The Butterfly

Blood for Blood

Ti Lung played a dual role in The Revenger, a film that covered twenty years. The title was a misnomer because in neither the father role nor the son role did he truly play a vengeful character. That's not to say there wasn't plenty of revenge to go around, but at least for the title character, revenge was not his defining characteristic.

Chou Tu is a force for good, protecting the abused and downtrodden. This puts him at odds with Mao, a ruthless and underhanded villain. Chou rescues the lovely Shih Szu and ends up taking her as a mate. After being murdered in an explosive ambush, Shih Szu is rescued by two comedic kung fu experts who help her to raise her baby. With Chou Tu gone, Mao fully established his power and destroyed a family who were not loyal to him. The neutral swordsman, Ling Yun, takes the baby daughter to raise while Mao grabs the family's son to raise for vengeful purposes.

Eighteen years later, Shih Szu tells her son, Chou Shu about his father's murder and how his bones are scattered amongst the treacherous villains. Shu is bent on revenge but on her deathbed his mother makes him promise to not seek revenge only to retrieve his father's bones so that she and the man she loved could be buried together. The little girl grew up to be Hsu Feng whose only desire is to destroy those who killed her family while her brother grew up to be Dorian Tan (with no kicking abilities!) who is loyal to the dastardly Mao. It doesn't take long before the new generation is set on a collision course and the bodies around them start to stack up. Though Chou Shu kept his promise there couldn't have been more death in this film had he gone on a purposeful murderous rampage.

The fights used more weapons than actual hand to hand and were more comparable to kung fu dancing than fighting. There was quite a bit of kung fu posing and conversely, sped up fights as well. Why they had Dorian "Flash Legs" Tan play a milquetoast character who only used a whip, I'll never know. His part was extremely small making it seem he might have been filming another movie and only showed up when he had time. Hsu Feng, as the sister, along with her master Ling Yun, were the two most vengeful characters though they didn't have much screen time either. Wong Ching wasn't the most menacing of evil doers and could come across as a sniveling stab you in the back guy instead. Ti Lung as an eighteen-year-old was a stretch but he did give it a good try to distinguish the two characters. Like a less vengeful Inigo Montoya it did become a bit humorous as he kept repeating to each of the numerous villains that he was not there for revenge, only to retrieve his father's bones because no sooner would he utter the words than the bodies would start dropping.

Twenty years' worth of story with numerous characters condensed into 100 minutes made it difficult to emotionally connect to anyone. The second generation had revenge and familial elements that would have made for a more gripping story had they been properly expanded on. It the story is not compelling the fights have to be dynamic and these fights were below average for a 1980 movie. The potential was there, but this was one skeletal script that fell apart.


3/13/23

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Lots of high flying action that doesn't go anywhere

A stolen shipment of government gold, a police chief seeking a pardon, not one but two vengeful daughters, murderous bad guys, and evil monks---sounds like enough plot for an old martial arts film---just barely. Carter Wong and Lo Lieh added kung fu credibility to the blade thin story which required non-stop action to be of interest.

Lo Lieh tricks some petty thieves into gaining him access to the government's gold warehouse and then leaves none alive. Lung Fei, his loyal henchmen, helps him to clean up. Later, an always stoic Carter Wong, enters Lung's gambling establishment and says his name is The North Wind. Lung is so impressed with the way Carter handles a fight he gives him a job. What kind of job and why does he trust him so quickly? Story convenience. Two different women, Nancy Yen, the daughter of two innocent people killed during the robbery and Chi Lan, the daughter of one of the murdered petty thieves, butt heads working against each other for the same goal of avenging their families. James Tien shows up as Lo Lieh's #1 ruthless minion. Miao Tien as one of the Three Tigers works to discover where the gold is with his two buddies. People are pretty touchy and nearly everything results in a fight with everyone either looking for the gold or vengeance.

The fights varied, some were below standard for this time frame, others were better depending on who was fighting. Nancy could almost be seen counting her steps in a couple of fights. Chi Lan, who only made one movie, was more fluid and athletic. Their choreography incorporated too many unnecessary jumps simply to add motion. Generally, if Lung Fei, Carter, Lo, or James were in a fight scene they flowed better. These guys were old pros at fight choreography by this time in their careers. Much of it was the of the strike, block, lock method, some faster than others. The weapon fights used a variety of styles amid wire work. The monks utilized a giant lantern with old UFO sounds which could spin out poisoned darts. Per usual, the finale took place in what looked like a quarry. These old Taiwanese films were the equivalent of a mom telling her rambunctious kids to go play outside. Somehow the final fights always seemed to end up outdoors.

There wasn't much story or character development even for a kung fu flick. What this movie had going for it was almost constant action and a likeable cast. I always enjoy the chance to watch Carter Wong and Lo Lieh square off. Having said that, this film would only be for fans of the actors or the genre as the plot was more lead than gold.

3/13/23

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"A samurai's wife sends off her man with a smile"

Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island brings the great samurai's tale to a close in this trilogy. Miyamoto Musashi has gone from hot headed youth to a wiser, accomplished swordsman. He will still have to deal with his rival Sasaki and the two women vying for his love in this film as he seeks out a better life.

