Amazon.com

No one uses color like Chinese director Zhang Yimou--movies like Raise the Red Lantern or Hero, though different in tone and subject matter, are drenched in rich, luscious shades of red, blue, yellow, and green. House of Flying Daggers is no exception; if they weren't choreographed with such vigorous imagination, the spectacular action sequences would seem little more than an excuse for vivid hues rippling across the screen. Government officers Leo and Jin (Asian superstars Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) set out to destroy an underground rebellion called the House of Flying Daggers (named for their weapon of choice, a curved blade that swoops through the air like a boomerang). Their only chance to find the rebels is a blind women named Mei (Ziyi Zhang, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who has some lethal kung fu moves of her own. In the guise of an aspiring rebel, Jin escorts Mei through gorgeous forests and fields that become bloody battlegrounds as soldiers try to kill them both. While arrows and spears of bamboo fly through the air, Mei, Jin, and Leo turn against each other in surprising ways, driven by passion and honor. Zhang's previous action/art film, Hero, sometimes sacrificed momentum for sheer visual beauty; House of Flying Daggers finds a more muscular balance of aesthetic splendor and dazzling swordplay. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (153)

DO NOT buy this crap!
OK! Who the hell gave this movie 4 stars??!! Poor story, poor dialog, poor EVERYTHING!!! This movie sucked. Get stabbed by a dagger and the girl stays alive until the unnecessary long fight between two bad actors is over??!! Come on! This movie is worse than the Hindi crap that comes out of Bollywood. Wish I could give it zero stars, but I can't. Amazon, will you please see that movies of this low quality get zero stars?

Technically breathtaking, but left this viewer a little cold
Zhang Yimou's HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS continues where the director's HERO left off: it is a film of immense visual beauty and amazing choreography, supporting a plot with melodramatic elements to it. But whereas HERO could conceivably, amidst the dazzling imagistic pageantry and big emotions, be interpreted as a political statement (the film ends with a ruler having to sacrifice a hero for what he considers the greater cause of unifying feudal China), HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is content to be romantic melodrama, plain and simple.

Personally, I kinda prefer the extra intellectual and thematic stimulation offered by HERO. At the end of that film, you really had something to think about; at the end of HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS...well, the story is over (and a song sung in English by soprano Kathleen Battle plays over the closing credits). Nothing of great consequence, I felt, had really happened in this film; it is basically one ravishing image and one amazing fight sequence following another, interspersed with (admittedly well-acted) moments of intimacy or high drama. If Zhang Yimou was aiming for thematic subtlety in HERO, here he goes for operatic emotions and visual spectacle. And for all its technical brilliance, the whole thing ultimately left me a little cold---maybe a bit too melodramatic and soapy for my taste.

That is a very personal reaction, of course. The technical brilliance Zhang Yimou brings to HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is not to be denied; these are some of the most breathtaking (and breathtakingly filmed) fight sequences seen since the last notable "wuxia" film, Ang Lee's CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. And the actors bring as much conviction as possible to their basically two-dimensional characters: certainly, as House of Flying Daggers member Mei, Ziyi Zhang brings convincing passion to her role, as do Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau as, respectively Jin and Leo, two police deputies who rescue Mei from prison and try to trick her into bringing them to the House of Flying Daggers to stop their rebelliousness once and for all.

Perhaps the best way to appreciate HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is to look at it as a cinematic opera. Zhang Yimou is clearly not afraid to work on a big canvas, and he brings all the big emotions and spectacular sights he can to tell his melodramatic story. Those who go into this film expecting to be dazzled will most likely be satisfied; it is a genuine technical marvel. For me, though, I was expecting more substance to the film than it delivered. HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS may be more purely enjoyable than HERO, but the latter, to me, is a much more interesting movie than this one.

Super Cool Movie!!!
The action and special effects sequences in this movie are incredibly fun to watch.Zhang Ziyi is flawless as usual, and her perfomance and beauty justifies buying this DVD in itself.

Great cinematography, weak story
Genre: Foreign, Martial Arts, Romance

Genre Grade: B+

Final Grade: A-

This was another great film from Chinese director Yimou Zhang. Although not even close to comparing to his last film, Hero, it still was a great movie. Zhang is an artist, it is as simple as that. His locations are perfect, the colors are vibrant, and the characters are passionate. This is much more a love story than anything. It offers some good surprises concerning the characters and keeps the mystery of the "House of Flying Daggers" a secret to even the viewers. Actress Ziyi Zhang should learn to speak English because she could be a huge star in the United States.

I recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero. It is dubbed in English so you don't have to read subtitles if you don't want to.

stunning
Yimou is a true artist of cinema. Hero and House of Flying Daggers are beautiful and spiritual adventures in Asian cinema. Both films are remarkable acheivments that are lost on the reviewer who gave this film one star. True art is often missunderstood by the masses. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Elegant and Powerful Communist Propaganda
This movie is a visual feast. The Chinese government spared no expense in creating it; all-star director Yimou Zhang apparently had everything at his disposal: a super star (Jet Li), an excellent supporting cast, unlimited costume expenses, and the full array of Hollywood digital imagery. More than just action and elegant Chinese cultural imagery, this film is a bold statement to the world: China is once again its cultural center.

Unfortunately, money does not always buy happiness. Despite the beautiful imagery, the story is brazenly unoriginal, taking its principle technique from Kurasawa's 1950 breakout film Rashomon, and much of its wuxia energy from Ang Lee's Taiwanese sensation of 2000, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. To the simple-minded, I think it fails as an action picture, and to the sophisticated, its moral push is far from certainly digestible. Neither do any of the actors succeed in endearing themselves to us. Its greatest strength is its beautiful imagery.

I recently watched Alexander Nevsky, the famous Soviet propaganda film. Viewed today, its intent is obvious and clumsily applied. I watched Ying Xiong, or "Hero", well into the second hour before I realized that I was watching a modern version of that same old communist template. What are the messages here?
A) Look Out: China is bigger than life and is ready to take its rightful place as the center of the world.
B) All under Heaven: union is not bad, it is in fact noble and unselfish, supporting the common good (Cantonese Hong Kong and Mandarin Taiwan take note).
C) The National Government is working for the common good: "They call me a tyrant", the emperor says scornfully, as he laments the fact they ignore the burdens he must bear for their own good.
The film tries to appeal to the values of common decency in order to support these latter two points: killing is wrong, selfish grudges are wrong, excessive resentment is wrong, etc. It seems to accept and mildly promote individualism, although not allowing it to trump collectivism.

I admit that even as an American, I cannot quickly digest these complex moral questions and make an immediate assessment as to their worthiness. For a Chinese person, I assume this film has been even more powerful. The pride evoked from its bold nationalist statement may further push them towards accord. Hence its value as propaganda has probably been quite strong. I think that ultimately the value of this film as a classic will be decided by the prevalent answer to these moral questions, and my suspicion is that history will not look favorably on the direction in which it pushes viewers to think.

An intimate epic
"Hero" is a very ambitious film, attempting to combine quiet introspective philosophy with visually stunning action and pageantry. It is like an intimate epic. The scope is grand to say the least, with full armies on the march as well as intense and magical personal duels, all of which serves as decoration to the Buddhist philosophy being put forward.

It is very beautiful, and this is probably the first thing to be noticed. The various elements, actors, scenery and colors all combine to create a visual splendor. It is a very painterly movie, a feast for the eyes. Specifically, color is used to create moods and to differentiate the various storylines. If the visuals are painterly, then the Martial Arts are dancerly, along the same line as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," to which inevitable comparisons must be drawn. The actors are equally beautiful as well, and "Hero, truly a feast for the eyes, could probably be enjoyed in this manner, without any dialog.

Storywise, it is a variation on the familiar "Rashomon" theme of "what is the truth?" The same story is told and re-told, each time moving closer to the purity of truth, and with truth comes enlightenment. This is an intimate tale, a quiet verbal duel between an Emperor, so fearsome and lonely than no human can approach within one hundred paces of him, and a nameless subject, who might just be a true hero. Between them, a story is told of epic engagements, artists and warriors, and what is actually worth fighting and dying for.

