A magnificent work of Japanese cinematic art starring Mifune Toshiro. It tells the story of what led to the death of Sen no Rikyu, the influential sixteenth-century tea master who served the warlord Hideyoshi. Drawn from the pages of Japanese history! In Kei Kumai's vision on this subject, a tension can be established between the physical and the spiritual, between the shadow of the forces and the perspective and the acquisition of wisdom when compared to Hiroshi Teshigahara's Rikyu which leaned more on the political and social context while Death of a Tea Master focused on the philosophy. The cinematography is spectacular, of being impressed. The vivid color pattern in some scenes, which contrasts somewhat with the somewhat somber vision of some of his other features, would later be recovered in some passages in The Sea Is Watching (2002). The movies dialogue is brief and to the point. Some statements are very profound and uses symbolism to push the narrative. This production was the great turning point in Kei Kumai's career. Not in the sense of its aesthetics or in the sense of remuneration or recognition, but in terms of its objective in cinema. One of the best films ever made in Japan. One of the greatest productions in world cinema with moderate budget and it captures the very essence of its title, thoroughly justifying it, etches out characters. And this is why the ending plays as the perfect emotional pay-off for a film so full of frustrating inhibitions, a light of hope after an eternity spent. Strongly recommended if you love art-house cinema, and especially if samurai dramas are your thing.