Musashi has followed the advice of his advisors and only fights when he knows he will have no regrets. He finds other ways to avoid fighting while not losing face such as catching flies (before Mr. Miyagi!) with his chopsticks to warn a room full of rowdy men of his prowess. Swordsman Sasaki finds him and challenges him to a duel. Musashi seems to have no burning desire to do this putting him off for a year. He and his young companion and another man travel to a village that has been devastated by bandits. Here he builds a hut and begins to farm the land. Coming full circle, this time he appreciates the lessons the earth has to teach him. His peace is shattered when not only Otsu, but Akemi show up on his doorstep. He spurns Akemi and she cooperates with the bandits who are planning to burn the village to the ground. In a calmer manner than he did in Seven Samurai, Musashi once again draws his sword and takes care of business. Before meeting with Sasaki for their duel he finally communicates with Otsu and settles their personal affairs. The duel on an island with the sun behind Musashi while he stands in the surf with a large wooden sword raised was stunning.

The paths of the two elite swordsmen were very different. The Shogun's officers courted both Musashi and Sasaki for a high-level position with Musashi turning them down. He was seeking a peaceful life and no longer needed to validate his skills by killing men he had no argument with. Sasaki gloried in his notoriety as a samurai in a high position. And I will not forget he raped Akemi in a previous film where Musashi stopped when Otsu told him no. In the end, Musashi, standing in the waves that would continue to lap against the shore no matter who won or died seemed to realize the futility of their behavior.

As with the other two films, I don't know a kinder way to say that Akemi and Otsu were as emotionally sound as two bags of cats. Musashi had never given Akemi any indication he was interested in her but despite all that had happened to her she still obsessed over him. Otsu wished he just an ordinary man, but would she have still loved him if he had been? She fell in love with his fire and knew his love of the sword from the beginning and yet she stalked him to the ends of Japan to plead her case. Having both of them throwing themselves at him and behaving irrationally took away from my enjoyment of this film and didn't make Musashi seem any more virile. Finally, Musashi actually told Otsu his feelings for her. In all his self-development someone should have clued him in that women do not respond well to silence.

The cinematography was lovely when they used natural settings. In the opening scene, Sasaki and Akemi were standing in front of a beautiful waterfall with cascading rainbows. The final beach scene was colorful and moving watching the two men's silhouettes posturing, looking for the fatal opening. The wigs and clothes were rougher and less pleasing than in the second film. Musashi might be going back to nature, but a comb never hurt anyone. The fights were typical 1950's swordplay. No blood for the most part and it was swing and fall action.

Mifune Toshiro played Musashi as the grown man he was by this film and even in a more subdued mood, his charisma still shone. Tsuruta Koji did a good job with Sasaki and his casual cruelty and arrogance. The actresses did the best they could with the female characters, characters too annoying to be pitiful.

Of the three films, I enjoyed the second one the most followed by this film. There were fewer fights and duels in this film than the last as Musashi was consciously avoiding violence when he could. Duel at Ganryu Island made a proper ending for the trilogy with the unbeatable samurai stepping away from the life he had chased after in his youth with one last moment of graceful brutality. The difference afterwards was that he felt the weight of his actions and the loss of life more profoundly than before.

3/8/23

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The drunk, the cat, and the hammer

Near the end of Chia Ling's movie career, she starred in No One Can Touch Her. For a 1970's kung fu flick, she gave a nuanced performance as a grieving and vengeful daughter suffering from blindness after a brutal attack. Never giving up, she began practicing drunken kung fu and even kitty kung fu.

Chin Lin's father was murdered in front of her by a curious menagerie of bandits. She was blinded and became known as Brother Blind. Drinking copious amounts of mostly stolen alcohol, she and her only friend, a young boy with a sling shot, roam around as she continues to practice her kung fu. Along the way she is reunited with the man who had wanted to marry her and still does and becomes friends with a woman named Wong Mei Gwan (Sun Chia Lin). Also in town is a buffoon of a police inspector and a large man who does manual labor known as Brother Mallett. The Inspector takes an interest in Brother Mallett and soon the big guy is unknowingly practicing the Hammer Hand. The 14 bandits and 2 giants break up a wedding and the fighting and betrayals go to a new level.

The fights were plentiful in this movie, especially the last third of the film. These were fairly typical 70's strike, block, and lock fights. The final fights were more creative using a variety of weapons, even an opium pipe and a cat. Chia Ling did a good job with the drunken fist style and cat style (house, not tiger), so drunken cat style? She appeared to be the most athletic of the lot with Chin Kang, also one of the choreographers, right along with her. Her fight using two swords against a nameless bandit was the most fluid of all the fights. Chin Kang tended to play a lot of baddies so it was pleasing to see him in a more heroic role. With 13 or 14 bandits and 2 giants, there were a lot of opportunities for fights and not a lot of opportunity for character development. Despite her limited screen time due to the large cast, Chia Ling gave a rather complex performance for a 1970's kung fu movie. Director/Writer Ting Shan Hsi also wrote the script for one of my favorite old female led kung fu movies, Come Drink with Me and you can see his writing style shining through here.


