Aragami

Director Ryuhei Kitamura, now famous thanks to the big success of "Versus" and "Azumi", was challenged to make this experimental film in an odd bet with producer Shinya Kawai and fellow filmmaker Yukihiko Tsutsumi. Named the "Duel" project, Kawai challenged the two filmmakers to each create a feature length movie with only two actors, battling in one setting and filmed entirely in one week. With those restrictions limiting the development of a film, a challenge like that sounds insane; but Kitamura succeeds and delivers a film of almost the same caliber as "Versus".

In Kitamura's film, two wounded samurais arrive to a lost temple in the mountains looking for a place to rest. Later, one of them awakes fully healed and is welcomed by the only priest in the temple. He introduces himself as Aragami (Masaya Kato), the God of Battle, and informs the samurai (Takao Osawa) that he healed his wounds, but had to kill his companion to do it. His purpose: to have a duel to death with the samurai.

The movie moves around the showdown, not only physical, but also philosophical between these two warriors; with fluid camera-work that mimics the style of Manga comic books, Kitamura keeps the film moving despite being set entirely in the main room of the temple. This stylish use of the camera really is one of the film's strongest points, as it makes the set look different even when they never change of room.

The characters are very well defined and thanks to a very good developed script, they never let the movie fall. Just like the visuals, the writing is very similar to those of Manga, and one could say that this is exactly how a Manga would look if it were translated frame by frame to screen. While at times the movie drags, it is understandable that a lot of effort was put to make it entertaining even when it's only about two people talking and fighting.

Masaya Kato gives a powerful performance as Aragami, a being beyond man's understanding and with fighting skills perfected through centuries of practice. He really becomes his character and truly makes one belief that he has seen a lot in his life. At the same time, Osawa is very good as the samurai, confused by all what is happening and whose only desire is to get out of the temple alive. Both actors excel in their performances, specially considering the limited freedom they had to work with. In fact, it is thanks to their performances that the script makes the the movie work.

The visual beauty of the duel between the warriors is another one of the movie's strong points. Kitamura knows very well how to put action on films as fans of "Versus" will acknowledge. In "Aragami", he mixes the old with the modern in a stylish surrealist duel that mimics the fight between the two samurais. However, if a flaw is to be found, is that the use of modern music at times contrasts with the intentions of the film, nevertheless, it never becomes a real problem.

While "Aragami" is nowhere near what Kitamura accomplished with the outstanding "Azumi", it still is a very good and different movie that shows the creativity of this director; that he is not afraid of taking risks; and that in fact, like the raging God of Battle, he enjoys a good challenge. 7/10

Made in one set, with three principal actors, and over seven days, Aragami impresses far more than the more immature Versus. Setting himself the task of shooting an action movie in one room (itself a possible contradiction in terms) the constraints ultimately make for a much more satisfying and engrossing experience than his previous, overrated breakthrough film - which was too carelessly off the wall and derivative to impress this viewer. As a project Aragami also contrasts strongly with the much more opened out Azumi (another personal favourite), which replaced the gloomy interiors and philosophising of Aragami with something much more kinetic and light hearted.

At heart Aragami is a film about knowing who you are, and both Osawa (who has since appeared in the less concentrated Sky High) and Masaya Kato are excellent in roles which, like chamber music, leave every flaw in performance likely to be exposed. Obviously written at speed, the film's pay off could have been more enlightening (but perhaps a touch of obscurity in this sort of thing is a benefit, especially at a time when Hollywood genre efforts typically feel obliged to spell everything out), but fans won't argue too much and interpretations are easy to make. The wonder of the film is that the director was able to stage and direct two action scenes - one short, one more extended - with such gusto and convincing moves, given the tight shooting schedule and limitation of the set, while still allowing himself time for empathetic set ups during slower moments. It requires the ingenuity and confidence of a Roger Corman to bring this thing off, raising such stuff above straight-to-video fodder, and Kitamura succeeds magnificently.

Ignore those who claim the film is 'too talky', for none of the chat is wasted (there's none of the narrative indulgence seen in the recent Sky High, for instance), the actors have enough presence to carry it off, and time spent with them never palls. Over 79 minutes nothing drags, and the changing relationship between the samurai and the goblin provide constant interest. The developing duel between the two principals neatly reflects back to the friendly rivalry between Kitamura and his fellow director Tsutsumi which originally initiated the film. If you are tired of bloated Hollywood mega-buck productions and want to get back to the basics of purposeful dialogue, imaginative stageing and thought-through editing - in short, lean, popcorn pumping cinema - then this is a film you need to see.

I Love this movie. The story was a bit confusing but either then that the movie was near perfect.

The action was very well choreographed and was not Very over the top like MGSTTS but it was still Over the top action considering how Samurai Films are made nowadays.

There was this one part that amazed me were the Temple was all dark and all you can see of them was when the swords collide that was sooo coool. And i love the soundtrack. If you loved the soundtrack from all his other movies then you would love this soundtrack.

I saw this movie at the SF Indie Film fest which presented this & Yukihiko Tsutsumi's 2LDK back-to-back and the audience got to vote on which was the better of the 2. As has been noted, the directors of both of these films stayed up late one night drinking @ Berlin Film fest & dared each other to a duel. The terms of the duel: make a film about a duel involving 2 characters that takes place in one setting and shoot it in 7 days.

