DVD The 47 Ronin: Parts 1 & 2
Don't expect the blood-and-thunder adventure of Akira Kurosawa's samurai tales in this take on the legendary 18th century story. Loyal samurai plot righteous revenge on the scheming official responsible for the dishonor and execution of their honorable samurai Lord, yet Kenji Mizoguchi's elegant epic is a film of confrontation through ceremony, plots concealed in veils of political feints, and vengeance patiently delayed until honor can be satisfied. Such introspective drama may frustrate viewers anticipating adrenaline-fueled combat--even the climactic battle is communicated entirely in the breathless reading of a gripping dispatch--and they might prefer Hiroshi Inagaki's more visceral 1962 Chushingura. The drama of Mizoguchi's film is in the restrained poise of warriors reigning in their instinct to attack, the arched eyebrows of cunning politicians playing games of brinkmanship over tea, and the flowing camerawork and measured pacing of Mizoguchi's handsome style. --Sean Axmaker |
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Review(s): DVD The 47 Ronin: Parts 1 & 2 | |
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First, if it's Samurai action you're after - give this masterpiece a miss! What you get instead is an absorbingly quiet, thoughtful contemplation on the conflicting demands of the rules of law, society and human nature. Violence is distanced, stylised - and largely absent (amazing in a wartime propaganda work!)In pure cinematic terms "47 Ronin" is incredibly beautiful to watch, shot in immensely long takes that establish a natural, breathing rhythm over the whole of its huge length. It is also wonderfully well acted by Mizoguchi's huge cast. The spartan design is very satisfying, presenting us Westerners with a fascinating 'other' world secure and perfect in its own clear hierarchies and customs. The conflict between personal loyalty and the law is rendered with beautiful clarity. In some ways, although this is not the first Mizoguchi film I'd recommend to newcomers to his art, it may be the purest, most pared-down of all his works - surprising considering its extraordinary length! Although the print is not great, this DVD still represents good value at the price and is recommended.
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It is unfortunate that the only film by the incomparable Kenji Mizoguchi available on DVD should be the 47 RONIN. While not terrible, and in some ways interesting, it is nowhere near the quality of such masterworks as UGETSU or SANSHO THE BAILIFF. Painfully slow, stylized to the point of abstract, far too long, THE 47 RONIN feels more like a rough draft than a finished film. Despite its subject, it is unlikely to please anyone wanting an action-packed samurai film. It will also disappoint Mizoguchi enthusiasts.Mizoguchi is best known for his combination of the "one-shot, one scene" shooting method (in which most scenes are staged in a single, uncut shot) with a ravenously beautiful sense of composition. Some of this visual flair appears in 47 RONIN. When Lord Asano commits hari-kiri, for example, the camera moves to a high angle looking down on the enclosed space, while one of his loyal vassals weeps outside the closed gate. Or when the wife of Chamberlain Oishi, the leader of the ronin, leaves him with their two youngest children, the camera sits in a typically understated Mizoguchi long shot, Oishi standing helplessly alone and motionless in mid-ground, his wife and children disappearing into a forest in the background, his eldest son running laterally across the frame. It is a heart rending image of loss. But unlike the director's best work, in which you're carried from one exquisite image to the next on a tide of volcanic, nearly unbearable feeling, these moments are isolated, emotional islands in a sea of stiff, almost inert scenes. In top form, Mizoguchi moves you beyond tears. Your throat goes dry and you can barely breathe for the intensity of feeling. Here, there's no release and barely any build up. As just one example the most important moment, when the ronin finally get their revenge on Lord Kira, occurs off-camera. It's almost as if Mizoguchi were *trying* to keep us removed. If you have never seen a Mizoguchi film and would like to, you might want to rent one of his other titles on VHS. If you're thinking of buying the disc for the sake of having the 47 RONIN in your collection, I still don't recommend it, since the transfer is mediocre, made from damaged, sometimes soft visual elements and a wobbly, variable soundtrack. If you just want to have a Mizoguchi DVD, I suggest you wait until Criterion (hopefully) releases UGETSU and SANSHO THE BAILIFF.
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..is a far better reenactment of the story of the 47 Ronin. Along with Seven Samurai, no other 2 films better exemplify the power of the samurai spirit. That aside, Mizoguchi is one of Japan's most celebrated film directors but The 47 Ronin (1&2) is not some of his better works. It's sad that this is the only film of his available on DvD, because it is in no way showing the true talents of this master of cinema.I enjoy the Japanese legend of the 47 Ronin but this film is far too tedious and lengthy to watch. I fell asleep every time I've tried to watch it. And though more indepth and complex than Chushingura in some aspects, the style of filming so abstract it feels almost ancient. Saying that this film is painfully slow is putting it mildy. Rather, the story unfolds like a 300 hundred page book. At the end of the day you'd be better off just reading the story of the 47 ronin than to bother watching this 4 hour borefest. With a far better adoptation available (Chushingura directed by Hiroshi Inagaki) I cannot recommend this film. Watch Chushingura instead.
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