The Hidden Blade

Hidden Blade (2004)

Director – Yoji Yamada

Writer – Yoji Yamada

Yoshitaka Asama

Cinematography – Mutsuo Naganuma

Art Direction – Yoshinobu Nishioka

Actor Character

Masatoshi Nagase ... Munezô Katagi

Takako Matsu ... Kie

Hidetaka Yoshioka ... Samon Shimada

Yukiyoshi Ozawa .... Yaichirô Hazama

Ken Ogata ... Chief Retainer Hori

The Hidden Blade is a perfect example of minimalist filmmaking excelled through powerful story and believable characters. Everything is restrained and confident in the film including the direction, acting and cinematography. It doesn’t show off or try to be something it isn’t. Even the emotions of the characters are reserved. Much of the lighting in the film is naturalistic as is the cinematography. The depth of focus is even through out the film keeping your attention on the immediate. The foreground and background are equally as important as the characters are with their village and the world. This equality lets all the actors be important through a lack of distracting flashy camera angle. It is remarkably simplistic yet impressive.

The recurring theme is duty vs. individual desire. A constant tension throughout the film

restrains the characters from exercising their desires as seen by the underlying love story between Kie and Munezô. Munezô takes her in as a maid despite her being of a lower caste. He falls in love with her and hides it due to his reputation as a samurai.

One of the most interesting scenes is at the funeral of Munezô Katagi’s mother. His uncle and Bunemon insult him for using firearms in front of the lord. His uncle tells them they should use swords and spears as the require skill whereas cannons do not. “Swords require skills that decide the victor” says his uncle. The discarding of the old weapons which represent tradition for modern one insults the elders as they see their culture diluted by modern practices. They see this as they themselves being replaced. To add insult to injury this is suggested by Munezô who is 40 years old and not married yet. He cannot marry as he is in love with Kie who would tamper his reputation being she is a lowly maid and she is already married.

When Munezô finds out she is deathly sick he is outraged his friends don’t tell him as he is the only one who really cares for her. Her mother-in-law keeps her in a cold little room, tucking her problem away. After a week or so with him she feels better and is cheerful again. The funniest part is when the mother-in-law tells him she is married to which he tells his friend, Samon, to write a statement of divorce.

His deepest friend, Hazama, who left to Edo for an important mission has now been jailed for plotting rebellion. He was involved with the Shogunate. Now Munezô has to see Chief Retainer Hori because of his connection to Hazama. Their connection is that they studied fencing and sword fighting together under Master Toda.

Hazama left in anger when Munezô was chosen by Toda over Hazama to learn the specialized school of the “Hidden Blade.” The overseer questions him and tempts him with a list of names and asks Munezô to tell them who was friendly with Hazama. He refuses. “A samurai does not inform on his fellows.” Munezô chooses honor over opportunity. The risk of death is a bargain over tarnishing his name. A fate he compassionately tries to offer Hazama later in the story.

Munezô’s father follows Bushido code of courage by taking responsibility and his life over a business discrepancy that wasn’t his fault. He sacrifices his life to save his fellow workers without question. This pain leaves Munezô to be a father figure to Kie in return for his father’s bravery.

The film values order and duty. Everyone knows their place and everyone does what they are suppose to do. Questioning this is unthinkable and an insult to authority. Social harmony is more important than individual opinions and differences. This is shown in the sense when Munezô asks Kie to tell him a poem which she shyly does. He enjoys it but her attraction to him intimidates her. He asks her again so she complies. She knows her place, he knows his. Another area duty is shown is when Munezô ordered to kill his closest friend Hazama to which he reluctantly agrees.

The love between Munezô and Kie is strong. Their emotions are subdued as they are from different castes and his almost fatherly role over her. She was his maid for three and a half years. He cannot afford to have rumors of him sleeping with her. This taboo adds to their attraction. On top of that he has a protector personality as seen when he pleads with Hazama to end his life with honor than fight with a tarnished name. The scene where he orders her to leave is excruciating to watch because we know their pain and his reluctance to truly want her gone.

Munezô now under pressure from authorities and rumors of his relationship to Kie caves in and agrees to kill his friend Hazama. He does so more out of duty and his role as a obedient position to his master. He is the only swordsman who capable of defeating him. He is cornered from all sides emotionally.

