The 1970s were difficult years for the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Following the box-office failure of his 1970 film Dodes'ka-den and an unsuccessful suicide attempt, Kurosawa was unable to find financial backing in Japan, and he made his acclaimed 1975 film Dersu Uzala in Siberia with Russian financing. With only partial Japanese backing for his epic project Kagemusha, the 70-year-old master then found American support from George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, who served as coexecutive producers (through 20th Century Fox) for this magnificent 1980 production--to that date the most expensive film in Japanese history. Set in the late 16th century, Kagemusha centers on the Takeda clan, one of three warlord clans battling for control of Japan at the end of... More Info About This DVD Actor(s): Tatsuya Nakadai - Tsutomu Yamazaki Director(s): Akira Kurosawa DVD Release Date: Released the 29 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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After one rental viewing, I had to own this hysterical, absurd parody of Japanese food, culture, and the American Western. From the beginning scene when a well-dressed connoisseur of food and film introduces the film - and rules of film etiquette - to the segue into the real "movie" with Goro, our hero, complete with cowboy hat and riding in his tanker truck, cab decorated on top with a pair of bull horns, this film celebrates everything it purports to, including Japanese food and film.
Goro decides to mentor Tampopo, the owner of a corner noodle stand in improving her apparently very sub-par soup. There ensues a montage of preparation and work-outs that could if been lifted straight from "Rocky."
I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable film. Of course, it goes against the American grain to cheer for a tax collector, but one can't help rooting for her by the end of the movie. Both the acting and the plot are intelligently done. It is also an interesting glimpse into an unusual facet of Japanese culture. More Info About This DVD Actor(s): Nobuko Miyamoto - Tsutomu Yamazaki Director(s): Juzo Itami DVD Release Date: Released the 06 October 1998 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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