this movie and `Collage of our Life' in one weekend, I'm starting to rethink by formerly high opinion of Ryuhei Matsuda. Though it could just be the lukewarm performance by everyone else make his trademark 'malaise' outright bland. Even Beat Takeshi, who I thought would be perfect as Hijikata, looked like he couldn't care less about what was going on. Just about the only character that has any personality is Tashiro (Tadanobu Asano), who disappears for about 2/3 of the film. Everyone else is either a flat caricature (Okita smiles a lot, Inoue is old and inept), or just plain flat. Most of the film could have been done with finger puppets to similar effect.
The plot is just as one-dimensional. The whole story takes place during the Bakamatsu, one of the most interesting episodes in Japanese history. Does Oshima use this fascinating period as a poignant backdrop for his drama, or at the very least an excuse for overdone swordfights to disguise the lack of a plot? No, we get these guys sitting around, making contrived references that sound like they're dictating footnotes for a history textbook. Other than that, the bloody struggle to determine the future of Japan is totally irrelevant to the plot. It could have taken place at an open minded country club.
There isn't so much plot development as 'stuff happens'. There a guy, and someone dies, and there's this other guy, then it snows, and they have dinner quote history texts, and pine over the pretty-boy. These haphazard events are tied together by such brilliant transitions as a black screen with the words `Meanwhile' `One month later' `patience is rewarded'. Wow, riveting stuff. Why is Kano-the-cute such an efficient killing machine? What does he have against women? How does that life threatening head wound heal without even a scab? Who knows? There was one moment near the end when I went 'Oh, that's kind of interesting,' and even that little twist wasn't a big surprise.
I'd have no problem with a low key, psychological take on the Bakamatsu, or homoeroticism among the Samurai, if there was even one character in the whole movie I could have cared less about. And even the homosexuality is lukewarm ('Gee. I like the pretty-boy, gosh darn it'). On the other hand, the swordplay is beautiful (in a somewhat authentic way, not a Ryuhei 'Versus' Kitamura bloodfest way), as are the swords themselves (if you're into that kind of thing), but they're too few an far between to cover for the flimsy story. So there's really no reason to see this film at all, no matter what kind of movies you like. Unless you have a major interest in costuming and set design, or simply must see some samurai manlove.