Even with the solemn theme, there was plenty of levity, often focusing on Inspector Buffoon and Brother Mallett. Turns out the goofy inspector wasn't wrong about being smart and a kung fu genius. There's a nice little twist at the end even though most people will see it coming. NOCTH wasn't great cinema but it kept my attention and gave me a few laughs and fun fights to watch, I don't ask for much else from martial arts films from this era. I would only recommend for old kung fu movie buffs and Chia Ling fans. As always, I rate these niche, low budget movies on a curve.

3/5/23

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Warning: Convoluted plot may cause dizziness

Gordon Liu stars in The Drunken Monk (the more common title), which is a misleading title. He's not a monk and rarely practices the drunken fist. If that's confusing, it's okay, because much about this movie is confusing. Perhaps it should have been called Drunken Writer for the dizzying way the story is told.

The story is not told in chronological order so here is the gist of it. Lau Chung was saved from drowning when a gang that had killed his parents threw him into a lake. During his beggar times he discovers a drunk hermit who practices drunken fist kung fu. The hermit teaches Lau the Five Shaolin Animal Styles and Drunken Fist. No one trains like Gordon Liu and Lau uses everything he does to enhance his kung fu. When he's trained and ready for revenge, he kidnaps Ying Ying, the Big Bad's daughter, to draw out his enemy. Things do not go according to plan with Ying Ying or her father. As these things happen, Ying Ying and Lau fall in love with each other and leave her torn between her lover and her duty to her father. A one-handed fighter is also wanting vengeance on Eagle Han's Big Bad Wong Kin Chung in retribution for the loss of his right hand but as much as they might focus on this guy, this is Lau's revenge story.

The story goes back and forth, motivations change, terrible editing makes it hard to follow at times, basically, the story may make you feel like you've been on a bender if you try to make too much sense out of it. The ending may have you going, "what?!" At least it did for me. Usually I'm a fan of Gordon Liu's fighting and he's as fast as ever with this one demonstrating a number of kung fu styles. One scene done in slow-mo was fascinating not in the way they might have intended, as Gordon goes to kick the extra, the extra can be seen jumping backwards before the kick is supposed to land. While his drunken master was more convincing doing drunken kung fu, maybe because he was supposed to always be drunk, Gordon's drunken style wasn't as…drunken. There were moments in his fight with Eagle Han where it almost seemed as if they were kung fu dance posing. I kept waiting for them to cue some disco music. Gordon had some good fights and there's no denying he's fast, these fights just didn't seem to measure up to his usual standard.

The film was shot in Korea with a number of Korean actors and extras. It was interesting seeing the different faces rather than the usual Hong Kong and Taiwanese crews. And the scenery in South Korea was also beautiful. It's a film worth seeking out if you are a Gordon Liu fan, enjoy his training montages, or simply like old martial arts movies, but be forewarned it should come with a label that watching it could make you feel tipsy.

3/4/23

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Flirty Kung Fu Fun!

Win Them All was directed by Kao Pao Shu, one of the very few female directors of kung fu films during this era. Though the main plot was a daughter's revenge, that plot was largely overshadowed by her con artist co-hart's antics which actually made for a campy, silly kung fu movie for three quarters of the screen time. Kurata Yasuaki, a real martial artist, gave the film some fight credibility as the gleeful iron finger killer.

Hsu Feng plays the daughter whose father was murdered by the iron finger method. She's out for revenge and somewhere along the way hooked up with two scam artists, Hu Chin and Chen Hui Lou. Hu Chin fights, flirts and scams greedy men to keep Hsu's mission funded. Tien Feng is the Big Bad as he often was in these old kung fu films, well protected by Kurata's deadly fingers. When the women are confronted by Tien Feng's goons Hu Chin not only manages to beat them, and rob them, but leave them pantless as well! Flirty Fu style! They are soon joined by Wong Yuen San, a rather bland officer from the security bureau. For some reason he's accompanied by his annoying and jealous "sister". After numerous fights with the underlings, it all comes to a head with inevitable fight between Wong and Kurata. Disappointingly, the vengeful daughter has no hand in the final showdown.

Most of the fights were pretty good, especially with Kurata involved. Hu Chin, not a fighter, had tremendous help from the gifted stunt men and actors who flipped, flew, and bounced after taking her "hits". In the grand finale, her character somehow completely forgot how to fight and added nothing to the free for all. Wong had some martial arts skills but the character wasn't very charismatic. Kurata, on the other hand, was an accomplished martial artist and he brought speed and agility to the fights with a frightening malevolence. Some of the kicks obviously missed but I can forgive the missed kicks with these kind of faster fights in old budget films due to safety reasons and not always having the money to do many reshoots. The biggest problem I had was that Kurata's character was skillfully and ruthlessly pummeling Wong's and suddenly Wong defeats him. With all the ridiculous things that had gone on for nearly 90 minutes, that was the most unbelievable. No wonder Hsu wasn't allowed into the final fight, Wong was barely believable fighting Kurata.