I won't spoil too much of the story, as part of "Hero's" strength and insight lies in discovery. That is not to say that it is full of surprises and twist endings, but rather that, like all Buddhist insight, the answer of the movies riddle lies as much in the viewer as in the actors.

rebuttal to JUSTAREADER & Other Naysayers
Western movie studios like to spoonfeed the story to the audience and have an ending that provides closure. Asian movies tend to be more ambigious & leave the conclusion more open-ended to allow the audience to walk away "thinking" about the consequences of the actions of the movie characters.

The wire kung fu is meant to be an expression of the inner turmoils that play within the character's heart and mind. Suspending your belief in reality would have to take place to accept the incredibly artistic fight scenes in this movie or just about every other action movie ever made like Spiderman or ID4. At least enjoy the beautiful camera work and use of colors in this movie instead of thinking about "too many pretentious but self-indulgent thought-to-be poetically beautified scenes".

The "peking opera styled slow talking dialogue" is used effectively in my opinion. JUSTAREADER may not be a fan of this type of dialog but everybody has their own opinion.

Zhang Yimou used the story of the Qin Emperor only as an outlet much like Passions of the Christ. Many will not agree with the portrayal of the Qin Emperor in Hero or the portrayal of Christ in Passions but it made its point.

I agree that the Qin Emperor is not as "benevolent" as Hero suggests but this is a fictional story meant to convey the conflicts of the characters - the sacrifices made for self and country and the eternal question "does the ends justify the means"?

Boring movies don't move the audience and just passes 2 hours of their lives. It's the reaction I get after attempting to watch Dreamcatcher, Road Trip, or Day After Tommorrow.

Great movies provoke a reaction from the audience. This is a great movie with great visuals and cinematography. It got a reaction out of the "love it" and "hate it" camp! It wasn't a simple "love it" or "hate it" review.

Some of the best movies and music are derivatives of others. Example: Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith just borrowed from the blues and garage rock; Hero borrows from Rashomon; the list can go on and on forever. So to call Hero an unoriginal movie is an oxymoron because every movie copies from earlier movies.

Not all westerners are "simple-minded". People who just want simple Kung Fu movie or action movie with no plot will be bored to death and will find the movie "too complicated for westerners." For those of us who want something more than movies like Garfield or Starsky & Hutch will more than likely enjoy Hero.

Must see
This is a truly beautiful film. I own the import version and this film delivers on all scores. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung give outstanding performances as the two lovers Flying Snow and Broken Sword. Jet Li is fantastic as Nameless.
If you love Hong Kong cinema this is a must see

too poetically unfocused, too complicated for the westerners
this is a very dark but also very pretentiously directed and performed swordsmanship movie. the chinese philosophy would put off mucho western viewers, 'cause the values in the orient and what we got in the west are totally different, i.e., the ends justify the means, or the means justify the ends. to not to assassin a tyrant and allow him a great opportunity to conquer all the other small feudal warlords and unify the whole china, in a larger vision, might save more peoples' lives than letting all the warlords killing each other and their subjects year after year....so what's the choice of the way-too-deep philosophic assassin in the last second and to face a doomed consequence? the director has tried too hard to express his own montage philosophy, his own interpretation of what should be done and only by himself in such genre to surpass the crappy oscar winning crouching tiger had achieved only one thing: a somehow and somewhat boring staged show instead of an exciting movie, with too many slow motion scenes, too many wired suspension, too many pretentious but self-indulgent thought-to-be poetically beautified scenes, with a too narrow minded and one-sided chinese philosophy delivered in a peking opera styled slow talking dialogue to grandize the butchering tyrant of all time in ancient china who later became the only role model of the modern time chairman mao, conquered all the warlords and took the advantage of generalismo chiang kai-shek's enduring war against the invading japanese of the world war II, and later the pathetic and horrible cultrual revolution in china, the rude-awakening of the chinese holocaust.
this is somewhat a mediocre and even a quite lousy film made and should not be made by the legendary chang yi-mou. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Leading off the set of four Akira Kurosawa classics is Seven Samurai (1954), unanimously hailed as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of the motion picture. It was the inspiration for countless films modeled after its basic premise, but has never been surpassed in terms of sheer power of emotion, kinetic energy, and dynamic character development. The story is set in the 1600s, when the residents of a small Japanese village seek protection against repeated attacks by a band of marauding thieves and hire seven unemployed "ronin" (masterless samurai), including a boastful swordsman (Toshiro Mifune), who is actually a farmer's son desperately seeking glory and acceptance. The climactic battle remains one of the most breathtaking sequences ever filmed and one of Kurosawa's crowning cinematic achievements.

In another of the many Kurosawa-Mifune collaborations, The Hidden Fortress (1958) tells the story of a warrior and a princess trying against all odds to return to their homeland with their fortune. Along the way, they are simultaneously assisted and thwarted by two itinerant and not-too-bright farmers with their own designs on the treasure. Frequently cited for its thematic influences on Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress combines an epic tale of struggle and honor with modern comic sensibilities.

The partly comic Yojimbo (1961) was inspired by the American Western genre. Mifune plays a drifting samurai for hire who plays both ends against the middle with two warring factions, surviving on his wits and his ability to outrun his own bad luck. Yojimbo is striking for its unorthodox treatment of violence and morality, reserving judgment on the actions of its main character and instead presenting an entertaining tale with humor and much visual excitement. One of the inspirations for the spaghetti Westerns of director Sergio Leone and the 1996 Bruce Willis vehicle Last Man Standing, this film offers insight into a director who influenced American films even as he was influenced by them. The 1963 sequel, Sanjuro, is more lighthearted and less cynical, a rousing adventure with Mifune becoming an unlikely big brother to a troupe of nine naive samurai. It isn't the subtlest of Kurosawa's films, but it's one of his most entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Must-buy for anyone even interested in Kurosawa...
I bought this as a "blind buy" at Best Buy. I had never seen any of the 4 films and had about 100 dollars in my pocket. I had been wanting to see "Seven Samurai" for the longest time but could never find it. I saw that my local Best Buy actually had a few copies and immediately picked it up. I was sure I was going to buy it when someone who worked there asked me if I had seen the box set. So he pointed me to the box set and I bought it without a second thought.

When I put in "Seven Samurai" I had never seen a Kurosawa film and 3 and a half hours later I had a new favorite film and new favorite director. The other three films, "The Hidden Fortress," "Yojimbo," and "Sanjuro" were equally amazing, most notably "Yojimbo." These films were so great that two days after buying it I bought Rashomon. I would recommend this to anyone with 80 dollars lying around and even a slight interest in seeing a Kurosawa film. You will not regret it.

It's no newborn, but it's a bundle of joy!
While I certainly can't fully recommend this set to those who already own most or all of the DVDs included within, I can recommend it to those who don't. And I do so, wholeheartedly. Not only does it look great sitting on a shelf, but the four DVDs inside are all absolute classics (all the DVDs are the exact ones released already, individually, by Criterion). Seven Samurai is, I believe, one of the greatest films ever made (perhaps THE greatest as my Listmania List suggests). Yojimbo is simply excellent as well. It's funny, phenomenally shot, terrifically acted, and contains a brilliant climax. Mifune is the ultimate screen bad @$$ in Yojimbo, and while Sanjuro isn't quite as good, it's a ton of fun just seeing Mifune reprise the role. Then there's The Hidden Fortress, the film that inspired R2-D2 and C-3PO in Star Wars. The Hidden Fortress is a superior film to the original Star Wars with excellent cinematography, adventure, and a tremendous spear battle set piece. This is a wonderful set and well worth every cent, especially if you don't own any of the Criterion releases of these films already. I personally owned all four of them prior to getting this set, and that didn't stop me. Then again, I'm what you call a Kurosawa fanatic so...just pray for me as you buy this set. :-)

Tony the Tiger would say, GRRRREAT!!!!
Awesome films by Kurosawa! It would have been nice if they were all digitally remastered with color added, but you'll have to settle for black & white which isn't too bad.

