The cunning rabbit dies, the running dog cooks, the birds are gone, and the good bow is hidden.
The Japanese seem to understand this truth very well. In the film "Ninja", they tirelessly tell the tragic fate of ninjas as tools in the war era, and every master who is a ninja seems to be quite content with this life, and those who can't die are also He will try his best to commit suicide, anyway, he must reassure the ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu. I have never read the original book "Koga Ninja Stickers", so naturally I don't know whether the original story is different from the film, but I always feel that the storyline and character arrangement in the film are a bit bizarre. Although the ninja is just an assassination organization hired by the princes, it can give full play to its strengths in the chaotic Warring States period. Although it has no value in the peaceful era, it will not die peacefully. Although we understand that most of these ninja stories under the guise of history are made by hand, but they are also fictional works, I think the film "Owl City" based on the works of historical novelist Shiba Ryotaro is far better than this "Ninja". It is very reliable, and the Iga ninja Shizozo in the film finally wants to find Toyotomi Hideyoshi to avenge Oda Nobunaga's genocide.
Perhaps the period of the Warring States Period was the most suitable period for Japanese ninjas to grow. There were many opportunities to show their talents among the various princes. The three Japanese movies about ninjas in my memory all seem to set the historical background after the Warring States period. The background of "Owl City" is the era when Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan, and "Hundred People Killing Girls" is the time after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death. The era when Kawa Ieyasu replaced it, and the background of "Ninja" is also set after Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan. Because the ages are very similar, the characters who appear in their respective films are not the same. For example, Tokugawa Ieyasu is featured in all three films, and Hattori Hanzo who ordered the assassination of Toyotomi Hideyoshi to Iga Ninja in "Owl City" In the film "Forbearance", he also appeared as the manager of the ninja, and Nantianfang Tianhai, the monk who directed the assassination organization in "One Hundred People Killing Girls", also appeared in the film "Forbearance". In fact, these people come and go, and they just exchange identities and tasks with each other, and ninjas are always lowly obedient, and it really feels like they can't turn around in a dead end.
"The City of Owl" directed by the old director Shinoda Masahiro is more realistic when it expresses the strange ninja of ninjas, without too many fancy special effects. On the other hand, "Ninja" and "Hundred People Killing Girls" are closer in style. They are completely gorgeous fashion shows that cater to the tastes of the new generation. From costumes to special effects, they pack a handsome and beautiful idol ninja. Effects screen. Not to comment, it is better to be realistic and imaginative, because this thing is all personal preference. From a personal point of view, if it is at the level of "Forbearance" and "Hundred People Killing Girls", it would be better to present it in a realistic style. Masahiro Shinoda and Yoji Yamada, the older generation of Japanese directors, have long since perfected their realistic styles. "The Qingbingwei at Dusk", "Hidden Sword and Ghost Claws", and "Owl's City" are also rare realistic works. And the performance of ninjutsu in movies such as "Ninja" and "Hundred People Killing Girls" is not even as good as the performance of ninja in Xu Ke's "The Undefeated East". I think Japan and Hong Kong are really in action movies. In contrast, Japan seems to be still behind, and there is no such freehand feeling.
Judging from the picture, the high mountains and deep valleys, the jungle and the flowing water are also quite exquisite and atmospheric. However, the arrangement of the story is very conventional. From the beginning, the film tells the audience that the story of "Romeo and Juliet" is about to happen. My interest in watching the film is instantly reduced by half, and Shakespeare's plays have been changed for many times. In order to show the great PK of ninjutsu, Koga and Iga were each lined up to fight against five masters. Basically, two fell on one side and two fell on the other side, and everyone died in order. And many masters basically fell without showing a hand, and the protagonists, Gennosuke and Long, were not arranged to take more shots. The whole film is indifferent and tasteless driven by the plot of constant fighting and death. The film seems to have forgotten the most basic things of drama, and there is no foreshadowing or climax. And the tragic love hinted at at the beginning of the film did not have any moving parts in the end.
The failure of this film is that there is no real focus. The ninjutsu that the film initially promoted was definitely not presented properly in the end, and it was a complete failure. And for the love tragedy that can be relied on, it has been forgotten to the valley, and these characters seem to have only beautiful shells left. Because it is aimed at the tastes of a new generation of audiences, all efforts are spent on beautiful shapes and fancy effects, and it is impossible to restore the original appearance of Japanese history in that era as the old director did. In the end, the film is reduced to a mere embroidered pillow, and nothing can be lifted.
Text: Between the eyebrows
View more about Shinobi: Heart Under Blade reviews
