The Floating Castle - Festung der Samurai

Honestly, I really enjoyed this film. I liked the characters, it was VERY funny at times, it told a fascinating story. Nobou is about as fun and well-developed a character as one would tend to find in this kind of movie. At the same time, the battle scenes were bloody and fairly realistic, and exhilarating to watch.

But while all of that is good, it's not what stuck with me after the movie.

I live in Iwate, one of the three prefectures that were badly hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on 11 March, 2011.

Given that I imagine most theatres in Japan that are showing this film probably have the same warning stamped on the posters as the one I went to had, I don't think it qualifies as a spoiler to point out that the reason this film's release was delayed over a year is that there is one particular scene in which a village gets flooded in a rather graphic manner that for me (and probably for most Japanese audiences) was reminiscent of the tragedy that struck these shores last March. (Also, a similar attack happens in the first 5 minutes of the film, with Mitsunari saying, effectively, "I'm gonna do that too someday!". It's not a spoiler.)

The film is basically a comedy throughout, and when I watched it the theatre was packed and many other audience members were audibly laughing. Then when that scene hit, the theatre went silent. I can't help but imagine the film probably originally had more jokes punctuating that sequence, but they were cut in the aftermath of the tsunami because of obvious inappropriateness.

Still, even in light of how depressed the film made me with that one scene, I highly recommend that anyone who has the opportunity see this film. It is still highly entertaining. :-)

The Floating Castle isn't the worst I've seen, but its pretty far from the best. First thing to note, however, is that this is most definitely NOT a realistic historic drama, despite what the trailer and description seem say. The best example of this is a particular scene where one character lifts an enemy bodily from the ground on the tip of his spear. With one hand. On horse back. So yes, don't expect too much realism here.

It's strongest point is probably its colorful cast of characters. The team defending the castle consists of a good hearted buffoon, a reasonable older leader, a blood-thirsty warrior,a young strategist, and finally, a warrior princess that doubles as the love interest. It's a good mix, and pitted against the ambitious young general, the story sure sets itself up for a fun, adventurous tale. Unfortunately, it doesn't go much further than that. The right ingredients are there, but the final mix is particularly lacking.

I would say that the biggest problem lies in the movie's tone. It doesn't seem to have decided on whether or not it wants to be a light-hearted comedy or a serious action film, and trapezes back and forth between both extremes. Don't get me wrong, comedy action is a perfectly acceptable genre. But there has to be transitions. There are several jarring scenes where the entire cast is serious and somber, and literally, in the span of a single second, everyone on screen is suddenly doubled over in laughter.

One of the biggest complaints I've heard of from viewers is the CG. However, keep in mind that judging whether or not CG is good or bad really depends on what you compare it to. By Hollywood standards, yes, the CG is quite atrocious. By lower- budget Asian Cinema standards, the CG is acceptable, maybe even slightly above average. There are some scenes that stand out in particular and really throw you off, but I have seen far, far worse in non-Hollywood films.

The other big complaint I've heard of is the "lead" character, Narita Nagachika, or Lord Bone. The character is supposed to be a buffoon, and the actor seems to play him in a very over-exaggerated, slap-stick sort of manner. Another review describes him as Chaplin-esque, which I think is accurate. Although it might work in a different sort of movie, it stands out quite a bit here and seems overdone. Context might be helpful though, since a quick Google search reveals that the actor, Nomura Mansai, is a well-known Kyogen actor in Japan (Kyogen being a type of traditional Japanese comedy related to Noh theater). If Nomura's exaggerated, comedic acting is a direct result of his background, I'd say he was a bit...miscast. But whether or not it's the actor's or director's fault, Lord Bone's character definitely sticks out like sore thumb in the movie. I can see what they were trying to go for though, so I'd give them some points for trying.

Final recommendation? Only watch if you're of the more tolerant type and genuinely interested in the story. Many might say its a bad movie, but if you don't mind the CG or some of the more unique decisions made by the director, it can be enjoyable and fun. Just don't go in expecting too much.

There have been a lot of wars and battles. And many have found themselves pitched against the odds. Being at disadvantages for one or many reasons, some still fought on and why not? Shouldn't you do so for your and other peoples freedom? The answer will depend on your value system of course.

Of course this is a movie so it probably takes liberties (I have not read up on all the things that actually happened, but we do get notes from the movie, not just in front of the movie). It also takes violence to a level that might be too much for some. It truly is gritty and brutal. If you can handle that and like movies with great battle scenes ... you are right here.

On first inspection The Floating Castle appears to be an odd mix of comedy and warfare.

Indeed, there are some excellent, very Japanese, comic moments but if you dig deeper, this film is really about the pointless tragedy of war and the enduring joy of life.

The main character is a off beat, seemingly un-samurai, samurai who hides a sharp strategic mind behind a goofy, childlike exterior. More than that, however, he's a humanist, who understands the value of the simple joys of life and places them above martial ambition.

This is a wonderful film that's funny, sad, joyful and poignant in equal measure. Its easy to overlook these aspects of the film as a good portion of it, is taken up with remarkable battle scenes that could be seen to "shout down" its anti war message.

Surprising in so many ways, its a shame The Floating Castle, has had so few reviews as there is so much to like. Nine out of ten from me.