One of the best scenes from the film is when Munezô goes to his old sensei telling him he must kill his friend. It is the saddest part of the film because his teacher complies as did Munezô when the overseer pressures him. As they train to fight he tells Munezô to relax his body and mind. His teacher shows him to frustrate and anger his enemy as a weapon against him.

Spoilers

Hazama’s wife visits Munezô and asks him for a favor wearing a black cloak. This foreshadows her being a widow. She begs him to let Hazama escape. She even offers herself in desperation. It is humiliating to watch. This is something Cheif Retainer Hori takes advantage of later.

Munezô shows bravery by pleading with his old friend, Hazama, to commit suicide and he will follow in turn out of respect. He tells him if he doesn’t he has to kill him. Munezô pleads with Hazama to accept Hara-kiri, suicide, to protect his name and the reputation of his wife who will be known to have married a criminal.

When Hazama is finished by Munezô, riflemen shoot at him – the most dishonorable way to die – outside the blade.

Munezô talks to the Senior Retainer and explains himself. He asks if Hazama’s wife saw him last night. Chief Retainer Hori promised to let Hazama escape because he slept with her to which he brags to his friend and geishas. He lies to her justifying Hazama’s fate was already sealed and she knew he would die anyways. Munezô keeps his composure in light of Senior Retainer admitting his lie. Munezô redeems himself by standing up to Retainer Hori by killing him later in secret using the secret of the “Hidden Blade.”

As Munezô clears his conscience and responsibility he retreats to the wilderness to find someone special.

What makes The Hidden Blade so good is its subtle performances, restrained cinematography and attention to detail. The set direction and pieces in the film were extremely realistic. The costumes are also very well made and add to this realism. The film never shows off or has pretentious moments.

10/10

Buñuel: The Exterminating Angel - Trading One Hell for Another

I observed things that moved me and I wanted to transpose those things on to the screen -- but to do so with love I have for the instinctive and the irrational that can reveal itself in anything and everything. I've always been drawn toward the strange and the unknown.

Everyone is free to find in my films anything he likes or whatever is useful to him.


In the name of Hippocrates, doctors have invented the most exquisite form of torture ever known to man: survival.


-Luis Buñuel

The Exterminating Angel

A dinner group becomes inexplicably stuck in a room under mysterious circumstances unable to leave. As they become annoyed by this phenomenon they try to figure out how to leave degrading from pettiness to savagery. The high society group stays here trying to leave until irrational logic saves them from the most unexpected of places.

Buñuel like no other director understands class hypocrisy, religion and surrealistic absurdity. The Exterminating Angel is obsessed with class hypocrisy especially in the elites plight for survival. Survival is stressed here in both physical and social. After being invited to the opera and back home the dinner guests cannot leave due to some inexplicable spell. They ignore this minor inconvenience through fake manners in turn eased by nasty gossip. Buñuel is mocking high society similar to the way Robert Altman did in Gosford Park.

The film starts off on Providence Street, which is ironic given the circumstances that will happen to the elite group in the film. Buñuel here laughs at religion in excellent, parodied foreshadowing of things to come.

The Exterminating Angel takes great lengths to mock superstitious beliefs as well as praise superstitious beliefs as the answers to the problems it brings. The rich cling to their culture and emptiness comforted by its routine. Once they a fed up by this and their life of privilege they emotionally break down and flee to religion to bring meaning back into their lives as represented by the sheep at the end of the film. Strangely it condemns the rational and logical as seen by the characters ignoring the calm and methodical doctor throughout the film. Their misery doesn’t go only transfers. They trade one hell for another.

The symbolic sheep that are tied down representing religion yearn to be free but at the end of the film when they are finally free what do they do? They run right back into church. The symbolism is over the top at times but effective nonetheless. By today’s standards this wouldn’t be that controversial but for a Spanish director filming in Mexico in the early 60s this is huge.

The film likes to point and laugh at the ridiculousness of group thinking from the elite socialites vs. the rationality from the doctor. The high society group in the film degrades slowly into savages rationalizing their behaviors in order to survive. The plight of human survival is a struggle between the reptilian and mammalian brain as represented by the dinner guests vs. the doctor. The dinner guests fight for a drop of water after destroying the walls to get to the water pipes while the doctor insists that they form a line to drink. Their irrational behavior stems from fear for survival both socially and physically. They grow paranoid, distrustful, and obsessive – functions of the reptilian brain. On the other hand their other side which is more compassionate praises Blanca for her piano performance when they are tired and don’t want to listen anymore. The doctor on the other hand is more compassionate and patient. Even as they grow tired of him he tries to offer compassion when they threaten to kill him.

