Survival Family (Japan, 2016)

When a blackout occurs an ordinary family in Tokyo believes power would be restored shortly. As the lack of power persists and all sources of energy show no sign of returning to functionality the family heads out south to reunite with the parents of the wife and mother. The family learns and bonds as it treks south on its bicycle, which is the only alternative to being on foot.

I read somewhere that Survival Family is a family friendly disaster flick, and that's actually kind of accurate. It stirs up a lot of own thoughts of how one would react in a similar situation, and shows how survival instinct can make people overcome a lot of hardships without modern technology. The film makes it clear on how falsely dependent we are on certain technical conveniences but still inspires a lot of hope. A road trip worth taking, which doesn't loose itself in melodrama.

Genre: Drama/Family

Shoplifters (Japan, 2018)

A Japanese couple stuck with part-time jobs and hence inadequate incomes avail themselves of the fruits of shoplifting to make ends meet. They are not alone in this behaviour. The younger and the older of the household are in on the act. The unusual routine is about to change from care-free and matter-of-fact to something more dramatic, however, as the couple open their doors to a beleaguered young girl.

Shoplifters made a huge splash when released in film festivals, winning prizes left and right. It was a film  about family that director Hirokazu Koreeda (Nobody Knows) had wanted to make since his last film Like Father, Like Son (2013). The goal was to explore the bonds that ultimately makes a family, and shed light on the people in Japan who lives on minimum wages and/or are homeless, who're only growing in numbers. With an important theme, Koreeda shows us love and death beneath our modern society, and portrays joy where I reckon most people don't even think it exists. 

Genre: Drama

Shogun Assassin (US/Japan, 1980)

Long ago there was a great samurai warrior who served his Shogun honorably. The Shogun however grew paranoid as he became more and more senile. The Shogun sought to destroy all those who might stand to oppose his rule, and so he sent his ninja spies to the samurai's home. The ninjas failed to kill the samurai, but did kill his beloved wife. From then on, the samurai swore on his honor to seek out the Shogun and avenge the death of his love. 

Consisting of parts from the two first entries in the Japanese Lone Wolf and Cub-film series, Shogun Assassin could be seen as sort of a best-of compilation. It was put together, dubbed and released for the western market and does a great job of introducing the characters from the original manga. The ultra violence gets almost comical with all the blood in way too bright shades, but it's all good fun. Exploitative, gory and fun.

Genre: Action/Adventure

Patriotism (Japan, 1966)

Two characters on a Noh stage dramatize the rite of love and death of Lieutenant Shinji Takeyama and his wife Reiko. Takeyama was one of a cadre of young officers who staged a coup d'état in February, 1936. He was not arrested when the coup failed, but as an officer of the palace guard, he knew he would be given the order to execute his friends. The night before the execution, he and his wife prepare for hara-kiri, first with passion without shyness, then in uniform and kimono with sword and dagger. Calligraphy figures in the preparation, as Reiko gathers her keepsakes to give to survivors.

I've written about Yukio Mishima before and how the movie Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) tells the story of his bitter end. In short, he committed suicide by seppuku following an unsuccessful coup. Four years before he directs the short film Patriotism which deals mainly with the act of seppuku (a.k.a. harakiri), and treats it all like a Noh play (classical Japanese musical drama) with static shots and long close-ups.  The act itself is portrayed with seemingly no censorship at all and for 1966 this must have been extremely graphic. Mishima himself plays the Lieutenant and one can't help but think of the irony of fate. After Mishima's own suicide the film was ordered to be destroyed and all copies burned, but many years later the original negatives were found and received a restored release, and I'm very glad that happened because it's a huge puzzle piece in the enigma of Yukio Mishima and offers a stunning and fascinating insight into his mind. The lighting and the beautiful black and white photography comes together perfectly, and you would never guess this was Mishima's directorial debut.

Patriotism is a short yet fantastic insight into Japanese culture, and erupts in one of the most gory and realistic depictions of one of Japans most mythical and ancient traditions, seppuku.

Genre: Drama/Short. 25min.

Castle of Owls (Japan, 1963)

The Iga ninjas are a dying breed as Toyotomis rule allows Japan to experience some peace. Juzo, an Iga ninja who had vowed revenge for the death of his family, is hired by a rich weapons merchant to assassinate Toyotomi, restarting his quest for blood. In his way are rival ninja, and his once best friend who has decided to become a government vassal. The main plot centers around the conflicts that confront Juzo.

Sometimes, one can just have the need for a ninja flick. Castle of Owls (a.k.a. Owl Castle) meets that need with classic shinobi stealth action, meaning of course a lot of lurking behind shoji walls and assassinations from the dark. At first I thought it would have an outdated cheese factor but it was an entertaining watch. I would love a remake of this because there aren't nearly as many shinobi-themed films as there are samurai-themed ones. 

Genre: Drama

Orgies of Edo (Japan, 1969

A collection of stories dealing with punishment towards women. The first story; involves a woman forced into prostitution. The second: a woman is turned on by unattractive men who has threesomes with dwarfs. Her admirer disfigures himself so she will like him. The third: a sadistic and powerful man who has bulls with flaming horns charge into a courtyard of women wearing red who are forced to strip to avoid being gored.

With a plot like that, many may wonder what kind of freakish film is this? But it's better than it sound on paper. Director Teruo Ishii was known for his pinku films (softcore) and came fresh off the sets of titles such as Shogun's Joys of Torture (1968) and Horrors of Malformed Men (1969). In Orgies we follow different women in their struggles in feudal Japan, and boy does it get twisted. Nowadays the gore isn't something to write home about but just the sheer idea of some of it is really messed up. We see an ugly side of the feudal society that doesn't often gets the spotlight in samurai films. Beyond the nudity and suffering there's great production values, with gorgeous set design and depth to this hell hole rather than being an excuse to show naked women. Ishii gained a huge reputation for himself within his genre and when his smaller pink films was shown in cinemas years later he became known as Japan's King of Cult.

Maybe not a film to see with your loved ones on a Friday night, but if you want to venture into an obscure film history, Orgies may provide an interesting watch.

Genre: Drama/Horror

Shadow (China, 2018)

In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a "shadow", a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.

Zhang Yimou, director of visual spectacles such as House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Hero (2002), is back with another film that unleashes itself upon its viewer rather than getting watched. Zhang uses his usual style of amazing looking battles in slow-motion, rain drops which gets cut in half and sword strikes with terrifying precision. This is a film where brutal martial arts are being treated as beautiful poetry, and every punch flows as smooth as a stream through a bamboo thicket. The color palette rarely moves out of the gray, black and white so that the feeling of watching an old Chinese ink painting only gets stronger. Hand in hand with these jaw-dropping fight scenes we're treated to a bombastic Shakespeare-like historical drama, both intimate and epic in scope with political intrigue, and affection between fighters. A true return to form for Zhang.   

Genre: Action/Drama/War