This review may contain spoilers
A kill or be killed world and love
When a film begins with a traditional marriage where the bride wants to murder the groom on their wedding night you are left with the question, "Which one is the The Legend and which one is the Butterfly?" A political marriage of the uncouth Fool of Owari and the cunning Viper's Daughter made for an explosive and potent combination.The story was a reimagining of Oda Nobunaga and Nohime's marriage as little was known about it. Historically, she was thought to be beautiful, intelligent, and skilled with a blade. In this version of the life story of the first "Great Unifier" of Japan, she was the genius and fire behind the man.
Nobunaga and Nohime clashed, sometimes violently, in early scenes in the film. The story takes place over thirty years, giving short amounts of time to major events in their lives, usually converging with battles for power outside of the marriage. Eventually, they come to a place outside of Nohime's role as a spy for her father and her infertility where they could move beyond tolerance and reluctant admiration to love. But true love rarely flows smoothly with pride, vengeance, and illness creating problems.
Kimura Takuya was able to portray Nobunaga's carefree and coarse youth with buddies outside of his caste. He also conveyed the weight of the battles and familiar lives lost, showing the transformation from the Fool of Owari into the Demon King capable of ordering women and children to be killed. Ayase Haruka transcended many of her drama roles as the tough as nails and brilliant strategist, Nohime. I was saddened as her role diminished once she fell in love and yet she still wrung as much out of Nohime's shadow as she could.
The gorgeous sets, elaborate costumes, music, and cinematography were all well done. It would be hard to fault unless there were some anachronisms involved. I am not well versed in the history of this era so I can only comment on the entertainment value of the film for an outsider. While I enjoyed the fast-track history lesson, the romance between Nobunaga and Nohime was difficult to comprehend as both held their emotions close to their vests. They only allowed their true feelings to show a couple of times. It could be hard to keep up with their emotional "growth" because of the constant short time jumps and quick changes in attitudes as Nobunaga strengthened his resolve to kill everyone who opposed him and she softened desiring a normal life with him more and more. As much as I wanted to care about the two, it was difficult to emotionally connect to them and their conflicts. Perhaps this would have worked better as a short drama so that their personality changes could have been delved into more and not be seen as so abrupt.
The Legend and Butterfly was entertaining even if it lacked the emotional depth I was looking for between the spouses. Regardless of historical accuracy, it was refreshing to see Nohime shown as a capable and intelligent woman, a wife Nobunaga could turn to for sound advice. Whether Nobunaga was a Fool or a Demon, neither, or a little of both is for people far more educated on the subject than me to comment on. As a film, a nearly 3 hour film covering 3 decades, focusing on the marital harmony and disharmony of one of Japan's most famous historical figures, The Legend and Butterfly succeeded largely on the likeability and skills of the performers. It was a kill or be killed world and for a time, marriage.
5/19/23
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This review may contain spoilers
A dive into Japan history with Oda Nobunaga
Honestly, this movie is a gem, and I understand that not many people may fully grasp historical and culture impact in this movie.I think to fully appreciate this movie, you need a bit of context and background knowledge, and that excites my geeky side to dive into it all and let you all know.
If you've watched anime, J-drama, or movies, or read manga, you might have come across the name Oda Nobunaga. If you haven't, let me introduce you to one of the most significant figures in Japanese history.
Back in the early 1500s, Japan was fragmented into dozens of independent territories, each ruled by a daimyo (feudal lord). These families created clans and were often at war with one another, with each lord acting like an independent king. The Oda family was one of these clans, and Oda Nobunaga was the son of its daimyo. When his father passed away, Nobunaga became the new daimyo, facing considerable resistance from family members and rival clans. However, he eventually rose to power, earning the title "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven." His rule was noted for innovative military tactics, the promotion of free trade, civil government reforms, and the start of the Momoyama historical art period, but he was also known for the brutal suppression of those who resisted his demands.
Nobunaga had a dream: to unify Japan under one rule. He worked alongside two other daimyos towards this goal. His name holds great significance in Japan's history and its current state as a unified country. Culturally, he is often portrayed as an eccentric figure; in his youth, he was regarded as a delinquent, frequently wearing commoner clothes and mingling with peasants. Because of this, many manga and anime portray him as foolish or silly.
The movie follows Nobunaga’s journey from becoming a daimyo to the end of his life. Overall, it was a fascinating watch; historically, it was incredibly interesting. The film explores Nobunaga's relationship with his wife, which is not well-documented, making their portrayal in the movie even more engaging.
One aspect I appreciated was the alternative ending presented in the end. Historically, Nobunaga's fate remains uncertain as his body was never found, so the movie offers a hypothetical happy conclusion which i enjoyed.
Also, the movie features a stunning array of historically accurate costumes, with jaw dropping embroidery and decoration, especially in his palace, are breathtaking. It's a deep dive into Japanese culture, and if you enjoy that, I would certainly recommend this movie.
In terms of acting, the performances were excellent, and as a huge fan of Takuya Kimura, seeing him take on such an important role was thrilling. He remains incredibly handsome even after all these years and i am always happy to see his work and found him to potray my favorite verison of Oda Nobunag.
I highly suggest looking up more information about Oda Nobunaga. The movie does an excellent job of illustrating the different periods of Japanese history and how Western influences began to shape the country but for more lcarity you may want to dug deeper. While the movie is quite long, it's definitely worth the watch.
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