Road House (1989) Shout Select Review

Link to my review

http://www.spoilerfreemoviesleuth.com/2016/09/Road-House-Review.html

Shogun Assassin (1980)

“He whips out his sword and relieves his victims of their heads!” [1]. This declaration may actually piss some people off, but this is a totally must see bad ass blood splattering samurai action masterpiece. So for the uninformed viewers, why would this statement piss people off? Well this movie is actually the first two films of the Lone Wolf and Cub film series; it was condensed, re-edited, dubbed into English, and re-scored for American release. So there are some purists that really dislike this version and feel that it bastardizes the series. The fact remains that this version was most Americans first introduction into this series and the world of crazy samurai spraying blood movies.

The rights to the original Lone Wolf movies were purchased by David Weisman from Toho Studios for $50,000 and then it was released in America by Roger Corman’s studio New World Pictures.  The pictures were based on a comic book called Lone Wolf and Cub written by Kazuo Koike, who also created Lady Snowblood, Crying Freeman, and one based on Hanzo the Razor. This movie is about a rouge samurai that wanders around Japan with his son in a baby cart, looking for work and defending himself from his many enemies. The main character is played by Tomisaburo Wakayama, a veteran actor to the samurai film genre and brother to producer Shintaro Katsu. Katsu is best known for playing Zatoichi, the blind swordsman, in 26 movies and a television series.

This is simply a totally bad ass movie. The American edit is super fast paced and filled with a ton of bloody action, featuring eleven fight scenes, tons of spraying blood, and splitting heads. All of the fight scenes are memorable and Lone Wolf always has some type of tricks available on his baby cart. The narration by the child and the new score are perfect for a dubbed film and are a good fit for the time period in which it was released, the synthesized score is very reminiscent of the sound from John Carpenter films and the Phantasm horror series.

The movie was highly influential on many filmmakers, most notably Quentin Tarantino and John Carpenter. Tarantino has incorporated the super violent spraying blood into the Kill Bill films and many of his other ones. This motion picture is the one that the bride’s daughter watches when she goes to bed in the second Kill Bill film. Carpenter used some similar imagery from this film in Big Trouble in Little China, mainly the three guys wearing the straw hats. If you like action and violence, then this is essential viewing. There are also six films from the original Lone Wolf and Cub series, along with a television series and the comic that they were based upon. All of them are worth checking out.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 17 3 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081506/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1. [Accessed 17 3 2016].

 

 

 

The Whale God AKA Kujira gami (1962) featuring Shintaro Katsu

Another somewhat forgotten gem from Japanese production company Daiei Studios is the 1962 release of The Whale God AKA Kujira gami, which was based upon a 1961 award winning novel with the same title by Uno Koichiro. Bearing similarities to Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, it is the story of a small whaling village that has devoted many generations of men in order to kill a giant whale that they refer to as The Whale God. It has been many years and the townspeople are obsessed with destroying the monster. The wealthiest man in the town has offered up his lands, title, and daughter to the man that kills the whale. The main local resident Shaki (Kojiro Hongo) is looking to avenge the deaths of his father and grandfather. A stranger from out of town, Kishu (Shintaro Katsu), is solely interested in the potential inheritance. This is an excellent film that features a strong story, powerful themes, and a wonderfully dark performance from Katsu.

The screenplay was written by Kaneto Shindo, who was also a talented director as well. He ended up with 177 writing credits and 41 directing credits, which includes the highly acclaimed Children of Hiroshima (1952) and Onibaba (1964), among many others. It’s a complex story that deals with obsessions, family, love, rape, and the whaling culture. It was directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, who has 51 directing credits including The Snow Woman (1968), The Haunted Castle (1969), three Zatoichi pictures, and Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade (1963). It was shot in a very dark black and white film, which ends up producing some stunning shadows and helps the whale look more realistic. The camera work is superb in this, with some nice long tracking shots and good camera movement during certain important scenes. There are many sequences in which the camera stays on the action or a character for a lengthy time, such as the whalers departing into the ocean and a special ritual. This helps balance the battle sequences with the whale that are highly edited, which has a justifiable reason behind it.