4 Timeless works of art
Akira Kurosawa usually makes it into the top 5 directors of all time on most people's lists. He set the standard for epic battle scenes and the telling of a great epic story. He is sited by many directors as their greatest influence (including George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg to name a few). Kurosawa was trained in the samurai genre with some of the early great Japanese directors. These 4 samurai films show Kurosawa at the height of perfection. A couple of these stories went on to inspire "The Magnificent Seven" and "Star Wars". With the addition of the recent Tom Cruise flick, where one can clearly see the Kurosawa foundation at work, the samurai genre is still as timeless as "Shakespeare". If we were to continue with the same analogy then Kurosawa would be considered by most to be Shakespeare himself. This DVD set is worth every penny, you will watch these films many times over.

Four classic films
Action movies like Akira Kurosawa's are a rarity. They have stories, and the action revolves around that; there's nothing used for shock, but they manage to hit you in the gut anyway. Each film in this collection of "Samurai Classics" is vivid, compelling, often humorous and stars the fantastic Toshiro Mifune.

"Seven Samurai" is the now-classic tale of an impoverished country village, which is regularly pillaged by bandits. Desperate to protect themselves, the villagers send out some young men to hire samurai to help them. What they get is a ragtag but willing band, led by a weary veteran and including an eager-puppy teen, a seeming nutcase (the predecessor of Captain Jack Sparrow?), and basically anyone who will fight for a square meal.

"Hidden Fortress" was one of the shaping influences on George Lucas's "Star Wars." In it, a general (Toshiro Mifune) and a princess are attempting to sneak across a border. The problem is, they are being helped by a pair of greedy, not-too-bright farmers (Kamatari Fujiawara and Minoru Chiaki), who bumble as often as they assist.

"Yojimbo" was an adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's "Red Harvest," the story of a detective who cleans up a city. This darkly humorous film introduces a wandering samurai-for-hire (Toshiro Mifune again), who stumbles onto a war between two clans. He's smarter than just about everyone else in the film, and so he begins playing both sides, deftly avoiding disaster as he deals with the clan war in his own way.

"Sanjuro" is probably the lightest of all Kurosawa's movies. The scruffy, wily hero of "Yojimbo" (Toshiro Mifune yet again) returns, this time taking nine naive, inept young noblemen under his wing. They have to somehow rescue the Chamberlain, his wife and young daughter from the Superintendent -- assuming that "Sanjuro's" army of nine doesn't botch it all up.

Kurosawa's filmmaking is not flawless. For example, when people are cut down in battle they have a tendency not to bleed (or they bleed too much). However, for form it can't be beaten. Battle scenes have a flash-bang intensity, or the slow, building pressure of duels. There's also early slow-motion effects, as demonstrated in "Seven Samurai" during a one-on-one fight.

Kurosawa was a lover of American cowboy flicks, and at times this shows, especially in the rugged hero of "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro," who acts like a medieval Japanese gunslinger (he even has the piercing eyes for it). But first and foremost, these are stories -- no more and no less. Kurosawa's storytelling ability is laced with drama, humor, and all this without meandering or preaching.

For any rabid cinephile, Kurosawa's films are a must. Epic action movies with plenty of swords, mayhem and grizzled heroes don't come any better than these. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Unanimously hailed as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of the motion picture, Seven Samurai has inspired countless films modeled after its basic premise. But Akira Kurosawa's classic 1954 action drama has never been surpassed in terms of sheer power of emotion, kinetic energy, and dynamic character development. The story is set in the 1600s, when the residents of a small Japanese village are seeking protection against repeated attacks by a band of marauding thieves. Offering mere handfuls of rice as payment, they hire seven unemployed "ronin" (masterless samurai), including a boastful swordsman (Toshiro Mifune) who is actually a farmer's son desperately seeking glory and acceptance. The samurai get acquainted with but remain distant from the villagers, knowing that their assignment may prove to be fatal. The climactic battle with the raiding thieves remains one of the most breathtaking sequences ever filmed. It's poetry in hyperactive motion and one of Kurosawa's crowning cinematic achievements.This is not a film that can be well served by any synopsis; it must be seen to be appreciated (accept nothing less than its complete 203-minute version) and belongs on the short list of any definitive home-video library. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (294)

Epic tale even though it's decades old.
I was simply amazed watching this film at how simple the tale was but at how masterfully crafted and told the story was written. This movie will seriously play upon your emotions and only a cold hearted person, without emotion wouldn't be able to connect to this plot. Compassion, sadness, desperation, love and triumph are all prominent in this film. And the balance between these elemenys is impeccable.

The cinemetography is masterful. There is an intense to detail. Every shot is masterfully done. The atmosphere will pull you right in. The acting is top notch and there absolutely no room for improvement in the script. It's just hard to say something bad about it. Even being a foreign film, Japanese too -[and you know Japanese and Chinese movies have a lot of mythology involved that is hard for us Americans to understand.]- but the plot is truly one that is worth high praise. Seven Samurai is a roller coaster of emotions and it gives an indepth view into the mind and soul of the warrior spirit. Seven Samuari is the best movie I've seen in a long time and definately one of the greatest movies of all time. I'd gladly recommend this movie to anyone. 5 glowing stars. 10 if they were possible.

Few better than this, anywhere
Quite possibly one of the five or six best movies ever made, anywhere. Simple tale of a peasant village forced to hire samurai to defend them from mountain bandits gains incredible gravity and power as it moves along. Film encapsulates so much of the human condition it's hard to tabulate it all: politics, warfare, violence, the human need to persevere in the face of terrible odds, and on and on. All performances are superb: the everyman-ish Takashi Shimura as the eldest samurai bespeaks great heart and intelligence; Toshiro Mifune as wild-eyed Kikujiro is unforgettable and scene-stealing. Final 45 minutes are unbelievably violent and fast-moving even by today's standards, and never let the viewer out of their grip. Has spawned a host of remakes (most notably "The Magnificent Seven"), as has Kurosawa's "Rashomon", but few if any measure up to the power of the original. Original 208m edition is showcased here on DVD in the correct 1.33:1 aspect ratio; beware shorter prints with much of the drama butchered out. Hard to go wrong with this one in your collection.

a classic that inspired many tributes
A reviewer once wrote that the most amazing thing about Seven Samurai is that one-and-a-half hours into the movie, we're still in the character development part, and nobody's even noticed the movie has been running that long already. sure, it's not for everybody, especially for those who grew up with mostly Hollywood commercial fare that last 70-90 minutes. but for even the borderline film enthusiast, the Seven Samurai is a treat. Here, some of Japanese cinema's greats (Kurosawa, Mifune, Takashi Shimura) come together at the perfect time, to do the perfect job. Here, possibly, is the greatest movie of all time, and you are watching it.

the best special feature, the commentary track, is very detailed, in fact at some point, it is annoyingly too detailed! but if you want to know why toshiro mifune's acting was over the top, or where he was born (Manchuria), or why millet seems so low compared to rice, or why the light seems to change during the scene where we first see Kanbei Ishima (the bald, dignified leader of the samurai, here portrayed by Takashi Shimura), then the commentary track is indispensable. I've seen this DVD twice, with commentary on, and with commentary off. It's quite easy for me since I don't understand Japanese anyway, so the dialogue comes to me strictly through subtitles. needless to say, I highly recommend watching it in the manner I described.

there have been many "tributes" to this movie, from the obvious (The Magnificent Seven, The 13th Warrior), to the not so obvious (Disney/Pixar's "Bug's Life"). In all of them, the idea that a band of warriors would come to the rescue of an obscure village for nothing more than a bowl of rice (what, not even meat to go with that?), or in the case of "Bug's Life" nothing more than the chance to finally give a good show, seems ridiculous and unbelievable. As many reviewers have posted, the wretched farmers don't even deserve sympathy. Until you realize (the commentary helps a lot on this) that these samurai agreed to take the job because it gives them a chance to do what they do. They went there because once again, they can prove themselves worthy.

