Criterion Channel Part 3

Today was sunny and mild, as we begin to dry out from all the rain of late.  We finally got into the yard and picked up all of the fallen tree branches from the autumn and winter wind storms.  We also got the lawn tractor up and running, though it needs an oil change asap.  Deb also roasted a batch of Mexican coffee beans.  

As I await a book from Amazon, my next read by J. G. Ballard, I picked off a book from my regular shelf and am just finishing up T. H. White's "The Book Of Merlyn," which is part 5 of his "Once and Future King."  I also have one essay remaining from my Bruegel download, about the exhibit we attended in Vienna last December.

It was my turn to choose a film from the Criterion Channel tonight.  I choose a 1964 Japanese Samurai film called "The Assassin."  Directed by Masahiro Shinoda, it is also known as "The Assassination.  It has a lengthy running time of 144 minutes, and was filmed in b & w wide screen format.

The music is by Toru Takemitsu, and is perfect in every way.  The cinematography is among the best I've seen, and includes a strange use of the camera in the final scenes.  The storytelling is bizarre, and could be off-putting to some viewers.  The story is told in something like jigsaw puzzle fashion, and we never get a clear picture of the main hero, or where he is heading or what he believes.  Hachiro Kiyokawa is a master swordsman, a born leader, and a good planner.  But his schemes ricochet too much for many of his close followers, who rightly wish to know what exactly he is doing.  Does Hachiro even know himself?  He seems to be an opportunist whose motives change with the wind.

 One of the beautiful interior scenes.  

 One of the incredible outdoor scenes. 

The camera work and the music are so wonderful that it is difficult to even get caught up in the plot.  I was happy just watching the next scene roll by.  This is a film that is worth watching several times.  Unfortunately, at the moment, we have a complicated set up that works, but we can't watch it on the desktop.  Still, we are watching it on our wide screen TV, and the movies look fantastic on it!

There are 65 Samurai movies listed for viewing on Criterion, and I have barely seen half of them.  Still, I hope to watch this one again.  The violence is shocking when it occurs, but overall there is much less of it than in most films of its type.  The sword work is realistic, too.  Definitely a masterpiece of cinema.  It was the director's first period film.  He obviously did his homework.

Mapman Mike