It should be noted that the whale is not real and the effects are something similar to a kaiju movie. They use a combination of techniques in order to bring the creature to life and make him look genuine. All of the sequences involving the whale where filmed inside of a studio with some type of tank set up and the walls painted to resemble the skyline. It appears that there were two versions of the whale, a smaller version that was used with miniatures and a larger version that the actors could climb onto in the finale. Edited into that footage are real scenes where the men are in the ocean on the boats, combining it all together in order to create the illusion of it all being real. This combination works tremendously and the frantic editing during the whale battle scenes creates an extra element of tension. The creature effects look fantastic and could be viewed as an early influence to Godzilla and other kaiju in cinema. It is also shockingly violent for the era, featuring a great deal of spraying blood not typically scene during this era of filmmaking.

The acting from the entire cast is great. Hongo plays the main character, who is the sort of Ahab of the story. He’s admirable and moral, yet has a deep seeded obsession with killing the whale in which he is willing to sacrifice his life for. He gives a good performance, but it is vastly overshadowed by Katsu who dominates during his on screen time. His character is the polar opposite of Zatoichi and is quite possibly the most evil person that he has ever portrayed. He did play Hanzo the Razor who interrogated women by having sex with them, however it turned into a moment of ecstasy for the women and the situations are more outlandish to really take seriously. This is a really bad man, who cares for nothing but whatever pleases himself.

Bottom line, if you’re a Katsu fan, then this one is an absolute must see.

Score 8/10

 

 

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

 

“L.A.'s deadliest street gang just declared war on the cops” [1]. A small group of cops and prisoners must band together and try and defend a police station from an attack by deadly gang. The films influences cross genres and include Forbidden Planet, Rio Bravo, The Birds, and Night of the Living Dead. The film was written, directed, scored, and edited by John Carpenter. He is arguably one of the great directors of the 1970’s and 1980’s, creating a ton of movies with cult followings including Dark Star, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, and They Live. 

This was a very low budget film but it really stands out for the directing, editing, sound, and acting. There is a strong story and good dialogue, with the sort of western last stand theme going on. Carpenter said that the whole movie “came up very quickly. An investor from Philadelphia had some money and sad, ‘Let’s make a movie.’ And so, I said, ‘Let’s  go,’ and I wrote the script in eight days. I wanted to do a western, and it was the closest thing to it. Of course a lot of movies I made are westerns” [2]. This is the film that provided us with the “horrifying situations, compelling rhythms, and haunting set pieces” that have come to be associated with Carpenter and his films [2]. Before this film, his two others had more comedic elements in them.

The two main characters, Bishop and Wilson are great and mesh well together. Both actors are relatively unknown and didn’t go on to become big stars, but they are the right people for these roles and they end up being quite memorable. The score on all of Carpenter’s movies is good, and in here it adds that extra element of suspense that would be missing without it.

It initially received mixed reviews and didn’t do well at the box office, but has a very strong cult following. It was really limited to mostly festival viewing when it was released in 1976 through 1979, until Halloween came out and it finally got a New York Times review [2]. Had it been seen earlier by a larger audience, this film would’ve declared Carpenter to be competent and rising director.

 A remake was made in 2005 starring Ethan Hawke and Lawrence Fishburne, but is nowhere near as good as the original. If you’re a fan of the remake, the director, or action films, then you really need to watch this one. Personally, it is my favorite Carpenter film and I love them all.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074156/?ref_=nv_sr_3. [Accessed 22 2 2016].
[2]	Cumbow, Order in the Universe: The Films of John Carpenter.

 

 

 

Straight to Hell (1987)

“A story of blood, money, guns, coffee, and sexual tension” [1]. A surreal spaghetti western spoof directed by Alex Cox (Repo Man) that was meant to be a modern adaptation of the Italian spaghetti western Django, Kill (1967). A trio of hitmen and a pregnant woman end up stranded in a strange desert town and encounter even stranger groups of people that have an addiction to coffee.

The main reason that the film has a cult status is because of the cast, consisting largely of Alex Cox regulars, some directors, and various members of punk rock bands. The cast includes Sy Richardson, Joe Strummer (lead singer of The Clash), Dick Rude, Courtney Love, Dennis Hopper, director Jim Jarmusch, Elvis Costello, and members of The Pogues, Amazulu, and The Circle Jerks. There wasn’t even supposed to be a movie, all of these musicians in this were supposed to do a concert tour in Nicaragua that was going to be filmed [2]. So they quickly decided to make a motion picture in Spain, with the script being written in a few days and the shoot taking only four weeks [2].