As always, I grade these 1970's martial arts films on a curve. Win Them All was a fun, flirty, romp with a dark thread running through it. Kurata brought the danger and was an absolute joy to watch kick and move through the final fight. Hu Chin's character managed to not be completely annoying and brought a feminine energy to a very masculine genre. I wouldn't label it feminist, but for 1973 at least Kao Pao Shu made an attempt at putting competent female characters at the forefront.

3/4/23

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No holds barred fun!

Flash Point is a good old fashioned Hong Kong crime drama with plenty of shoot-outs and hand-to-hand combat between cops and bad guys. The story is paper thin and the writers didn't worry about using almost every trope from the genre. What sells this movie is the fight choreography---your enjoyment will be determined on how much you appreciate watching Donnie Yen and Collin Chou fight in their prime.

Donnie plays a detective who is always being disciplined for being too aggressive with perps in his job. The upper white shirts allow it because he's so good at closing cases. His latest case involves his partner, Louis Koo as Wilson, who has gone undercover with three vicious Vietnamese smugglers and their gang. The first half of the movie has a modicum of action, it takes the time for us to build empathy for Wilson who is not the brightest UC cop and Donnie whose only motivation in life is bringing down criminals. It also shows just how violent the three brothers are so that we can wait with anticipation for Donnie to clean the floor with them. As the officers close in on the bad guys and appear to have a strong case with numerous witnesses, the witnesses are murdered one by one until Wilson is the lone person to be able to testify. Character building time is over children, now the blood letting begins. I started thinking of Wilson as Timex, he took a licking and kept on ticking, it almost became comical how many times he was injured. Don't expect much from the basic plot because it had as many holes as a paper practice dummy.

The high point of this film was in the final act as the bodies started stacking up. Even something as simple as jumping a fence became a chance for doing something more creative. During one brutal battle, Donnie's character loses control and the blood lust overtakes him leaving him shaken. The final extended fight between Donnie and Chou was worth the price of admission for this movie. It was vicious, fast, and well-choreographed combining a number of styles and looking more like MMA than kung fu. While there were a few "movie moves", for the most part the brawling seemed fairly realistic. And brawling it was as the two not only kicked and punched but grappled on the ground with bones breaking. Donnie won a Hong Kong Film Award and a Golden Horse Award for Best Action Choreography and he earned it. The stunt guys who did the more dangerous work are to be commended as well.

The loose cannon cop who doesn't play by the rules and the bad guy who can get to anyone has been done a hundred times over and this film certainly didn't break any new ground. The entertainment value for people who love Hong Kong crime and action films lies in the ferocious tension filled confrontations. You may groan at some of the idiotic mistakes the police make but you may also hold your breath in wonder at how fast and limber Donnie and Chou were and remind yourself it may just be acting but these cats were fast as lightning.

3/1/23

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"I want to start over"

Tokyo Twilight is a film about a disintegrating family and the darkest film I've seen by Director Ozu. The darkest and the most difficult for me to come to grips with. This last of his films in black and white was gorgeous to look at, one of his most aesthetic in regards to framing and composition. But I come back to the subject matter. Do I rate and view it as the audience it was intended for? Or do I rate it as a 21st century woman who was appalled by aspects of the story? I ended up splitting the difference.

Takako and her young daughter have moved back in with her father, Sugiyama Shukichi, though he doesn't know she's seeing it as a permanent situation. After pulling the information out of her, she confirms what he's been hearing. That the good Professor Numata she's married to has been drinking heavily. He is also abusive to Takako, but especially her daughter when things have not gone his way at work. Numata's admitted to having no paternal love toward his child.

Akima is the younger sister. She's carrying a secret within her and desperately trying to find her college boyfriend who put it there. With no mother to confide in and not close enough to her sister to share, she bears the burden alone. She stays out late at night and because of this is repeatedly described by men as decadent and wild. Waiting at a café where her boyfriend, Kenji, told he'd meet her she is taken to a police station by a police officer because she shouldn't be out late alone. The place was a known hook up joint for prostitutes, and with Kenji never showing up, it looked like a cruel joke was played on her. Ultimately, she decides to rid herself of her secret since her boyfriend has mostly rid himself of her. Later her aunt tries to play matchmaker, with Akima crying forlornly that she will never marry or have a child.

Shukichi is proper and polite to everyone but also an authoritarian father. He's ready to cut Akima off because he found out she'd been taken to the police station but Takako steps in and soothes his anger. Years earlier Takako would have married someone she'd cared for if Shukichi hadn't insisted she marry Numata instead. His word is the law in their household.

If all this wasn't enough drama, the missing mother shows up in a mahjong parlor Akima and Kenji's friends frequent. No secret stays buried and soon the daughters find out she's back and why she left. Akima fears she has her mother's bad blood and will never be happy or that she was illegitimate. Takako cannot forgive her mother for abandoning them and holds her responsible for Akima's problems. The mother was an enigma, she wanted to reconnect with her daughters but when she found out that her son had died several years earlier, she did so without so much as batting an eye.