The dinner group also suffers from “group think” and narcissism. They are stuck in the room for two days fearing the world outside has died as the only possible explanation for why they haven’t been saved. This is Buñuel humorous jab at the higher class and its obsession with itself. The only time they refer to other people is when they fear others have forgotten about tem leaving them to be doomed.

A Norse mythical character that appears in the film is the character, Valkyrie. This is interesting considering a Valkyrie decides who dies in battle when she herself is one of the most helpless people in the film. This is Buñuel’s jab at religion and it’s failure for protection to lost souls. Buñuel once famously said, “God and Country` are an unbeatable team; they break all records for oppression and bloodshed." There is a certain paradox here considering how many religious paintings are inside the house. Also one of the first shots of the film has a dolly shot of the outside of the house, which looks remarkably similar to a Catholic church’s architecture. Admiring a thing’s beauty is not synonymous with admiring its function.

The bear in the film was not explained by Buñuel at all. His son was instructed to be vague when interviewers questioned him. Buñuel like David Lynch leaves it up to your interpretation. One way of seeing the bear is as fear from religion and the sheep inside that are tied to the table unable to move.

Throughout the film many of the guests question why they are never able to leave to room. Many say they will leave immediately growing tired, frustrated and fearful. They are like the customs and beliefs they have adopted, unchanging, paranoid and fear inducing. Only when the guests though irrational logic decide to kill Nobile (nobility) do they make any progress. Ethics arrests progress.

As they break the curse and return to the outside the first place they return is to church to atone for their sins. Funnily though they cannot escape church now and the curse is again placed on them. Clinging to one thing entirely destroys oneself as oppose to having a balance.

The film is intelligent and open to endless possibilities for interpretations. Surrealistic aspects are prevalent throughout the film including a humorous severed hand scene that reminds one of the film The Addam’s Family. Multiple viewings are necessary but like true art it is up to one’s own interpretation to make it accessible.

High Noon

High Noon

Directed by Fred Zinnemann

Starring

Gary Cooper – Marshall Will Kane

Grace Kelly – Amy Fowler Kane

Lloyd Bridges – Deputy Marshall Harvey Pell

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Martin: People gotta talk themselves into law and order before they do anything about it. Maybe because down deep they don't care. They just don't care.

High Noon opens with a long shot of a man smoking a cigarette then top another man coming in by horse. These shots are specifically distinctive to westerns – shots that show the power and romanticism of the west. They show the possibility of expansion and freedom.

As the three horsemen come into town everyone watches, everyone is scared. The horse is scared of the Marshall sign though. There is a great backwards tracking shot that is under cranked showing the justice of the peace sign as both Amy Fowler and Will Kane get married. This speed up in cinematography shows the tumultuous relationship they will go through as the bandits come into town.

Marshall Kane (Gary Cooper) turns in his badge after getting married. After Frank Miller is pardoned everyone wants him to leave town. Will Kane though stays in town despite it’s his honeymoon and last day on the job. Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly) begs him to leave but he refuses. His duty is more important than her. Despite threatening to leave him if he stays to defend the town Will Kane chooses his duty unflinchingly.

Amy Fowler Kane chooses to leave town to St. Louis despite Kane. As Kane struggles to find men to fight off Frank Miller, a convicted murderer, he finds no one to help him. He stays though.

On top of all these struggles Kane has to deal with his power hungry second-in-command Harvey Pell who dates Helen Ramirez, Kane’s ex, to gain power. He also tries to manipulate Will Kane for control of the town early on for the glory but Kane fulfills his last day dutifully.

As Kane is alone everyone is also against him. Even an old shopkeeper bets within five minutes he will be dead. No one join his crew because they know they will be dead in such a small band. To make matters even worse Kane sets aside his pride and begs the townspeople in the church to help defend the town. The preacher turns to cowardice as he can’t advocate defending the town as it involved murder. The most influential person who can sway people’s moral judgment and action falters.