Must be understood to be watched...?
Watching the 'direction' in this movie, and others by this director, is like seeing the first ever 'lace-up' shoe or the first ever internal-combustion engine. You may happen to appreciate that the 'overused' ideas, employed in the film, were used there for the first time; the originality pervading the movie from beginning to end alongside gritty and convincing acting. However, it is still subject to a style of story-delivery that was original 50 years ago - that modern film watchers are jaded with.
To avoid a long spiel: if you hate black and white; if long silent scenes with no music overplay; if obscured scenes and dramatic angles are not your thing, you just won't enjoy this film. No matter how much of a masterpiece it is. Know your limits, people. And stick to Titanic. This film isn't for you. Now go. Leave.

PS: (...)

Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa's heroic tale of honor and duty begins with master samurai Kambei (Takashi Shimura) posing as a monk to save a kidnapped child. Impressed by his bravery, a group of farmers begs him to defend their village from encroaching bandits. Kambei agrees and assembles a group of six other samurai, and together they build a militia with the villagers while the bandits loom nearby. Soon the raids begin, culminating in a bloody battle. ... Read more

Description

Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in this second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. ... Read more

Reviews (314)

Arguably the Best Action Movie of 2002
Wesley Snipes and Kris Kristofferson return to battle the undead in what will probably be the best action movie of 2002. With a whole slew of fight scenes, great costumes, great weapons, great scenes, and great soundtrack music, Blade II rocks.

Blade (Snipes) is enlisted by the Vampires to help destroy a genetic nightmare-being called the Reapers, which even have the Vampires themselves on the run. Assisting Blade is a re-juvinated Whistler (Kristofferson) and the Bloodpack, an elite group of Vampires trained to hunt Blade led by the lovely Leonor Varela and Ron Perlman. Blade is now the leader of the Bloodpack as they must try to defeat the Reapers.

Two hours later, you're going to have to catch your breath outside of the theater. Del Toro's direction is incredible, as you are right in the thick of the action. All the stops are pulled out for this sequel. However, the only drawback is the lack of a solid plot, but you pretty much forget about that after you get taken in my all the action sequences. The computer effects are equally dazzling, and adds to the gore of the film (which is definately a factor).

Everything is just right in "Blade II". The film is casted well, everything is shiny and glossy with a kick-butt attitude towards it. Camera shots and frame rate are queued with perfection, and the fight scenes during the film are what makes this production top-notch. A must see and a definate buy when released.

Claret has never looked better!!
If Guillermo del Toro set out to translate the language of comics to the silver screen, than he more than achieved his goal with the visually astounding Blade II. With the exception of the two returning characters of Whistler and Blade, this 'sequel' couldn't be more removed from the original if it tried. From atmosphere and colour coded lighting to whip crack pace and even more gore, Blade II is relentless in it's attempt to leave you gasping by the time the blood drenched credits roll. Foregoing any real semblance of plot (that would only slow things down after all), the film tends to feel like one long fight scene but it's all executed so impressively that the final impression left is one not unlike riding a rollercoaster. Not a bad thing and an even better thing if that's what the director set out to do. Guillermo himself is unapologetic in his honesty that he was simply intended to fashion a 'kick ...' movie that while different from Stephen Norrington's original, retains the similar style and wit that made the first so special. Acting wise, Blade is a role Wesley Snipes could probably play in his sleep so while he is predictably fantastic in bringing the character to believable life, all eyes settle on newcomer Luke Goss (he of Bros fame) and he doesn't dissapoint as the ruthless (and perhaps somewhat tragic) reaper Gerrad Nomak. From his appearance onscreen, Goss gives a captivating performance, somehow even investing a real humanity in a character that is more animalistic than human and that is testament to Goss' talents. Smartly avoiding overkill in the make up department, it's Goss' physical presence that is the most unsettling aspect of the villian. With two such formidable actors grounding the insanity that ensures in it's running run, the film is left to throw body parts up at the screen haphazardly. That it is crafted all so professionally allows you to simply be whisked away for the horrific ride. While not as acomplished as the first, Blade II remains startling good viewing. All action genres are pandered to, the horror fans get what they are after and when all is said and done, some might find themselves surprised how addictive the film continues to be, requesting if not demanding repeated viewings. A great horror and action film that deserves more of an accolade than simply 'sequel' and more a title in it's own right.

BEST MOVIE EVER
After the first installment in the Blade series, I was really looking forward to the sequel - and I wasn't dissapointed. This far surpasses Blade and just hightens the suspense for Blade: Trinity (out Dec 10). Wesley Snipes is his usual great self in a fast-paced, suspense action movie. Kris Kristofferson is brilliant as Whistler once again (as are the rest of the cast). If you liked the first then you will definetly like this - and hopefully like me you cant wait for Blade: Trinity !

Blade I Retains M. Wolfman Touch....
....Blade II does not.

What's the Marv Wolfman Touch you may ask. Wolfman and Gene Colan of course was the original Marvel comics team which created Blade from a subplot in their most popular horror comic Tomb of Dracula in the 1970s. Those dudes pretty much knew they were creating comic books stories and never, never took themselves 100% too seriously.

Blade II loses the light touch--as much as fables of vampirous goings on could indeed have a light touch--and goes for the jugular, pun intended. I found myself wishing for one of those campy, talky Vincent Price death scenes since most of the creatures here explode in a special effects blast into dust and immediately into oblivion type of thing when killed. The crew of offending vampires creepily open the flesh on their cheek, jaws and upper neck to--bite yer neck and suck yer blaad! Yeesh! And Snipes smiles sadistiaclly thru-out the entire thing. It was a chore to look at it 'cuz it is busy, so many of those vamp things disintergate and no one is having that much fun. I'll watch a video featuring Sesame Street's Count any day insteada this mess.

Pulse-Pounding!!!!
When the world is threatned by a new and deadlier breed of super vampire the legendary Blade and his mentor Whistler must join forces with the Bloodpack, an elite team of vampire warriors made up of his sworn enemies. In order to stop the carnage these ravenous fiends must be destroyed at all costs. In this high-voltage adventure, exploding with spectular effects and martial arts action. The electrifying Snipes reprises his role from the original cult classic Blade. I thought this was a hell of alot better than the original. I thought the sequel had a better plot, great acting, excellent fight scenes, and nonstop action. If you liked the original, you'll love the sequel. I loved the sequel, alot more than I liked the original. ENJOY!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (135)

A rich experience worth viewing over and over again
This is a magnificent movie. It is visually beautiful - the colors and the way the shots are framed are stunning. The visuals are controlled in ways that add to the poetic power of the story. I do not speak Japanese, but the sound of the language combined with the musical score also adds to the intensity of this movie. The subtitles are good, but I am sure that those who understand Japanese get even more from this story.

This is not a film of Shakespeare's "King Lear". Rather, it is an adaptation and is based on the underlying themes of the play. It is not important for me to list the differences between the play and the movie, it is just important that a first time viewer not expect the Shakespearian story. If you know the play you will recognize aspects of the movie and enjoy the ways in which Kurosawa adapted the story to his own and Japanese sensibilities. It may nod to Shakespeare, but Kurosawa makes this his story.

The costumes, music, and acting are superlative. For me, the trademark Kurosawa battle scenes are more wonderful here than usual. This is a masterpiece by a filmmaking virtuoso who is also a sensitive enough artist to make a spectacular movie that is also poetic, humorous and heart breaking, tender and brutal as well images that are beautiful and others that are hideous.

This isn't light viewing or mind candy, but it has so much to offer that it is worth watching and learning from over and over again.

