deepcheck

I have always respected fantasy-set films that try and take themselves seriously as cinematic pieces. When a director takes the actual construction of the film seriously, or tries to, I can respect the intent. As such "Night Watch" is difficult to judge. The cinematography is excellent: the camera-work is superb, the mood is perfect, the effects are beautifully rendered (and not overused), and the timing of individual scenes is consistent throughout the piece. The problem is the overall timing of the film. For over half the film, the overall plot and premise is ignored. It is very much as if we are watching two different episodes of the same TV series; the characters are the same, the premise is the same, it is clear how the plots fit together visually and thematically, but otherwise they have pretty much nothing to do with one another. They are not disjointed in their construction or presentation, it is simply that the plot threads are mostly unrelated.

It is worth pointing out that this is the first film in a planned trilogy. Every hanging plot/character moment in the film is very strongly intended to be followed through upon in the next two films, and it shows. Characters and references are not simply tossed aside, but are led into gently just enough to let the audience know that greater things are intended. While I'm not particularly a fan of this kind of thing, Night Watch does it very well, and I await the sequels with anticipation.

Many people on this board have made comparisons to Star Wars EpI-II, and for the life of me I haven't the faintest clue why. The concept of Imperfect Good vs Seductive Evil within the human soul was hardly invented by George Lucas (though vampires in Star Wars would be pretty freakin' cool), and its presentation in Night Watch is tight and interesting. There is no resemblance whatsoever, this is one of the more original films that I have ever seen, and I recommend it both for its flaws and perfections.

Like many people, it seems, I had severe doubts for this film. From the trailer, it seemed very much like a Dances with Wolves knock-off at best, and typical Hollywood tripe at worst. I am grateful to say that this film surprised me and impressed me on all accounts.

Having studied in the field of Eat Asian Languages and Culture, I was worried about the film's historical accuracy, or lack-thereof, given the period, but I was very impressed with how closely they managed to come while remaining far enough away from the actual historical record to make the events of the film plausible. Most of the major characters, with the exception of the Emperor, are either completely fictional, or based on real historical figures, but with different names. Katsumoto (Watanabe), for example, is obviously based on Saigo Takamori, Japan's greatest cultural hero, and the leader of the 1877 rebellion against the Meiji government (but not the Emperor).

In any case, this film is excellently paced, most thanks to the excellent spot-on acting job across the board from the entire cast. You can actually feel the greater ideas and issues at the core of the conflict, and while many of them remain verbally unstated, they are nonetheless clear to any viewer. Visually, this film is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen, for the breathtaking backgrounds, the vibrant colors, the attention to minute details such as the cut of clothing, and the ugly beauty of the battles. The soundtrack is perfect.

Just as impressive is Algren's (Cruise) own subplot, about his own quest for personal worth that he is pushed into through the events in the film. Despite what could have been a horribly campy plotline, much of the emotional content of these scenes are implied and left completely unstated, but just as apparent. This act of restraint, so atypical of Hollywood, is one of this film's major strengths.

It's obvious I enjoyed this film, but to put aside many people's apparent fear of the "ethic-woman-loves-minority-killing-white-guy" syndrome, you will not find it in this film (despite the trailer), at least, not as you might expect.

Tom Cruise is excellent in this film, but he is completely overshadowed by the amazing Ken Watanabe as Katsumoto. It should be expected really, as Saigo Takamori, even after his death, defined the very core of the Japanese national mindset. There were only two ways that this character could have turned out, and fortunately for the audience, and this film, it turned out the best way.

Highly recommended.

This short film numbers among Chaplin's best, and is a stunning example of his skill as a silent physical comedic actor. However, one has to enjoy silent, completely non-verbal, comedy in the first place. While I laughed almost non-stop through this entire film, close friends of mine, who were not entertained by Chaplin's physical gaffes, quickly lost interest.