It received mostly negative reviews when it initially came and made some lists of the worst films of that year [1]. Director Alex Cox had built a pretty strong reputation as an up and coming independent director, with Repo Man and Sid and Nancy. This movie and his next film Walker pretty much destroyed that image and hurt his career, despite that he has continued to make movies but they fall somewhat under the radar. He actually turned down directing Three Amigos to make Straight to Hell.

This is viewed as a precursor to the Tarantino violence infused criminal worlds of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, with the Norwood character being very similar to Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction. The over the top gore and violence depicted in this represents both the future crime films that would come around in the 1990’s and the earlier bloody spaghetti westerns from the 1960’s and 1970’s.

It received an updated director’s cut version in 2010, titled Straight to Hell Returns. The new version has been digitally restored; it was color corrected, has better audio, and has five minutes of new footage added to it, along with the addition of digitally added blood to the violent sequences [3].

There really is no middle ground on this film, you’ll either love it or totally hate it.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 24 3 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094048/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1. [Accessed 24 3 2016].
[2]	"latimes," latimes, 14 4 2016. [Online]. Available: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/15/entertainment/la-et-alex-cox-20101115. [Accessed 14 4 2016].
[3]	"dvdtalk," dvdtalk, 14 4 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/46591/straight-to-hell-returns/. [Accessed 14 4 2016].

 

 

 

Freaks (1932)

 

“The Strangest... The Most Startling Human Story Ever Screened... Are You Afraid To Believe What Your Eyes See?” [1]. It isn’t the first cult film, but it is the one most likely to be associated with cult cinema. It is a story set in the world of the circus and sideshow performers and features love, betrayal, loyalty, and revenge. The bulk of the story deals with a female trapeze artist and a midget performer. Their world is an unusual one, as it involves sideshow performers that are paid because they have physical abnormalities.

There is so much to say about this one that whole books could be solely devoted to it. It is the first movie to show actual sideshow performers, people that were physically different than everyone else. They are shown not as freaks, but as normal people doing everyday routine things [2]. The connotation of them being labeled as freaks or monsters is not necessarily because of their appearance, as opposed to how they react to situations in the picture. There are so many themes going on; what defines a monster, the idea of a code of loyalty, and the role of violence in society [3].

The movie was an attempt by MGM to compete with Universal Studios and the popularity of its monster films such as Frankenstein [4]. Director Todd Browning had a background in the sideshow circus and he had previously done some motion pictures about physical deformities with the legendary horror actor Lon Chaney [4]. Circus stories were “going out of vogue” and horror was doing well in the film industry, so Browning thought he could merge both of the worlds together [2]. The Great Depression and the effects of the war also made it an easier idea to show abnormalities, as there were more physically disabled people visible and it was viewed more as a “medical problem” [2].

Producer Irving Thalberg also had an interest in the unusual, so they wanted Browning to come up with something that would top Dracula and everything else before it and create the most horrifying film yet [4]. Harry Earles had pitched the short story Spurs, which is what the movie is based on, because it was hard for little people to get much work [4]. Originally it was meant for Lon Chaney, but he died in 1930 [4].

The critical reception was mostly bad and the box office numbers were mixed, there were a lot of theaters that would refuse to even show the picture [3]. Add to that complaints from various organizations and it was pulled by MGM and pretty much locked away for thirty years [4]. Despite being released before the Hayes code and stricter ratings, its graphic “depictions of physical abnormalities, sex, violence and perceived exploitation” led to it being pulled from theaters and being banned [5]. Its revival came during the 1960’s with the avant-garde art scene and exploitation drive in shows [3].

 

The acting may appear weak, but the story and direction are very strong. Browning had spent most of his career making horror films and provides us with a dreadfully thrilling movie that doesn’t involve one of the standard Universal monsters. Many of the current issues are the quality of the surviving prints. The picture quality is substandard and the audio is poor and scratchy, making it difficult to understand Earles high pitched voice at times.

The film has its importance even if there may be some flaws. Never before had there been so many world class sideshow performers assembled into one act as there was for this movie, not in Ringling Brothers or any other circus. It was also very unusual for a group of little people to be cast as actual main characters with a lot of dialogue. If you are a cult film fan then this is essential viewing.

