It is rare to see a movie about human dignity when the film market is not very good, and the world and human feelings are increasingly calculated by the market . Probably the act of making a movie to fulfill one's wishes can only happen to directors who have a heart, such as Yoji Yamada, a veteran Japanese filmmaker. Born in 1931, he has directed since 1961 and has made 63 films so far, 47 of which are the long-running "Men's Suffering" collection. The works he directs are all dramas of the common people, telling the stories of little people in modern society, which are very close to the pulse of the times. However, no one could have imagined that this long-standing director in Japan would switch to shooting Japanese samurai at the age of 70, write such a unique character in Japanese history from a new perspective, and completed a trilogy, namely "Twilight Qingbingwei" ", "Hidden Sword and Ghost Claw" and the latest "Part of the Samurai".
The copy shown at the Palace Theater in the Hong Kong International Financial Center is clear and transparent, and the color and texture of the picture are close to perfect. I am really moved to see an old director who is strict in his requirements and takes his creation seriously, because the film's photography, music, and costumes , The scenery is of a high standard, and it is really pleasing to the eye. Today, there are still people (Songzhu Film and Pictures) who are willing to invest in making sincere films, which is really worthy of praise. Fortunately, this film sold very well in Japan, which is even more gratifying.
This film tells the story of a fresh protagonist, a food tester (played by young idol Takuya Kimura) who avoids the feudal lord from being framed for food poisoning. The samurai who served the king hated this job very much. When he was about to quit his job, he was unfortunately poisoned and blinded. This severe blow made him almost collapse, losing his career and losing his dignity. His wife went to work as a waitress in the tea room and was bullied by the general manager of the feudal lord.
It is of course practical for Yamada Yoji to bring this noble character who has fallen to the bottom of the valley on the screen today, because today's world is in an era of transformation, and there are many such people everywhere. The director of this film and his many screenwriters did not spend a lot of space describing his plight, but mainly wrote about his various reactions to blindness, his efforts to survive, and his concern for family affairs may be more than before. His wife went out to make money, and he asked the domestic helper to follow her. When he knew that his wife had been deceived and seduced, he was furious and drove her out of the house on the night of thunderstorms. On the other hand, he rejoined the division to practice swordsmanship, and armed himself despite his blindness; he had to duel with the feudal lord's inner chief who had deceived his wife.
Yamada Yoji's view is very clear, people should protect their dignity, even at the expense of their lives. This is the Japanese Bushido spirit, and the director reinvigorates this culture and virtue in Japan today. In fact, the unique Japanese behavior of cutting the abdomen did appear in this film. After the food poisoning incident, the head in charge of the kitchen cut the abdomen and committed suicide, although it was later found out that the food poisoning was not framed by the enemy, but just food Seasonal natural factor, but he is still responsible for the accident with one death.
Yamada Yoji was optimistic. The ending he arranged was bright. The enemy died under the sword of the samurai, and the lost wife also returned to the arms of the samurai. The story clearly shows that people must work hard to maintain their dignity, and as long as they are determined to perish together, they will always get a happy ending.
This film is not a big production, but the photography, music, and scenes are very serious, which is not much better than the previous works in the prosperous era of Japanese movies. The clothing is particularly worth mentioning, it not only conforms to the traditional design, but also has the elements of today's fashion. The large shoulders and the lines are hard and bright, which are quite good. No wonder that many Chinese costume blockbusters in recent years have hired the Japanese population to be responsible for the clothing.
Yamada Hiro is old and strong. He has cooperated very well with the young idol Kimura Takuya this time, and it is also an achievement to make the latter reborn. For Kimura fans, it's worth seeing this movie. (over)
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