Ansatsu

This rarely-seen Japanese film centres around a mysterious wandering ronin Hachiro Kiyokawa (Tetsuro Tanba) as he juggles between the Shogunate and the Emperor sympathisers in 19th-century Japan. As the pre-credits text informs us (in detail), four American warships arrived in 1853, upsetting the political balance in Japan, as the country divides into the Liberal Shogunate, and the Imperialists who want all foreign influence banished. Kiyokawa's story is told by various supporting players in flashback and the film jumps around a detailed timeline. We never know or fully understand Kiyokawa's intentions and political preference as he proves unpredictable and at time, extremely ruthless.

The film is more of a political thriller than a traditional samurai film, full of conversations in dark rooms, back-stabbings, bargains and power-shifts. Director Masahiro Shinoda never feels like he has to make it easy for the audience to follow, as the large cast of minor players are never fully developed enough, so it's difficult to keep up with who is who. This, I feel, works both for and against the film. It is on one hand highly intelligent and intellectually stimulating, but on the other hand it allows the plot to become convoluted. It's a shame because I would like to have had time to soak up the mysterious atmosphere, and the beautiful cinematography on show. It is though, as a whole, a very good film, and one I will watch again when I get the chance, in order to wrap my tiny brain around the complex plot.

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Set in the times immediately after Commander Perry's breaking of Japan's isolation, this film covers some of the chaos and uncertainty of the Japanese political and social classes resulting from contact with a more powerful foreign force.

The film revolves around the character of Hachiro Kiyokawa, a farmer turned master swordsman and scholar. We first meet him after his arrest for the killing of a detective working for the Shoganate. As a supporter of the Emperor and a conspirator plotting to destroy the Shogunate and kill all foreigners, he is most wanted by the Shoganate forces who are interested in gaining power thru foreign technology. Surprisingly, he is pardoned if he agrees to organize wandering ronin to defeat the supporters of the Emperor. Amazingly he accepts the job but he isn't trusted so the Shogunate devise a plan to kill him if he turns on them. His co-conspirators on the Emperor's side are shocked at his apparent defection and quarrel over what to do.

The bulk of the film consists of flashbacks as the many characters recount an important incident involving Kiyokawa. We learn a lot about his eccentric personality, the setbacks he's endured only due to being a farmer's son, and his slightly cracked ambitions. Unfortunately this format makes the film hard to follow as it's often hard to know when we are in a flashback or not. The excellent black and white photography is remarkable but there's no stylistic difference between flashbacks and present events. Perhaps this was intentional but, at least for me, it made the film hard to follow. In addition this film contains no characters that are likable in the end. Every single one does something selfish or cowardly except for Kiyokawa's girlfriend who is horribly tortured but never gives him up. She doesn't make it halfway thru the film. Even the "hero" Kiyokawa ends up disturbing us.

Hard to recommend if it wasn't for the excellent performances, photography, music and action. The direction is very good but the film doesn't hold together for me by the time it's over. If you are a fan of Japanese period political dramas, it's worth a look. You might like it

This is a film I will watch again, once I have a little better understanding of the politics of the time and place. The film is less accessible to those not of Japanese heritage. The Western movement into Japan has caused a serious disruption of order. Lines are drawn. A charismatic Ronin, Hachiro Kiyakawa, is leading forces. He is an accomplished swordsman, deadly and unpredictable. He manages to get people to follow him, even if they are unclear where his allegiances lie. There are times when closeups reveal what appears to be a madman. His energetic disregard for human life is centered on and he continually puts himself in danger, landing on his feet. Eventually, he is victimized by the confused situation he has helped create. I don't pretend to understand everything, but am incredibly impressed by the work of Masahiro Shinoda. This is a stunning film with beautiful images and nonpareil cinematography. He uses flashbacks to show the rise of Kiyakawa and the victimization of his mistress. There is much storytelling that is quite effective. Apparently, this is an early work. I will endeavor to find more of his offerings in the future.

I like samurai movies, especially those that delve into areas that the run-of-the mill samurai movie does not (Rashomon, Hari-Kiri for example); but, this movie was confusing and really just not that good. I think the director was trying to prove something but, for the life of me, I don't know what. The freeze-frames throughout were annoying after awhile and didn't have the impact he thought they would.

The ending was anti-climactic... a sad thing all around...

Was confused by how much text there was at the start, but it ended up being needed, as there was a lot to take in and follow for someone like me, who only knows a small amount (at best) when it comes to Japanese history (I'm trying to learn though).

It meant the film wasn't always easy to follow, but enough came across for me to like it. Well-acted and Masahiro Shinoda shot it really well. Visually and thematically, it felt a little bit like a Masaki Kobayashi film at times.

I also liked some of the slightly new wave touches, particularly noticeable in the use of freeze frames every now and then. Was cool to see those techniques used in a historical film, because I'm more used to seeing them in contemporary (at the time) Japanese dramas.