 

 

 

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 26 1 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/taglines?ref_=tt_stry_tg. [Accessed 26 1 2016].
[2]	I. R. Hark, American Cinema of the 1930s, New Brunswick: Rutgers, 2007.
[3]	J. Hawkins, Cutting Edge, Minneapolis: Regents, 2000.
[4]	Freaks Anniversary Documentary. [Film]. TCM.
[5]	S. Mccarthy, Cult Movies in 60 Seconds, London: Fusion Press, 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

Rolling Thunder (1977)

This is a motion picture that deals with the effects that war has on a person, here specifically it is focusing on the Vietnam War. William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones star as Vietnam vets that return home to Texas and have things happen to them that require doling out some personal vengeance. It was written by Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader from an original story, and “this film is more explicit in its post-Vietnam malaise than” his earlier script [1]. There is some very serious subject matter covered here; including the alienation of war vets, PTSD, a violent America, violent revenge, and brotherhood and loyalty.

Devane and Jones are both excellent in their roles, with Devane most likely having the best performance of his career. His character goes through so much and he makes it all so believable. This was one of Jones first major film performances and he delivers, showing subtle pain at moments and making us believe how he feels for his friend played by Devane. The movie was directed by John Flynn, who was a somewhat underrated filmmaker who also directed Defiance, The Outfit, Best Seller, and Lock Up.

It is both powerful and disturbing and features many strong scenes, with some extremely violent moments. The overall final sequence is very intense and one to remember, bearing similarities to a western shoot out. The whole film feels like a modern western tale, it helps that it takes place in dusty Texas.

The shoot took place over 31 days in San Antonio, Texas. The producer told them to go all with certain scenes of violence. When they submitted it to be rated, they expected it to get cut. But instead, the MPAA gave it an R rating and “passed uncut one of the most violent movies in film history” [2]. The picture was owned by Fox and they “wanted to cut out all [of] the violence out, so they got American International Pictures to purchase it and they released it virtually untouched [2].

It didn’t do quite well at the box office because of the dark and violent nature of the story, but it got some positive reviews and became a cult favorite. Quentin Tarantino is a fan of the film, naming his distribution company after it and listing it in his top twenty five films [1]. It has been released on Blu-ray by Shout! Factory in the U.S.

This is a must see for fans of revenge dramas, modern western style tales, or fans of the cast and crew.

 

Works Cited

[1]	M. P. Nochimson, A Companion to Wong Kar-wai, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, 2009.
[2]	"wayback machine," wayback machine, 14 4 2016. [Online]. Available: https://web.archive.org/web/20150216145445/http://www.focorevistadecinema.com.br/FOCO2/chartrand-johneng.htm. [Accessed 4 4 2016].

 

 

 

Cruising (1980)

“Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer” [1]. New York City police detective Steve Burns goes undercover in order to catch a serial killer that is targeting gay men, mostly in an area consisting of gay S&M and leather bars in what is known as the Meatpacking District.

The film was directed and co-written by William Friedkin, who is probably best known for directing The Exorcist, To Live and Die in L.A. and The French Connection. The film was based upon the book Cruising by Gerald Walker, as well as a series of killings and mysterious deaths in the New York City gay community [2]. It was also based on accounts from a real police officer that went undercover in the gay community and what he went through [2]. They filmed in actual gay bars in New York City and the screen extras were the frequenters of those bars, they got paid as extras but they were doing acts that they normally would perform [2]. It shows a society that hadn’t been seen on the screen before, full of leather, guys half naked wearing jock straps, kissing and other sexual acts, and a scene involving someone being anally fisted.

The film had modest success earning around $19 million but received a backlash from the gay community and critics gave “tepid receptions upon [its] release” [2]. It was a controversial film when it came out because it involved the gay community and because of all of the real sexual acts taking place on camera. Friedkin also had to cut 40 minutes of the film in order to get an R rating, he said in an interview that the “sexuality was actual. It was not simulated. I took the film back to the ratings board 50 times before they would give it an ‘R.’ I know because it cost us $50,000—a thousand dollars a day—to work with the consultant from the ratings board whom we’d worked with in the past when we were faced with other films that had to be resubmitted for a mainstream rating” [2].

Despite its controversy at the time, it has had a cult following and has been reexamined after a length of time and is considered a very good piece of filmmaking. Pacino’s performance is on par with similar characters that he played in Serpico and Sea of Love, but didn’t receive any recognition because of the controversial subject matter. Paul Sorvino and Karen Allen both give great performances in the time that they appear on screen. Allen is best known for appearing in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sorvino is best known for appearing in Goodfellas. There are also small appearances from Ed O’Neil, James Remar and Powers Boothe.