Besides Will Kane, Helen Ramirez is the only one with dignity because she tells it like it is when she has to explain that Will Kane is brave going at it alone and Harvey Pell is a coward for falling back. Even Kane’s wife, Amy, is a coward who begs Kane to leave.

The most revealing part of Harvey Pell is when he tries to get Will Kane to leave town to mask his own cowardice and fear. He is persistent and unrelenting in trying to get Kane on the horse and gone./ He fights him when Kane decides to stay but Kane won’t budge because he chooses honor and duty above all else.

There is an excellent shot of doom in the railroad station with the three cowboys in focus in the foreground, midground and background. Their sizes are staged to get bigger from left to right giving a sense of heightened danger. The man on the right only has his gun in the frame providing excellent purpose and tension. They all look at and prepare their guns without speaking.

The tension of the train is intercut with various shots of the cowboys, townspeople bidding farewell and Kane writing his will. Shots of an empty town show the people’s reluctance to stand up and fight. During the shootout there are many low angle shots and over the shoulder close-ups bringing us into the battle as intense as a movie from this decade can get.

White Heat

Made it, Ma! Top of the world!”

James Cagney – Arthur ‘Cody’ Jarrett
Virginia Mayo – Verna Jarrett
Edmond O’Brien – Vic Pardo
Margaret Wycherly – Ma Jarrett
Steve Cochran – Big Ed Somers

This review contains major spoilers

White Heat opens with an dynamic train shot leaving a tunnel. A shot that is as exciting as those train shots found in Doctor Zhivago. James Cagney stars in this
film that stands up today with its clever use of surveillance, damsel in distress and betrayals. It's opening competes with that of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in the train robbery scene. Cody Jarrett played by James Cagney is much more brutal and menacing.

The cinematography is sharp making good use of low angle and tracking shots. There is always movement in the movie adding to the tension and progress to the story.
The lines add punch to this classic as well, “if that battery is dead it will have company.” Cody is a ruthless yet charismatic killer but only has one weakness – his domineering mother, Ma Jarrett which is counterbalanced by his power he has over his crew and wife. She is the only one that can get her hooks into him as seen in the drive-in cinema scene. He talks disparagingly to his wife Verna but affectionately to his mother. This tension is seen throughout as they both compete for his attention. She also sits next to him with his wife farthest away symbolizing the level of importance these two women in his life. This is further proven as he kisses his mother goodbye first and then his wife.

After the tunnel robbery of the Federal Reserve train he discusses how he will take the rap for the Springfield hotel robbery job for a lesser sentence. Once inside as an informant Hank is planted by detective Philip Evans to befriend and get information on Cody. Cody suspects him as possible threat of sorts. Hank stuck out considering he didn’t seem like the criminal type despite compensating trough violent behavior as in the line to get the shot. Eventually Cody lets his guard down as Hank saves his life from a falling mechanism in the prison. This leads to Cody’s undoing as Hank sets him and his whole crew up.

This film shows Verna Jarrett, Cody’s, to be less than angelic. She is a blonde dressed in white similar to Martin Scorsese’s character of Ginger in Casino. At first she is introduced as a sleeping naiveté but later is shown to be anything but that. The soft focus shot as she helps Cody plan to kill Big Ed shows her muddled and conflicting feelings for both of them. She flirts with Big Ed and tries to find any angle she can to save herself from Cody’s possible imprisonment. The funniest scene is when she tries to cut a deal with the cops and they ignore her story and send her to jail. She flirts ferociously to try to save herself but nothing works.

The large Xs at the refinery add visual symbolism marking the impending doom and deaths around the corner. They are seen throughout the film adding visual dynamism.

The film deals with heavy use of surveillance and informants to build tension. The best in the car surveillance used to triangulate the location of Cody’s car. Cody’s biggest mistake is letting his guard down with Hank. When Cody finds out his mother is dead hopefully his final weakness died as well but his trust of Hank proved to his ultimate undoing. The scene where he has his meltdown adds some humor to its similarity of the breakdown of Jerry Maguire after being fired in Jerry Maguire. During both meltdowns everyone watches stunned, when they leave they all return to their business, classic. The getaway scene is powerful and is dynamic like that of Michael Mann’s Public Enemies.