To sum up in one sentence, the samurai who got off work.
Most of the samurai movies are made of samurai at work. Even Kurosawa Akira's "Seven Samurai", the seven ronin had to take on the task of working samurai in the end and defend the village. In "Shadow Warrior", there may be a picture of Takeda Shingen courting his grandson, but that is the state of Shadow Warrior at work and earnestly performing the work as a substitute. These samurai movies fully demonstrate the spirit of samurai. samurai, the Chinese character is "serving", that is, the meaning of serving the lord.
But the Samurai trilogy directed by Yamada. It depicts the great political and social transformation of the Meiji Restoration, on the eve of three samurai who are tired of serving the lord, their love and hatred. In the film, the samurai at work, whether they are copying the warehouse report, arranging the infantry instruction, helping the lord to taste the food to prevent the lord from being poisoned, all appear veneer, restrained, submissive, and uninterested; while the off-duty samurai shows that they are natural people. On the side, relaxed, open, lively, with family, friendship, and romantic love.
For middle-aged men to have vitality, they need to get off work. This is Yamada Yoji's observation.
But more than that.
The word samurai, the emphasis is on the warrior, not the servant. Scholars have to be brave and have a long way to go. Taxi with such lofty aspirations is not seen in the samurai who get off work, but it is reflected in the samurai who is off work.
Bound by the system, taxis in Japan and even East Asia cannot emerge; the transformation will lose its focus. What Yoji Yamada saw was a profound problem in Japanese society, and it was also a problem that East Asian society had to face when it re-transformed.
It's time to get off work. However, don't forget the respective majors.
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