Takako and Akima both wish to start over and find happiness. In the end, neither do. Akima suffers a horrible narrative fate to punish her for becoming too modern and breaking familial tradition and traditional female roles. Takako fears her daughter will end up like Akima if she doesn't have both parents raising her and decides to return to her husband. When she informs Shukichi he nods his head and says she'll be successful this time if she tries. Takako looks like a woman heading to the guillotine, painfully aware happiness is not in hers or her daughter's future. After Takako moves out the maid helps Shukichi get ready for work, the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the swelling music tells you this is a happy ending. Maybe for Shukichi it is, but not for his children. Somehow this father remains blithely unaware of his unhappy role in the dissolution of his marriage and the sorrows of his children.

As I mentioned, the framing and shots were among some of my favorite. Ozu's use of light and shadow relegated some scenes to true artwork. Mostly, the score was pleasant enough though the music's bright tone during a tragic time seemed out of place. Ryu, an Ozu regular, did well as the quiet authoritarian father. While this may have been my favorite Hara Setsuko performance thus far, she showed a variety of emotions instead of smiling most of the time, it was distracting knowing that she was only 3 years younger than her "mother" in real life. Arima Ineko was called upon to show a complex array of emotions as she dealt with her family, her irresponsible and selfish boyfriend, and sitting alone making decisions beyond her years and succeeded. The acting though often subdued as it is in Ozu's films felt more thoroughly rounded than usual. All of the characters felt like real people. Ozu's insistence on some characters staring directly into the camera while saying their lines is still a detracting custom for me.

The whole thrust of this story came down to the idea that the family was destroyed because the mother found love while the husband was stationed in Seoul and left upon his return. The daughters didn't have a proper female presence which ended up corrupting Akima. A father's love could not make up for that, even though Takako did not go off the rails. Akima had sexual relations with the boy she loved and was punished in every way for it while he escaped with no repercussions. If the doors of propriety could have been cracked opened for real communication, she might have been able to talk with her father or sister to seek support and help her make the decisions she needed to make. Takada was chained to a man who didn't love her or their child and was abusive. She returned to him because it was the "right" thing to do. And her father simply smiled benignly instead of seeing the fear in his daughter's eyes and supporting her. I know Ozu had a father who was often gone, working in another city, but somehow he missed how a vicious drunk and emotionally vacant father can scar a child forever even more so than an absent one.

This was not a story of reconciliation or redemption, but of punishment and retribution all tied up in a polite, proper bow. Each of the female characters were left in pain and an uncertain future with no chance to start over. The men all went about their happy way. I can usually either follow Ozu's train of thought or make excuses for him, but not this time. Even though his viewpoint was a common one in the 1950's, I was appalled at his treatment of women in the name of tradition and family unity.

2/20/23

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"The world is like a lottery, you take your ups and downs"

A Story of Floating Weeds is an early silent film by Director Ozu. Many of the tenets of his later films would be found in this story of an aging actor and his abandoned and found families. The tiny troupe's resiliency would be tested in life's ups and downs.

Ozu loved this story so much that he would remake it in 1959. I wrote a review for that one and I can say that the two films are strikingly similar, right down to the staging of some scenes. The 1959 version is longer and of course has more dialogue, bit characters were given more scenes, as well as the lovers. I found the 1934 version charming even though it was not as fluid and as narratively filled in as the 1959 version.

Kihachi and his troupe of floating weeds, another name for itinerant actors, return to a small mountain village to perform their Kabuki plays. The rainy season pours not only outside but also inside the little theater bringing their performances to an end.

During their rain breaks, Kihachi visits an old lover and his beloved "nephew", actually his son, and enjoys time playing games with him and fishing with him. Shinkichi has graduated from an agricultural college and is continuing his studies. All seems blissful until Kihachi's lover, Otaka, finds out about his secret family and cries vengeance. She hires a young actress to seduce Shinkichi to get even with Kihachi over his deception. This plan blows up in her face when the two young people fall in love and Kihachi finds out and breaks up with her. Meanwhile, the struggling troupe runs out of money and has to sell everything and disband. When it's revealed to Shinkichi that his uncle is actually his father, the young man understandably refuses him. This is the man who had abandoned him and his mother. His mother, Otsune, pleads on Kihachi's behalf telling her son, he didn't want him to be raised as the son of an actor. Kihachi is left adrift, unsure of what to do next.

Some of the scenes Ozu would use in the remake were here, significantly, the powerful argument between Kihachi and Otaka on opposite sides of the street in the pouring rain. It wasn't as visually impactful, but certainly as emotional. Unlike the later remake, the film began and ended with a train ride due to the mountain setting. The final scene with Kihachi and Otaka traveling away from his son to an unknown future was poignant.

All was not melodramatic, Ozu knew when to throw some humor into the situation. Two actors in a horse suit and a little boy in a dog suit brought about a smile. Unlike his Tokyo Woman, he withheld the tragedy and overt drama, finding his footing in the banal and temperamental life of the family.

