Kazuo Hasegawa, Lord of Kiso, has defeated the Heike and raised his banner over the capital. This does not mean he has won. The Retired Emperor will not see him, and court officials are plotting an alliance with his enemies. Even as he longs to return to his beautiful mountains, his allies betray him. Only his wife, Machiko Kyô and his mistress, Fujiko Yamamoto, are truly loyal. He has a new ally; having been lied to as to her identity, he has come to know it, and has taken Princess Hideko Takamine under the guise of a court lady, to "instruct his suite in proper etiquette." To maintain the charade, her father has ordered her to maintain the disguise.
It's a sumptuous epic of 12th Century Japan, with great costuming, brilliant battles, many fires, fierce women warriors, and beautifully decorated set in lovely color. I was struck, however, by the standard composition. Many of the shots look like they would have benefited from widescreen projection.Even so, director Teinosuke Kinugasa has achieved a fine movie
I have commented elsewhere that the Japanese New Wave seems to have hated all traditional Japanese values, and insisted that only film makers who evinced the same sort of contempt were worthy of praise. Kingusa's movie tackles the empty, two-faced etiquette that hid betrayal, yet still celebrates honor, valor, and the beauty of Japan.
