I was out all night/morning so this write up will have to be brief, which is a shame because this is a really great movie.
Here is that familiar face again, Toshiro Mifune, who has become one of my favorite actors of all time. Like Clint Eastwood, he is a man's man. His gruff face and mean scowl actually hide his brilliant acting abilities. It is interesting to watch him in a film not directed by Kurosawa, but in Samurai Rebellion he shows that he is his own man and once again is great in the lead role.
Samurai Rebellion is kind of a misleading title because at its core it is not really a samurai movie. It is a domestic drama that feels more Shakespearean than Japanese; it just so happens that the lead character is a samurai. The rebellion of the film refers to the lead characters' refusal to obey their lord's order and perhaps in a more worldly sense, it is a rebellion against traditional Japanese ideals.
Isaburo Sasahara (Mifune) is an aging samurai who has played by the rules all his life. He has served his lord faithfully, married into a good family and has put up with his nagging wife for twenty years. One day, the local magistrate informs him that the lord has banished his mistress from the castle. Lady Ichi, who has just borne the lord a son, attacked the lord in a rage after discovering his infidelity. The lord requests that Isaburo's son Yogoro marry Ichi. The Sasahara family initially refuses such a demanding request but reluctantly agree to it. Much to everyone's surprise, Yogoro and Ichi end up loving each other and make a perfect couple and soon have a daughter. The conflict of the film arises when the lord's eldest son and heir dies, leaving the son borne by Ichi to be the sole heir. Seeing as how it would be improper for the heir's mother to be married to a vassal, the lord requests that Ichi return back to the castle.
Enough is enough! Isaburo, Yogoro and Ichi can't believe this is happening. The audacity of the lord to force them to marry in the first place and then take her back on a whim after they've been happily married and have a child together is too much. Isaburo, who has been stuck in a loveless marriage for twenty years, cannot bear to see this injustice. He impores Yogoro and Ichi to never let go of each other, exclaiming that their love for each other has reinvigorated his life. The main focus of the film revolves around the negotiations between the Sasahara family and the lord's people regarding Ichi and the implications of their refusal to return her. This is the rebellion of the film.
This film is great all the way around. The acting and drama in the film is top notch, led by a powerful performance by Mifune as Isaburo. If you really think about it, the subject matter kind of makes this a chick flick. It places a lot of emphasis on emotions and the lead characters' thoughts and actions are pretty romantic if not heroic. It also carefully considers Ichi's feelings and opinions making her a strong and important female character, something that I don't really think I've seen in many samurai films. Don't worry though, you do get a chance to see sword fighting and Mifune kick ass, but that is almost an afterthought. The real action and turning points are in the drama.
Samurai Rebellion also boasts a terrific visual style. The double layered flashback scene where we find out why Ichi attacked the lord is unique and pretty modern and edgy, using jump cuts and freeze frames which is very out of line with how the rest of the film is shot. I also felt like the pictures (or compositions, what is the difference?) presented on screen were very ascetically pleasing.
Sorry, i'm exhausted right now so excuse me for the crappy entry, but I'll just close by saying I really enjoyed this film and thought it was great!
Grade: A
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