I found this film to be more rounded than his earlier work such as Dragnet Girl, Tokyo Chorus, and I Was Born…But. The story felt more thorough and the characters more fleshed out. The detailed composite scenes with pauses for reflection also felt more polished. In a couple of years he would delve deeper into family life, this time with an abandoned mother, with The Only Son. Though sound had been around for a few years, Ozu delayed using it until he felt it had been perfected. With the placards I was able to follow the action easily. I watched a restored Criterion version and it was cleaned up nicely compared to so many of these old films which have been left faded and badly pocked marked. They'd also added a simple music score which fit quite well without sounding too out of place. As always, I look for his teapot scene and even in 1934, it had its closeup!

Despite bitter and surprising revelations, true to Ozu, for the most part there were no histrionics. His characters, as always, were restrained. The only exception was when Kihachi struck the two women who betrayed him as well as his son. The physical violence was quite jarring in this emotionally guarded film. Sadly, Ozu kept the beatings in the remake.

Even in the silence of the black and white film, the beautiful settings shown through. The strength of Ozu's films are the people who nearly always feel authentic making you care about their problems. Kihachi and Shinkichi fishing in quiet unison in a river seemed like a father and son anywhere in the world. Shinkichi and his actress lover made his father worry that he wouldn't be able to be a great man, but Kihachi still forgave the young woman and laid his child's future on her slim shoulders. Kihachi and Otaka weren't always easy people to like but Ozu showed so many sides of them that you still found yourself hoping they would succeed and end up in a better place as better people. Ozu doesn't lay the answers out easily, rather leaves the fate of his characters only hinted at in his enigmatic way.

2/9/23

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"If you fight you suffer whether you win or lose"

Tomb of the River aka Paid in Blood is a Korean crime film about a gang war erupting over a casino being built ahead of the 2018 Olympics in Gangneung. While the story didn't reinvent the crime wheel, there were strong performances that made for an engrossing film.

Kim Gil Suk, played by Yoo Oh Sung in a brilliantly nuanced performance, was the head of one of the gangs overseen by an older gangster. The old gangster has become very zen and convinces Gil Suk against violence when he can. After the head of one of his other gangs allows drugs into his karaoke club, the old gangster offers Gil Suk management of the casino. Gil Suk, being the loyal guy he is, turns it down since it's not his territory. As far as he is concerned the casino belongs to the whole gang and not just anyone or any part of the organization. He is about to have his sharing is caring philosophy challenged when ruthless loan shark Lee Min Seok crashes onto the scene. Jang Hyuk gives Min Seok a lethal energy in a strong performance.

Min Seok starts slicing and dicing his way to the top in an effort to take over the casino. His brutally vicious pre-emptive attacks take the gangsters by surprise and it doesn't take long to carve them up. The code and loyalties are severed. Long standing alliances are broken, betrayals run rampant as everyone scrambles to survive and try to hold on or move up.

Despite all that has happened, Gil Suk makes a last attempt to negotiate with Min Seok to avoid more bloodshed. Min Seok trusts no one and believes that conversation never solves anything, he'd rather talk with his knife. Gil Suk's police friend, Lt. Cho attempts to reason with his friend, telling him romance isn't dead, let the police handle the villain. With the bodies of friends and colleagues having stacked up, Gil Suk has lost faith in the more civilized ways of doing business. "Romance is dead," he tells his friend. Min Seok puts it more succinctly, "Only death will end things."

Though they are still thugs in expensive suits, the waters are calm when the film starts, with everyone working together. Min Seok's gruesome entrance aboard a smuggler's boat strips away the façade of humanity, showing what he would do to survive. His rampage reveals the human greed and depravity lying below the surface of the unified gangs. Before it's all over, basic instincts are tested in a stormy war of survival.

Having seen numerous crime films, this was not a revelatory take on the genre, but it was well made and the acting set it apart from some others I have watched. The music, especially in the final scene, fit the mood perfectly throughout the film.

"Why did you turn this place into hell?"
"I didn't decide anything. The word decides these things. People just follow."

And indeed, one by one, the gangsters follow the path into hell, with no way back and no way out from the violent spiral downward. If you are looking for a new take on an old story, this will not be it. However, if you are in the mood for a bloody crime noir with good performances, this might fit the bill.



2/8/23

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“Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend.” — Bill Watterson

Learn from Experience 2 picks up where part 1 left off. Instead of focusing on Toyomi and Shintaro's ill-fated love affair, this film focused on the friendship of the three women at the center of the story. Given that their friendships were by far the most compelling story element in either film, this was a good thing.

Toyomi has left home and is working at a dress shop having hidden her pregnancy from all but her best friend, Michiko. Yurie and Shintaro became engaged and he is now working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yurie, in that standard movie feat of incredible coincidence, walks into the dress shop where Toyomi works. They end up becoming fast friends unaware they have shared the same man and that Toyomi is carrying his child. When Yurie and Shintaro go on their honeymoon, Toyomi gives birth to her baby girl. Toyomi leaves the dress shop and stays with a friend of Michiko. Yurie hunts her friend down and generously invites her to come live with her while her husband is stationed overseas for several months. Toyomi resists but Yurie is a bulldozer and soon Toyomi and child are safely ensconced at Yurie's house. The viewer knows eventually Shintaro will return home and realize he has a child which of course he does. And that he will muck it up as well. Which he also does.