Give this one a chance. It has a lot to offer. It captures an era and lifestyle that was real and it is an authentic view of it, from the point of view of both the gay community and the police. It deals with police procedural rules and the problems that hinder being able to open an investigation. It deals with police corruption and police brutality during questioning. It shows the psychological effects that happen to someone that has to go undercover and must conform to the new surroundings, isolated from what they once new. It also has a strong performance from Pacino, which is on par with his other great performances.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 24 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080569/?ref_=nv_sr_1. [Accessed 24 2 2016].
[2]	"thehollywoodinterview," thehollywoodinterview, 24 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/01/cruising-with-billy.html. [Accessed 24 2 2016].

 

 

 

Bad Timing (1980) Review

“A Terrifying Love Story” [1]. This a British produced thriller, neo-noir that involves a young American woman’s overdose in Vienna and the investigation by Inspector Netusil (Harvey Keitel) into whether it was a suicide attempt, or if there was some type of foul play from her older American lover professor Alex Lindon (Art Garfunkel).

The inspector completes the triangle of dark and seedy characters that are typical for a noir film; in this one he is trying to solve the investigation. Netusil and Lindon’s characters are mirror image reflections of each other; they have similar dress and mannerisms but are “on opposite sides of the mirror” [2]. The director said that for the Netusil, “his demon was leading him somewhere else. I don’t know where he’d go, but I know he was in a lot of pain in the end” [2].

While the basic premise of the movie is the investigation of what may end up being a murder, it is more about the main characters and their obsessions and perversions and their effects on themselves and the world around them. Each of the main actors gives good performances. There have been complaints about Garfunkel’s performance as being too wooden, but that may have been the intent because of his role as a professor in psychoanalytics. The direction and filmmaking is excellent from director Nicholas Roeg, who has become known for keeping the story out of chronological order. He is known for a series of movies that may be considered cult films, including Performance, Walkabout, Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Eureka, and Insignificance. The director has a reputation for taking non acting musicians and placing them in lead roles, like he did with David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth.

The motion picture was controversial because it received an X rating for its sexual sequences, and was even described by its UK distribution company as "a sick film made by sick people for sick people” [3]. Despite this controversy, or even partly because of it, this film has gained a cult following. There are also fans of the director and the cast involved, and those that believe it’s a great film that just had some bad timing. The DVD distribution company Criterion has felt this way, releasing a DVD version of the film in their Criterion Collection which is "dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions of the highest technical quality" [4]. The title of the film was used by musician Jim O’Rourke as the title for an album he released in 1997. He also used some of Roeg’s other films as album titles. The film was also an inspiration for the band The Glove’s album called Blue Sunshine in 1983, which was a side project of The Cure’s Robert Smith and Siouxsie & the Banshees’ Steve Severin.

So if you’re a fan of the director, the cast and crew, or character dramas then you may enjoy this.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080408/?ref_=nv_sr_1. [Accessed 22 2 2016].
[2]	"Criterion," Criterion, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/385-bad-timing-the-men-who-didn-t-know-something. [Accessed 22 2 2016].
[3]	"theguardian," theguardian, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2000/aug/15/artsfeatures.edinburghfilmfestival. [Accessed 22 2 2016].
[4]	"Criterion," Criterion, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.criterion.com/library. [Accessed 22 2 2016].

 

 

 

The Homeless (1974) Review

The Homeless 1974

This is another film that has surprisingly never seen a proper Western release, a blockbuster starring Shintaro Katsu (Zatoichi), Ken Takakura (many popular yakuza films), and Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood), directed by veteran Buichi Saito (The Rambling Guitarist), produced by Katsu Productions, and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. It is a remake of the 1967 French drama Les Aventuriers starring Alain Delon, which was based upon a novel by Jose Giovanni. Even with this amazing star ensemble, it was a failure at the box office and somewhat marked the end of the Japanese mega productions in favor of television. Audiences were choosing to stay at home more in favor of watching their stars on the television set instead of making a trip to the cinema. Hence the move for Katsu and his Zatoichi character over to the small screen for a series that ran from 1974 through 1979 and produced 98 episodes.

Despite its failures theatrically, this deserves some examination for its stunning cinematography and brilliant character performances from the three leads. The story involves two prisoners who get released on the same day, both with their own personal obsessions they seek to achieve. One (Katsu) is hunting for a sunken treaser and the other (Takakura) is seeking vengeance for the death of his sister. They both help a prostitute (Kaji) escape from her Yakuza bosses and the trio’s paths continue to cross during their personal journeys. In the end, all three need each other and the narrative feels as much a vehicle to explore these characters and their relationships than anything else.