The Greatest Adaptation of Shakespeare to Film
"Ran" (Chaos) is the greatest cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare and a masterpiece in its own right. In adapting the broad scenario of "King Lear" to a setting in Sixteenth Century Japan, Akira Kurosawa felt free to manipulate it to his own purposes, leading to a film that is perhaps even more bleak than the play.

First and foremost "Ran" is a visually stunning film, unencumbered by the received tradition of Shakespearean language, which never translates well onto the cinema screen, he has allowed the scenario to develop into images that are beautiful and horrific. Filmed on the slopes of Mount Fuji there is a sense of unreality, or nightmare about the whole epic, as though it is taking place in a mythic space, at once recognisable and alien. For a director best known for his black and white movies ("Seven Samurai", "Rashomon"), Kurosawa surprisingly uses color to breathtaking virtuoso effect. The scenes of soldiers flooding in waves across the volcanic wasteland of Mount Fuji carrying vivid blue, red or yellow flags are amongst the most extraordinary ever filmed. The battle scenes shock and astonish, not least because Kurosawa's use of sound is so exquisite and original; many of the most horrendous images of battle are shown without sound effects with only an elegiac musical accompaniment. Far from sanitising them, the effect is to shock you out of the viewing habits formed watching so many other "war" movies.

Yet "Ran" is so much more than a broad epic, or war movie. The more intimate scenes are carried off with understated conviction, the sly hypocrisy hidden behind formality and convention is conveyed in highly poised and stylised interior shots. This film can be both visceral (prepare yourself for the beheading of Lady Kaede: as visually explosive as anything by Tarantino, and set within a film that is more than mere surface) and restrained, depending on the nature of the scene. There are moments of quiet and tenderness that resonate long after the film had ended.

It is odd that so few successful films have been made from Shakespeare. The pre-eminent playwright of the western canon has translated beautifully into opera and stage directors can continually find fresh things to say about the plays themselves, yet in general film had been hopelessly incapable of doing anything of note with Shakespeare. Think of the ghastly declamatory rhetoric of Laurence Olivier in "Henry V", or the inane pop video that Baz Lurmann made from "Romeo and Juliet", not to mention Kenneth Brannagh's tediously self-important "Hamlet". Somehow Kurosawa succeeds where all these others fail. His earlier "Throne of Blood" was a beautifully realised adaptation of "Macbeth" to the Samurai period in Japan: "Ran" builds on that achievement and surpasses it. Perhaps the fact that Kurosawa was Japanese allowed him more creative license to work with Shakespeare, able to approach it simply as valid material for film making, and not as the shibboleth that it is to western artists.

In Ran we have the late masterpiece of one of the greatest and most important film makers. It is a distilled and precise work, powerful, visceral, contemplative, epic and intimate. In short this is film making on a par with the greatest art. Ran shows us what mainstream film making can achieve, but so rarely does.

WHO WILL ENJOY THIS SENSATIONAL MASTERPIECE:
People who care about grandiloquent visuals yet a controlled palette accentuated by the immemorable use of sound -- or, in one major battle scene, the absence of the sounds of the battle, the horrors of war somehow magnified by the silent screams and the unheard bullets, only the quietly mournful dissonance of the haunting background score to be heard.

Castle gates close with resounding, hollow booms, shutting people out, shutting people in. A crescendo of cicadas. And the final anguished shriek of a flute lending a much more effective voice to the great tragedy that has been played out than closing words might have done.

If you're expecting flaming Gladiator-type fight scenes or Samurai action, you may be disappointed. That said, the battle scenes are magnum opus if you know how to appreciate visual splendor. The screenplay may be relaxed overall, sure, it takes a while to unfold a tale of filial destruction ("King Lear" adaptation) but when the forts crumble and arrows fly asunder, the pace of the film is unbridled.

Whether you're a film philistine or a major Kurosawa buff or simply someone who relishes tastefully done cinema, this is absolutely worth the ride. I highly recommend this as a rental, but the discerning types may also want to add it to their collections. It's among Kurosawa's best.

Not as good as all you people are making it out to be
This movie is terrible. I bought it expecting a good action epic with lots of battles and sword fights. There are no battles there are 2 massacres where all that happens is "samurai" with guns? shoot each other and women. samurai dont have guns. The story was good but they ruined it with 2 hours and 30 mins of talking on and on about the same topic over and over, yak yak yak. There is no drama the characters dont develope except for the old guy who just walks around starring and goes crazy. The perfomances are the same in everyone, yelling even when there happy, and they all sound the same even the women. No action, no drama, nothing except talk and fake blood from the stupid shooting, not swords, guns, What? Very bad movie, I was dissapointed, greatly. I would give 0 stars but they dont let me.

William Akira Shakespeare Kurosawa
This film is undeniable the most notable adaptation of any work of William Shakespeare to the movie. The insights in every detail, the superb cast, the overwheelming photography, the camera's handle makes us inevitably to remind that happy sentence of Orson Welles who said once:
"One film is really extraordinary , when the camera is an eye in the mind of a poet".
Casually this film is made in 1985, the same year of Welles'death.
Kurosawa was a truly master. Once upon a time a critical compared to Kenji Mizoguchi with Bach. If this methaphor is assumed valid, then Kurosawa would have his musical image in Ludwig van Beethoven.
The amazing scene of the castle in flames, with a remarkable red that invites us to reflect about the human condition, his hunger for power, the horror generated by that unthirsty ambition. The multiple readings that concern with the violence and the passion carrying the devasting facts that appear all along this film.
The opening sequences in which the three brothers are together with their father is filmed with such kind of perfection that I wouldn't wonder to know that this an obligated reference for all those students of direction. In this sense, this multiple exchange of points of view reveal us without affections of any kind,the essencial nature of the human being inmersed in the purest spirit shakesperian.
Kurosawa, like the great giants of th cinema handles the camera like Gods, includes the color and the nature's elements like adittional actors (Dreams). Just remember that Akira was the first filma maker who dared film against the sun in that glorius film Rashoman from 1950. His achievements all along his brilliant career are too many and certainly, would be beyond the reach of this shorts analysis.
This is one of these gems that you must see over and over, just when you admire this eternal masterpiece.
To be true the others Shakespeare's versions that deseve to be carried to the desert island would be in my opinion Titus 2000 (Julie Taymor), Othelo 1953 (Welles) , Richard III 1955 (Olivier), and Throne of blood 1957(Kurosawa).
But this movie is just several steps ahead all the titles above mentioned. ... Read more

Description

In his late color masterpiece Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) director Akira Kurosawa returned to the samurai film and to a primary theme of his celebrated career—the play between illusion and reality. Sumptuously reconstructing the splendor of feudal Japan and pageantry of war, Kurosawa creates a soaring historical epic that is also a somber meditation on the nature of power. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Kagemusha for the first time in its full-length version. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Fine precursor to the classic "Ran"
Just before "Ran," Kurosawa got American funding for this movie about a "shadow warrior" who was assigned to impersonate Takeda Shingen should he die. This was to keep the Takeda clan's border secure and prevent enemies (of which Takeda had many) from invading. It is a wonderful film, and has two very strong points: the visuals, and the characters.

The strong visuals should be obvious - an Akira Kurosawa film with no strong visuals is like a Monet painting with poor use of color. The battle scenes are stunning and seem to come out of a nightmare, with rifleman shooting down on soldiers with a bright light flashing behind them. The colored armor of Takeda's men were also nicely picked and, as Kurosawa would later do with "Ran", give their presense a hauntingly beautiful yet horrifying tone. The final scene at the Battle of Nagashino (which was wrongfully nitpicked in Stephen Turnbull's Osprey book of the battle) chooses to show us only the aftermath of the battle, with shots of cavalry charging to the gunners and then cutting to the horrified expressions of those who watch the unfolding massacre of Japan's greatest army. The shot of the fields of dead is some thing that could only have come out of the nightmare of war.