This film was more enjoyable for me for much of it because of the focus on the women and how Toyomi was cared for by her old friend and her new one. Even Toyomi's mother accepted Toyomi and her pregnancy. The strength and understanding of the women made this film and it was all the better for the lack of screen time for cowardly Shintaro. Even his friend could read him. "You can't say no to a rich girl."

In the end, Yurie asks Toyomi to give her daughter up so that Yurie and Shintaro can raise the little girl. They will make the child their heir as further enticement. Knowing the uphill climb before her and her child, in 1937 an illegitimate child would not be readily accepted, Toyomi acquiesces. Yurie dearly loves the baby making it easier for Toyomi to let go. As the sweetly uplifting music plays during the finale it feels like we are supposed to think it's a happy ending for everyone. Toyomi has become a kindergarten teacher, finally dressed in western style clothes. Shintaro is playing with the baby and Yurie has introduced the child to her parents. I still found the ending concerning Shintaro galling. The rich, entitled, man married the wealthier of the two women he was involved with and not only gets Yurie and her money, he also gets Toyomi's child. It would have been easier to swallow if Shintaro was constantly stationed overseas, or died when his conscience fell on him, and Toyomi and Yurie like a couple of sister wives raised the little girl together with help from Auntie Michiko and Toyomi's mother.

Perhaps part 1 could have been the only film and let Toyomi walk away tall, finding her way in the world with her unborn child. While giving her child up might have made it easier on the child and Toyomi, Toyomi's grief was not touched on in the "happy" ending. And Yurie never seemed daunted by the character of the man she had married. Naruse was never afraid to twist the knife so I'm surprised everything was wrapped up with a big pink bow on it regardless of the source material. The film had a melancholy slice of life feeling going for it and the nearly 3 hours for both films felt stretched rather thin. The compassionate and resilient women and their stellar performances will be the only memorable things I take away with me from these films and that's more than some films.

2/6/23

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"She cries and calls his name, but there is no answer"

Director Naruse Mikio developed a two-part movie from a novel written by Kicuchi Kan. As with many of his films, he centered the film around a woman, one who had been done wrong, and must find her way by herself.

Toyomi and Shintaro were in love and planning to marry, that is until he visited his family. His father who had brought their rice company near bankruptcy needed Shintaro to marry someone who would bring in a large dowry. Toyomi's family was comfortable but not able to afford the money he needed. The father also wanted someone whom he felt would be a better fit for Shintaro's future as a diplomat. Initially, Shintaro agreed to meet Yurie, knowing he was not going to marry her. This being a Naruse film, Shintaro fell for modern Yurie almost immediately. And before you could say, duplicitous jerk, he was ghosting Toyomi way before cell phones were invented.

The best part of this film was that the women were portrayed as individuals. Toyomi was a traditional young woman who always wore a kimono. She was devoted to Shintaro and to her friend. Even with her devotion she could still see the writing on the wall with Shintaro. Her best friend, Michiko, who wore Western clothes and appeared more modern was fiercely loyal to Toyomi even as she readied for her own wedding. Yurie, was not the devil in disguise, even though she wore the most stylish of Western clothes, rode horses and spoke her mind. She might not have been head over heels in love with Shintaro, but she was willing to go along with her family when he didn't seem like he was unreasonable. Good luck, girl. As Toyomi and Michiko had discussed, "marriage is something of a gamble."

Shintaro was the weakest character. He used Toyomi and then on the turn of a dime he was in love with Yurie and willing to completely abandon Toyomi. He had loved her until someone better came along. His personality was bland and selfish. If he'd been honest with Toyomi, she might have been more understanding. The problem for her was that he tried to place the blame on his family, but unlike her he wasn't devastated which spoke volumes. To make things worse, she had a secret she was going to share with him until he enraged her with his false heart. Part one ended with the revelation of Toyomi's secret in a letter to Michiko.

Irie Takako gave traditional Toyomi a backbone and clear eyes. Takehisa Chieko made the other woman, Yurie, energetic and sympathetic. Aizome Yumeko as Michiko brought just the right amount of energy to the best friend's role. Takada Minoru was saddled with uninteresting, cowardly Shintaro and did nothing to elevate the character or performance.

I'm looking forward to the second part to see how this story plays out and how life turns out for the three women. My concern is that there may not be enough melodrama to fill two films and that Shintaro won't receive proper retribution for his disloyalty and poor treatment of Toyomi.

2/6/23

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Safety is Life

The Unjust took direct aim at the abuse of power and systemic corruption from the institutions who were supposed to be arbiters and bastions of justice. No layer within the buildings designed to protect and serve was left unsullied from the top to the bottom. This film was a bleak political thriller and at times, dark comedy.

Chief Choi, brilliantly played by Hwang Jung Min, has been repeatedly passed over for promotion. He throws in with his boss never dreaming of the cost. There are cases intertwined that end up in a stranglehold around him. A building development with bribery issues with the prosecutor in league with one gang and Choi working with the rival criminal developer and a serial killer where the suspected perpetrator is killed by a cop with ties to one of the victims whose body must be disposed of and a replacement needed to take his place. The political intrigue and corruption flows from the Blue House down. The two departments end up at war with Choi being illegally investigated by the prosecutor and Choi working with Sang Suk Gu, the criminal developer. Sang has the resources to help Choi find a replacement and clear up loose ends. But in the end, who all will be considered a loose end?