The direction and cinematography are striking. Saito displays his abilities to expertly to place and guide the camera, providing some great angles and beautiful scenic shots. He makes excellent use of the environments and traditional Japanese settings and period costumes. It should be noted that this does take place in the early 1900’s, so there are some additional modern elements in it as well. There are superb close up shots of all of the main actors, providing wonderful expressive moments for all three. It contains several memorable scenes, most notably a fantastically filmed duel. It has a nice score that features the same theme song changed up throughout the picture, using a variety of orchestral, electric organ, horns, acoustic guitar, and other instruments.

The performances from the three co-stars are marvelous. Katsu stands out and is absolutely infectious in his portrayal of this jokester conman obsessed with finding treasure, sporting a modern white suit and white straw pork pie hat. He falls somewhere along the lines of his Zatoichi character and a lighthearted version of Eli Wallach’s Tuco, displaying a unique brand of physicality and facial gestures.  His ability to create a persona using every part of his body demonstrates the type of master that he was at his craft, delivering an unforgettable performance. Takakura is good and pretty much plays the straight man or tough guy, similar to his prior yakuza characters. He is more than one dimensional though, developing a friendship and bond with Katsu. Kaji is the most unrecognizable out of the trio, stepping away from her tough girl persona and moving into one that is a prostitute seeking a new life. She is a victim and weak, a polar opposite from her previous roles.

It’s fairly obvious why this didn’t succeed. It lacked the action and exploitative elements that were common threads of most of these stars well known roles. While there is a minimal amount of action and yakuza elements, at the heart of it all this is a period drama. It is missing the wild sword fights, grand gun battles, and the large amount of violence and nudity that the audiences had come to expect. Regardless, it is a picture that ought to be seen by the fans of these actors.

Score 7/10

Kogarashi Monjiro: The Withered Tree (1972) Review

Kogarashi Monjiro: The Withered Tree (1972) Review

It is rather surprising that the 1972 Toei produced jidaigeki Kogarashi Monjiro: The Withered Tree has never received a proper Western release, especially with its similar style to the spaghetti westerns and Clint Eastwood’s “man with no name.” With an interesting story, lead character, and violent sword fights, this is one forgotten gem that deserves some attention. Kogarashi Monjiro is a lone samurai who agrees to take responsibility for a murder that his friend committed so that he can stay with his dying mother, with the expectation that his friend will confess and get him pardoned once she dies. Monjiro is sentenced to an island for prisoners. When he discovers that his friend’s mother has died over a year ago, Monjiro seeks to escape with a group of prisoners in order to get his revenge.

The similarity to Eastwood’s character and the film being influenced by the Italian westerns is obvious with the style in which it is presented. Monjiro’s signature look is the Japanese version of Eastwood. He wears a straw hat, sports a cloak that covers his entire body, and always has a long wooden toothpick in his mouth. His eyes are somewhat squinted like Eastwood’s are in the Italian westerns and his character is rather stoic, usually not speaking very much in order to absorb his surroundings. The music even feels like a hybrid of a more modernized Japanese style infused with the sounds that are familiar in Italian westerns.

The cast and crew contain a core group of Toei veterans. It was directed by Sadao Nakajima, who has 64 film and television credits to his name and has never worked outside of Toei. Lead actor Bunta Sugawara has 171 film and television credits in his long career. During his time at Toei, he appeared in Gendai Yakuza and the popular Kinji Fukasaku yakuza series Battles Without Honor and Humanity. He would appear in one more picture as Monjiro that was also released in 1972. The camera work by Nakajima is done well, with a noticeable preference to using more lengthy sequences as opposed to heavy editing. There are also several scenes in which they incorporate handheld cameras, mostly for certain fight sequences involving people running around in different areas.

The fight sequences are good and match other similar jidaigeki of the time, with loads of blood and extremely violent battles. The overall tone is also bleak, especially for any character other than Monjiro. Besides the sequel, the character was popular enough to produce a television series about him starring Atsuo Nakamura. It began in 1972, but I was unable to obtain any information regarding if it ran longer than that year.

While not the greatest jidaigeki ever produced, it is worthy of taking a look at because of the fascinating lead character and bloody action.

Score 7/10