Unfortunately, TsuTsumi had back problems and was unable to attend, but Kitamura was present & introduced the film. He said Tsutsumi had called him a few months after the pact & asked him how his project was going & took him entirely off-guard as he was working on Ozumi & hadn't done anything. So he wrote Aragami very quickly & used it as a way to help prepare for Ozumi. The theme is very interesting, A samurai runs into an old temple in the mountains w/ his buddy & both are near death. One of the samurai's survives by the help of the temple's resident, who is somewhat of a mystery (is he a samurai? priest? doctor?).

Without revealing too much of the plot, the surviving samurai is led into a duel with him & it becomes clear that defeating the temple's mysterious resident is beyond his abilitites as a samurai. The plot (with the exception of the ending) was extremely good & there were some really good moments of rapport between the 2. The film's main theme of war & a warrior's duty/calling is not new, though the way it evolves in this film is quite interesting. Most notable is the way the film shows how homoerotic desire/affection underlies much hand-to-hand combat (i.e. sublimating a desire that is unspoken by attempting to kill the desired). However, this theme is not as well developed as the overall theme. As a result, the ending feels a bit like a cheap shot, a rather hurried attempt at a clever ending, than something that evolves well from the characters' sparring (both verbal & in actual action). Despite this, the ending does present an interesting take on the subject of war & those who are willing to fuel the fire. Those who really come to these films for the action sequences might be a bit disappointed, as the action sequences in this film are short & comprised of extremely quick takes, though there is an interesting sequence that uses flash images of the fighting giving it a strobe effect.

Other problems I had with the film were the setting, lighting & sound. The movie took place in a rather odd temple w/ cheesey buddha artifacts. It looked more like more like Disney Park room (if it were created in the 1980s) version of a Japanese Temple complete with dark colored lighting (heavy on red & blue). The light & sound affects in the film (rain, lightning, etc.) also gave the film an artificial feel, making it look almost like some of Fassbinder's films (i.e. Berlin Alexanderplatz), however the distancing affect it creates on the viewer, didn't really seem to add to the film's theme any. The director did state that he was more influenced by the Hollywood films of the 70s & 80s that he watched while growing up, than by martial arts films.

Most distracting, though, was the film's electronica background music, which became very repetitious & annoying at times, as it really detracted from the dialogue between the 2 characters. The heavy metal music at the end, perhaps wasn't as out of place as the electronica, given the ending, but was also pretty annoying & felt like overkill. Overall I'd give it a 7/10....with more time, attention & money this one could have been quite exceptional. But unfortunately the director has quite a lot going on (a re-issue of Versus with new scenes, Versus 2 & Godzilla) & so the rushed job that it was really did seem to affect its quality.

I did not get to stay to see who won the duel, but judging by how many people were going to the 2LDK ballot box, I think the votes mirror the imdb rating....2LDK is the winner (and that is my feeling too).

When both Ryuhei Kitamura and Yukihiko Tsutsumi finished their short films for the Jam anthology early, their producer gave them something new to try. In the space of one week they were each to produce a film, using only two man characters, one location and it had to be focused around a fight. This was called the "Duel" project.

Kitamuras film was "Aragami". The title meaning "fierce deity", and the story revolving around a demon who seeks an opponent who can beat him in combat, taking a wounded samurai in and healing him so that they can face of in a climatic battle. The story, essentially being a simple good versus evil affair was very well done. At times it's hard to tell if one of them is evil, or if they both are in fact evil. And there are enough plot twists to keep your attention throughout this whole suspense filled feature.

Try as I might, I find it almost impossible to find anything to complain about with this film, it really is something amazing. It's a very atmospheric film. Kitamura makes excellent use of light to make the temple look suitably dark and mysterious. From flickering candle light, to eerie purple light flooding in from the night outside, to breath taking lighting that gleams from swords classing in the dark. "Aragami" is a very beautifully shot film, with excellent use of camera angles and not just during the fight scenes. But he made superb use of it to highlight both characters persona throughout.

The use of music was also really well done in this film. At times it heats up the action speeding your heartbeat, at other times it helps establish a more calm mood. During the final battle the use of sound makes it seem like we are almost on a roller coaster. The protagonists feelings of suspicion at the beginning is not only conveyed through acting, but through the music that accompanies his realisations. The use of music is possibly most notable when it helps reinforce the almost friendship that the two of them forge over their drinks and conversation.

Both of the main characters were very well acted, which for some reason I was surprised at. Perhaps it was the depth of the acting that did it for me. Or how quickly they were able to change the mood, and focus of the conversation. At one point the Aragami seems very evil and dark, but in a matter of a few words the focus is shifted onto the protagonist, making him appear as a cold and heartless monster. This was very well done, and very believable. You really get the feeling that the Aragami is bored, ancient and somewhat noble.

The only problems I can find with this film, is that it does have an incredibly slow pace up until the much anticipated climatic battle. Perhaps this was intentional, as to make us more desperate to see them tear into each other but I felt it wasn't very well done. For most of the film the two of them are just sitting there talking over drinks, and while this is well acted there isn't enough action to excite us until the finale.

Kitamura teases us with a little bit of a fight early one, but it's not until the end that we finally see one of his trademark epic battles. Which in itself could have been better, it wasn't as fast as his other films. Perhaps due to the "Anime" posing the characters did while the talked to each other during the fight. If they had just tore into each other in a brutal show of skill the film would have been so much better.

Some slight issues with the pace of the movie, but in all a very well made and entertaining film. And for anyone who has seen "Versus", you're bound to chuckle a little when you see the ending.

8.5/10