The story was not exactly taut and had pacing issues. There were times when an already complicated and occasionally convoluted story wandered down a violent path not integral to the plot. It could also be difficult watching a film where there weren't any good guys. Well, there was one, but like the original conscience, Jiminy Cricket, he was squashed. The main characters were ready to sacrifice anyone to get ahead or to make a buck. As the conspiracies progressed the stakes grew higher where their lives and freedom were on the line making them all the more dangerous and desperate.

The acting was a mixed bag. Hwang walked the balance between cocky and trapped as he navigated the deadly game. In contrast, Ryu Seung Beom as the corrupt prosecutor, Joo Yang, chewed all the scenery within reach, making his character not only despicable but laughable as well. There was a who's who of today's ahjussis on screen. My favorite was seeing a young Ma Dong Seok, noticeably smaller, but still strong, with a peek into his future muscular best hitter ahjussi status.

The action was plentiful, quickly paced, and bloody. Cho Young Wuk created a fantastic score for the film, perfectly setting the mood for each scene. The film looked and sounded great.

At the disputed building site and the location of several murders, a sign hung that read "Safety is Life". The unprotected played without a safety net to their misfortune. In the end, those with powerful friends and family, and those in the highest levels of power were left untouched by scandal and blood. It was the players on the ground who became crushed by the building they helped maintain.

"Good job, bad job what does it matter at this point. What matters is that we believe it."


2/2/23

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It's not what you eat, it's who you eat it with

From the moment the familiar theme song played I immediately relaxed and drifted off to the magical place where the Master will make whatever you want to eat. Open from midnight to seven a.m., the Master not only had his regulars show up, but also some new faces in Midnight Diner 2. Everyone, as always, is served their favorite comfort food, given a few gentle words of encouragement, and leave feeling better about themselves.

Midnight Diner 2 opened with the regulars dressed in black. All of the customers had been to different funerals. Only one woman in funeral attire had not. A lonely book editor when frustrated at work wore black and ordered the Master’s fried pork strips. The combination usually lifted her mood and helped her regain her fighting spirit. At a funeral she fell victim to a fetishist and Master helped her with the words she needed to find her way again and a little help from the dish she loved so much.

Story 2 was about a soba noodle restaurant owner unable to let go of her young, but adult son. He had fallen in love with a woman 15 years older than himself. It would take some special udon noodles to help heal this mother-son relationship.

Story 3 was another tale of a woman being scammed. This time an elderly woman fell for a scam involving her son. So desperate was she to help the son she hadn’t seen since he was a boy that she dropped everything and traveled to Tokyo to hand over her money. Master’s pork soup would have to work overtime to bring this woman the closure and redemption she was in desperate need of.

I have watched all of the seasons of this delightful drama and the first movie as well. In all the heartwarming stories, I have never been bored or disappointed. This movie provides a balm to a world-weary spirit. The people who frequent the Master’s establishment have learned to pass on the kindness and acceptance he has given them. Though it may stretch the bounds of believability at times, it’s nice to escape to a place with delicious food where someone will care about your problems and give you a helping hand or an encouraging word.

1/30/23

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Lots of high flying kicks not encumbered by a coherent plot!

Cynthia Khan returns to the In the Line of Duty franchise for Middle Man. This 1990 film feels more like an 1980’s Hong Kong martial arts movie. Lots of fighting, very little plot.

Cynthia is joined by David Wu in this convoluted story that goes from Hong Kong to Korea. It involves the US military, CIA, HK police, and an underground information spy ring. Wu’s David is accused of spying and the race is on to see who can kill him first. He has to drag around the dumbest girlfriend ever for awhile until the writers mercifully divest him of her. Khan’s Inspector Yang Li Ching helps her cousin elude the murderous gang, CIA, and police so that they can hunt down The General and collect evidence to clear David. David is not the smartest seaman on leave making Inspector Yang’s job even tougher trying to keep him alive.

The thin plot only served to grant space for the fights, lots and lots of fights. Most of them were well choreographed with a minimum of wire-fu and cranking. Khan was quite proficient and believable as she athletically ran, kicked, leapt, slid, and even dangled off of buildings and ropes. She lacked some of the onscreen personality of say Michelle Yeoh, but was likeable enough in this role. Wu was adequate but not terribly charismatic. Lo Lieh, at nearly 60, showed up as the gentle godfather who still had a few moves left. A nice surprise was Australian Kim Penn, a real-life martial artist and member of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association who made a beautiful foil for Khan as they had one of the bloodiest girl on girl fights I’ve seen in some time.

Middle Man was an entertaining martial arts movie if you don’t pay attention to the plot and just enjoy the fight choreography. It’s rare that a female lead is allowed to carry a gun toting, fists and kicks movie, so I bumped it up a bit in my rating.

1/25/23

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