I think the strongest part of the film, though, were the characters. The film has a slew of fascinating characters, from Takeda's generals (each with their own personality) right down to the rifleman who shot Takeda. Even the spies from Oda and Tokugawa interact and talk like real people, and I can't think of any one in this film I easily forget. I especially liked Oda Nobunaga, and I think this film has the best portrayal I've ever seen of him. He can be seen walking out with his army and stopping briefly to listen to a Christian priest give a prayer. There is another part where he rides around on an Arab horse, followed by a scene where he offers Tokugawa Ieyasu a glass of Western wine (poor Tokugawa chokes on it!).

The best character is, of course, the shadow warrior himself. The actor did a wonderful job of playing Takeda and the imposter, and even though being a common thief that nearly quits his job in the beginning, you find yourself growing to like him. The scene where he confesses to the concubines he is an imposter, knowing they'll take it as a joke, and then winks at a general was hilarious! Also, notice in the scene where a retainer describes to Takeda's nephew what the meaning of the clan flag is...the imposter is listening just as intently as the boy is! He also comes out strong in the second-to-last battle sequence, where he watches as men fight and die for a man they strongly admire. The final Kurosawa metaphor at the end (which I won't describe because its a serious spoiler) also gives the whole point of the story. The man tried to undertake a role that was perhaps too big for him, a role only one man could really play.

Overall, I was very impressed with this movie, and I would definately recommend it as viewing for those fans of the master of film himself. I hope soon a DVD will be released of it and I will be able to add it to my growing Akira Kurosawa DVD set. In the meantime, I happily own a video copy for viewing.

The shadow warrior
Kagemusha is another entry in Kurosawa's decades-long string of Samurai movies and is replet with rank-n-file anti-war themes: empires are fleeting, stubborn pride proves costly, and human life is cheap. Although not without its problems in pacing and stiffness, it is better than some of his more famous films, though no where near as good as Ran. The plot: The warlord Shingen is mortally wounded whilst besieging a fortress. His dying wish is that his dynasty continue. This is accomplished by using an impersonator, Kagemusha (Tatsuya Nakadai), who is a thief with humble ancestry. Kagemusha serves as Shingen's stand-in for three years, improving morale and even helping to win battles. The most impressive feature in Kagemush is the photography along with the splendid costumes. Indeed, outstanding cinematography and convincing sets are a familiar hallmark for Kurosawa. While one can hardly fault the films character development, for a war film, the pace is slow -- very slooow. Kagemusha was an expensive film by Japanese standards, and Kurosawa had alienated himself from Japanese studios with his cutting comments about their uncompromising attitude towards fimmaking. So unfortunatley (and ironically), he turned to the crass commerical master himself, George Lucas (as well as Francis Ford Coppola). Both are credited as executive producers for the "international" version of Kagemusha. Kagemusha was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Art Direction.

Better than Ran
Comparing Kagemusha with Ran is a thread that runs through many of the reviews. Both are dramas centered around warlords during Japan's feudal era, and were directed by Kurosawa late in his career. Both films are visually stunning, but there are differences in how the stories are presented. Ran seems affected by its self-conscious adaptation of King Lear, and has a more theatrical (and less cinematic) feel about it. The acting is very stylized, as if in adapting Shakespeare's play Kurosawa also wanted to reaffirm the Japanese qualities through similarities to traditional ritualistic Noh dramas.

The story of Kagemusha seems more of a natural portrayal in comparison. The loyalty of the thief to the warlord is perhaps a quintessentially Japanese story, and is beautifully evoked in many small scenes throughout the film. It is the battle scenes which are highly stylized in this film, as they serve to illustrate the changing fortunes of the clans, and are not centerpieces. They are a part of the amazing beauty of the film's images. One of my favorite images of all the films I have seen is that of the warlord's unhappy son plotting in a traditional room, while in the background we can see the blue of a lake being whipped up by a storm.

Some people will prefer Ran, and others will like best Kurosawa's earlier and more earthy films, such as Yojimbo. They are all wonderful, but for myself Kagemusha is his crowning achievement.

Great movie
I actually prefer Kagemusha to Ran. My Japanese language University teacher used to gripe that Kurosawa represented a "western" style of cinema, as opposed to Ozu, for instance. Ran is basically King Lear set in medieval Japan, whereas Kagemusha is more original in many ways, and less anachronistic. The themes of the Kagemusha's futile fight aganst destiny and his doppelganger-like identification with Shingen are also magnificently played. Finally, the very Japanese emphasis on passive control (Shingen's strategy is always to act as an umovable mountain on which to shatter his enemies) resonates in interesting ways.

I Want My DVD!!!!!!!
Why, oh why, is Kagemusha not available on DVD? I have seen probably a dozen of Kurosawa's movies, and Kagemusha is my favorite of them all. For the wonderful cinematography and score alone, it is deserving of a better format than VHS. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

bizarre metaphor for family life
wow. this movie really got to me. the first scene in the film establishes the depths of immoral and distastefulness that follows. opening with an intense scene where a man makes love to a young prostitute, then finding out who the prostitute is really strikes a nerve in you. the plot follows with almost no sense and no taste but presented with great acting and great direction. it's basically revolves around a family that each member has their own sick and twisted problems. normally in any other hollywood/american film you'd encounter only one of these problems [or some problems not at all] but all wrapped up together brings it together to produce a very interesting family. a visitor [i'm assuming 'visitor q'] enters into the situation. although i felt his actions weren't as impactful and uplifting as it should've been he still brought the whole family together in a well... less than wholesome way. with his violent and bizarre and intimate solutions, he teaches the lesson that "families should stick together under any circumstance". and trust me, some circumstances are incredibly messed up. this movie is one of those movies where you'll find yourself saying after many scenes "wow, i didn't think i'd ever see something like that in a movie" but then you'll be found laughing over it. it is disturbing, but really if you're like me and you watch a lot of these over-the-top movies it'll still shock you but not in a 'irreversible-rape-scene' kind of way.

great flick, way more enjoyable and stimulating than 'happiness of the kitakuris'. takashi miike is awesome.

The horrors of family dysfunction
When the outside world fails us, whether it's dealing with a crap job day after day or a love life that goes nowhere or rejection in various forms we often turn to our family. For many of us the family is a safety nest, a sanctuary of saneness where we can escape the pressures of every day life. That's why films dealing with the disintegration of the family unit have been so shocking and unfathomable to me. What happens when even our family nest is destroyed and all that we thought was dear is shattered to pieces? I have seen some pretty disturbing cinematic examples in the past, most notably "Cutting Moments" and "Combat Shock" that had me asking the question what if, could this ever happen to me and my family? Takashi Miike takes the concept of family dysfunction to new extremes with Visitor Q.

Visitor Q examines a Japanese family with more problems than you could shake a stick at. The movie opens up with a young prostitute and a middle-aged man engaging in intercourse in front of a home-video camera. Throughout the act, the man keeps expressing remorse and doubt about what he is doing. Remorse for what, cheating on his wife? Nope, turns out the prostitute is actually his daughter. After this disturbing act that lasts not long, the lady taunts her own father with cries of "early bird!" and charges him 100 000Yen for the act, way more then he can afford. No problem, the girl says just give the rest of the sum to mom once you have it. Incest is the first of many atrocious acts committed by this family. Throughout the course of the movie the viewer is submitted to various scenes of necrophilia and domestic violence. Most bizarre is the young teenaged boy who continuously whips and beats up his mom, a crack addict and herself a prostitute. Mom doesn't seem to mind too much though and even encourages the boy to beat her up even harder as long as it's not on her face.

Visitor Q has a cheap Snuff-film kind of look to it and I wouldn't be surprised if Miike had filmed this with an 8mm camera, it certainly looks that way. If Miike's sole intent with Visitor Q was to shock the viewer with as many outlandish images as possible than this can be considered a success. However, I found this film to be quite lacking on an emotional level. The family and their disturbing actions are presented in such a hollow way that the viewer doesn't even feel any sympathy towards them. The family members themselves seem to be quite satisfied with their current lifestyles. There is only one exception in the form of a scene where the young woman who works as a prostitute sits on her bed in her room and holds a stuffed animal in her hands. There is a glimmer in her eyes that suggests that better days used to exist for her. It would have been nice to see fragments of the family's past so that we could answer the following questions: Has this family always been this screwed up? If not then what led them to become this way? What is the purpose of them holding a video camera and wanting to tape all of their atrocities? Miike never bothers offering any answers.

Visitor Q works well as long as it's taken strictly for what it is intended to be: a piece of exploitation filmmaking. It doesn't challenge on any emotional level the way Audition does, it's just a forum to throw as many shocking scenes in the viewer's way. Or is it perhaps meant as a social commentary on the ever-increasing absurdities of reality TV? Or a portrait of the changing dynamics of a Japanese society that has over the last couple of decades increasingly become attuned to the ways of the American models of entertainment and capitalism? It's open to our own interpretation but one thing's for sure, Miike never fails to shock or to challenge.

Takashi Miike AT HIS WORST
This movie was Garbage...I though Vistor Q was going to be great but instead I got garbage...Its stupid and yet disturbing...Trash....

Very bad...THis movies plot was just as stupid as the film...DO NOT GET THIS FILM!!!

-0000000/5 stars

The Worst movie I've ever seen
I must say, Takashi Miike; the director of this film is a very disturbed individual. I feel like this was made only to shock and disgust people. other than that, there's absolutely nothing to it. From a Japanese female point of view, I was very offended and disgusted by the story. This film is SICK - I would not recommend it.

jap cult classic
Beginning scene OK but annoying. First hour, not that impressed. Then, the last 45 minutes is F***in crasy. The director seems to put necrophilia, rape, murder, drug use, incest, and lactation all in the grand finale. This is a must have for Jap Cult Classic collectors if for anything, to watch people look at you funny, when you tell them about this Import movie you saw. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This unpretentious, endearing film is a modest triumph. Based on interviews with more than 500 people about the one memory they would choose to take with them to heaven, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda has modeled a unique blend of documentary and fiction that addresses the vagaries of memory but also what it means to make films. After Life transpires in a sort of way station where the dead must select one memory to be re-created on film and taken on with them forever, relinquishing everything else. Over the span of a week, a dedicated group of caseworkers tease out self-deceptions as well as real epiphanies from 22 different lives. An old woman remembers reuniting with her husband on a crowded bridge after World War II; a man recollects the breeze felt on a tram ride the day before summer vacation; a successful man faces his own treachery. Remembering becomes a courageous act in the casual exposition of this lovely film. --Fionn Meade ... Read more

Reviews (45)

You don't know about life--how can you ask about death?
A masterfully humorous, compassionate, quiet and moving film by a Japanese director whose work has primarily been in documentaries. The premise is strange but thought-provoking: after death, you have to choose one memory to take with you into eternity; everything else will be forgotten. In a brilliant series of cuts the staff at a run-down, out-of-the-way establishment explain this to the weekly intake of their "clients"--people who have just died. They have three days to decide; then the staff, with summer-camp-like enthusiasm, stages tiny films that recreate the memories. On the last day of the week the films are shown, and the clients vanish, one by one, as they relive the memories that are projected.

Kore-Eda worked with actors and scripts, actors telling the camera their own memories, and non-professionals; the marvellous cast mixes all three and it's impossible to tell which is which. A young girl wants to relive Splash Mountain, only to reconsider after a worker gently tells her that thirty others had made the same choice that year. A boastful roue explains that the memory of course has to be of sex--and then chooses something quite different. An old woman remembers dancing for her older brother's friends in a red dress, and shyly coaches the little girl who will play her in the memory film. And a seventy-year-old salaryman can find nothing worth remembering, so videotapes of his life are requisitioned--touching off what plot there is.

There are no flashbacks and little overt drama, but as the clients look back at their lives the staff are drawn in, and the viewers, too, can't help but wonder what memory would be worth living with for ever. What glows from the placid surface of this extraordinary film is the wonder and mystery of everyday things, the tenuous but rich beauty of merely living. "After Life"-- the Japanese title is "Wonderful Life"--is only ostensibly about death; no film of recent years has been more life affirming.

Witty but suffers from tedious pace
Pick one memory from your entire life, and spend eternity reliving it over and over...it's the sublimely simple idea that forms both the solid foundation and quiet joys of After Life, Hirokazu Kore-eda's thoughtful meditation on spirituality, humanity, and the changing nature of both. Although the action of After Life is set in an otherworldly processing center for the souls of the recently deceased, the film is actually a gentle introspective journey for each and every viewer. Watching Hirokazu's beautifully austere work, one can only ruminate on one's own life, asking the questions the persons are asking on screen. What is your most treasured memory? Has your life had meaning? Will you be remembered, or did your life pass by without the world's notice? The cast, made up of professional and novice actors, is one of the film's greatest joys. Many of the non-actors, in fact, used their actual lives and memories in coming up with their unscripted, improvised answers to the questions. Especially memorable are an almost silent old lady who collects pretty things from the garden, the little girl who chooses Disneyland as her best memory and then changes her mind, and Iseya, a street tough who refuses to choose any memory at all. Unfortunately, despite a sometimes witty script and solid premise, After Life suffers from a tediously dull pace. As the film continues on, it becomes a series of notable moments. Further on, the moments come further apart, until finally the idea has played itself out. The ending drags on with an unnecessary after-thought that adds a spirit-killing half hour to the running time. It's a shame that such an admirable effort bogs down into a disappointing, meandering whole.

It's a wonderful life
The Japanese title of this film is "Wonderful Life," and wonderful it is.

Kore-Eda uses the premise of choosing one memory for all eternity as a compelling way to explore themes of memory, closure, loss and existential meaning. The film starts out with interesting stories of unique memories recounted by actors and non-actors. A small plot develops as the story follows the case of an older, slightly arrogant retired salaryman who believes he lived a meaningful life but is having a hard time choosing his one memory. Keep in mind that people who hated this film probably prefer plot-driven dramas. "After Life" is driven by quiet observations, with a small plot driving the film's main statement.

The thing that impressed me the most was Kore-eda's representation of heaven or the after life. Kore-eda's heaven evokes and celebrates so many aspects of Japanese daily life -- the school life of children, the driving productivity of salarymen, and the quiet, contented simplicity of the elderly population. The staff of counselors at this halfway-house to eternity scrub the floors and tidy up their office first thing in the morning the way my Japanese mother remembers doing at her school in 1950s Tokyo. Like salarymen, they discuss their increasingly heavy case load and the film follows the tense timeline of their one-week deadline to recreate and film the memories. The film also captures the beauty of falling autumn leaves and sakura (cherry blossoms) through the eyes of an elderly woman with Alzheimers.

There is no idealism in Kore-eda's heaven. The staff's building looks like an old, run-down school house and the props they use to film their staged memories have a summer camp, high school production feel to it. Some of the dead change their minds about their memories, and one chooses not to pick at all. The staff is also faced with a corporate schedule and mom-and-pop resources, but things eventually fall into palce.

Oddly enough, in Kore-Eda's heaven, there is no closure. The counselors who run the place have chosen for various reasons to not pick one memory for all eternity, and they must continue on with the daily frustrations of being human. People still experience unrequited love and loneliness in heaven. Counselors pass time by reading the encyclopedia volume by volume. There seems to be little solace, except in the closure one makes for oneself by finally choosing a memory.

Kore-eda's film doesn't make any striking or profound statements about existential meaning, God or eternity. In fact, there are no evocations of God or a higher power. By singling out one memory (true or fabricated), the film almost suggests that the experience of living is really just "content" for us to draw from in deciding what the meaning of our existence has been in the end. The film benignly suggests that meaning doesn't seem to exist in its own right, it's something illusory that people create. We aren't faulted for needing illusions, it just seems to be an accepted part of our humanity.

For such a quiet film to make such compelling and powerful observations, I give it 5 stars.

One Memory
_After Life_ was one of my numerous unopened DVDs that sat upon my one of my shelves untouched by human hands but caressed by a large amount of dust. Bored, I finally decided to view it today and I was not disappointed. The plot of the film is quite simple: Individuals who have recently passed away are asked by an after life bureaucratic bureau to select one incident from their lives to take along with them to the next world as the only thing that they will remember. However, instead of taking their memories along with them in their brains, a short film is made instead.

If one is looking for a film with even a modicrum of action, this is not the film. For the most part this film has the feel of a documentary which, in a way, it actually is. 500 people were asked to relate what memory they would like to take to the next world, and the result is this film. In fact some of the "actors" in this film are not actors at all, but individuals expressing their favorites memories which includes an old man telling of when he was given water and rice by US soldiers, an old woman's memory of the dresses her older brother purchased her, and a young girl remembering how her mother cleaned her ears. There are also other individuals who feel as if they do not have any good memories so they have to search through their lives to find a spark of goodness.

A great film that not only touches on what is important to various human beings, but on how memory and fiction mingle.

...ponder your own existence while breathing.
After Life is a thought provoking film that depicts 22 individuals who have been sent to a place between the living and the hereafter. This place functions as a reflective and meditative station where three counselors are to guide the 22 characters through questions to remember their most enjoyable moment while alive. However, there is one stipulation to this task for each individual, which limits their contemplation of their memories to three days. The following step for the three counselors is to recreate the memory of each individual through shooting a film that resembles their fond memory. After Life is shot with a grainy texture and the cinematography reminds the audience of the spontaneous camera movement of documentary styled films. This is a part of Koreeda's deliberate direction as he wants to depict his brilliant vision and persuade the audience to ponder their own existence while breathing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the best films of 1994, To Live is a bold, energetic masterpiece from Zhang Yimou, the foremost director from China's influential "fifth generation" of filmmakers. Continuing his brilliant collaboration with China's best-known actress Gong Li (their previous films include Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern), Zhang weaves an ambitious tapestry of personal and political events, following the struggles of an impoverished husband and wife (Ge You, Gong Li) from their heyday in the 1940s to the hardships that accompanied the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. They raise two children amidst a Communist regime, surviving numerous setbacks and yet managing, somehow, to live. Both intimate and epic, Zhang's film encompasses the simplest and most profound realities of Chinese life during this controversial period, and for their honesty, Zhang and Gong Li faced a two-year ban on future collaborations. To Live is a testament to their art, transcending politics to celebrate the tenacity of ordinary people in the wake of turbulent history. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (68)

A Stirring, Emotional Portrayl of Bitter Times in China
"To Live" was the first Asian film I saw and awed me tremendously. The film is truly a piece of cinematic art. Its acting is supurb - of all the Zhang Yimou films I have seen (four or five) this is the best acted. Gong Li and You Ge give fabulous performances, with excellent body language and characterization.

The story, like Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine" (also a portrayl of Chinese history, with more emphasis on the people than the history), follows people through the Communist Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution, all highly influential events in Modern Chinese history. (If you are unfamiliar with these events, the first is when the Communists took over China; the GLF is when the country tried to increase production through very extreme measures and failed horribly; the Cultural Revolution was an entire social reorganization aimed to stir up the passions of the people and to weed out Capitalists.)

Anyhoo, the people are Jiazhen (Gong Li) and Fugui (You Ge), husband and wife. In the beginning, Fugui bets away his entire family fortune, which eventually saves them from being labelled Capitalists by the Communists. More events transpire - including two tragic deaths that could have destroyed Jiazhen and Fugui's family for good - until finally thirty years of revolution and tragedy bring them to the 1970's.

In addition to the beauty of the film, the soundtrack by Zhao Jiping is incredible, and almost makes me cry from its sheer power.

This film is truly a winner!

An illustration of a will to live/survive
To Live takes place mid century in China just after the second world war. The story line follows the Xu family and the hardships that befalls them.

It illustrates to what lengths people had to adapt and convert to in order to survive under Communist rule (especially during the cultural revolution). Old friends and even family had to form divisive lines between themselves in order to save themselves from possible prosecution.

The acting and the interactions of the three main protagonists Li Gong, You Ge and Deng Fei are masterful and stirring. To Live is as good a film representing that time period as any other. Definitely on the same plateau as Farewell My Concubine

Stunning; poignant
I have shown this film to my English students after having read Dai Sijie's book, BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS, because of the portrayal of communism and the effects of the Chinese "cultural revolution". While it at first appears to be loaded with communist propoganda, it becomes apparent by the end of the film that it is an outspoken criticism of Mao and this harsh period of recent Chinese history.

Aside from the political overtones, this is also a masterful study of overcoming loss and adversity that transcends cultural or political boundaries. While my students almost invariably complain about the subtitles at the beginning of the showing, by the end, they have been completely drawn in, and are laughing and crying on cue. If this isn't the true test of a great flick, I don't know what is.

A masterpiece, and one that everyone should see.

Disappointment
This film completely butchers, rearranges, and rewerites an incredibly moving novel. I suggest that you read the book first.

6 Stars +
To Live is a masterful project and deserves the best praises for foreign cinema. It touches every emotion possible in its depiction of one family's faults and successes; life as it might have been in the midst of political chaos. To Live maps the losses and gains of Fugui and Jiazhen--an average young couple moving through China. It's difficult to discuss the turns and movement without spoiling the movie. However, I will say the couple we encounter in the 1940s and end with in the 1960s is triumphant and tells a story never to be forgotten. Highly Recommended!!!!!! ... Read more

Description

It's the battle everyone's been DYING to see! Teenagers find themselves caught in the middle of a battle between two legendary boogeymen: Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Who will win in the bloodiest and goriest showdown in history? ... Read more

Reviews (540)

"Welcome to my Nightmare"
Freddy Vs. Jason started out on a fairly ok note. It brought back that old 80s horror movie feeling. The setup of Jason and Freddy fighting each other is very clever and an imaginitive idea. The acting is well-delivered from some of the actors, but there are lots of flaws in this movie: 1. It is not horror! It is simply not suspenseful, only includes a few genuinely scary moments, and focuses WAY too much on blood and gore instead of thrills and chills. 2. It is a self-parody, instead of a truly original piece of work. The movie is obviously supposed to spoof Freddy and Jason's routes, but couldn't they have thought of more original ways to do it? 3. Typical characters, with not a whole lot of psychological depth. When I watch a movie, any kind of movie, I like to be intrigued with the characters because of their psychological depth and their problems in life, their ups and downs. But, from what I recall, these characters are basically derived from the old 80s slasher movies. 4. The reslotion could've been a little bit more shocking and mysterious. 5. Unbelievable. A movie is only scary when it's believable, and this is just way too over-the top.
All in all, this movie is somewhat entertaining, and it is what I expected: A silly self-parody action film, instead of what it should be: A true horror classic. If you want horror, I suggest you see the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" (still ubelievable, and too gory, but much scarier) or "Friday the Thirteenth" (Which is somewhat scary), or even "Scream" (A clever self-parody that mixes comedy and genuinely scary moments) or "The Silence of the Lambs" (Terrifying and haunting). The list of smart horror movies goes on, and this movie, in my own personal opinion, is not an addition to that list. The fact that this ridiculous movie could be made and brought to screen and actually praised by so many should be saddening to me, since I am a young movie-maker. But, it's not. It's inspiring. If THIS can be praised, then the movie I'm making should be praised! If THIS could be made, there are a lot of things that could be made. Still, don't get your hopes up, filmakers out there. It's not as easy as it may seem.

CLASH OF THE TERROR TITANS!!!
It was inevitable. Two of the biggest horror icons of our time finally meet in a terrifying clash that will satisfy fans of both title characters. In this modern Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man, Freddy is trapped in hell, his once fearsome name all but forgotten c