Well, we begin our trip to Japan with this wonderful little Samurai movie made by the man who made Samurai movies famous in these here parts. Seriously, Kurosawa and Samurai movies go hand in hand, even the Barenaked Ladies sing about it: just click this link, I'll prove it to you.
Kurosawa means more to me than I can explain. His films have influenced me so much, and I've seen more movies by him than almost by any other director. I love the composition of his shots, I love his interesting characters, I love his passion for the craft. Sanjuro is one of my favorite Samurai films. It is authentic and classic. It is full of Japanese culture, tradition, costumes, and it has sweet Samurai fighting. I think what I love most about it is Toshiro Mifune's character, Sanjuro himself. Ronin, on his own, scruffy, a man with an intensely violent and selfish past, a washed-up Samurai who still, even though older wayward, learns something about who he is, what he's become, and he grows, changes, and even does somethings selflessly. I think that's cool. It is a theme I hold near and dear to me.
Plus, this movie has sweet sword fights! And I love sword fights!
Anywho, as you know I love the director, I love the main actor, I love the era the movie is set in, I love the movie!
What do you think?
- Was this your first Samurai movie? If so, what kind of experience was it for you? If not, what was your first, and how did you like this one in comparison?
- What is the message of the film?
- What did you learn about Japanese history or culture from watching this movie?
The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Hayao Miyazaki's first film! Beloved by so many for his Studio Ghibli masterpieces, it is always fun and important to see an iconic director's first work. And, starring Lupin III, a character famous in Japanese Manga, it is cool to get a bit of the Japanese pop-culture that way, too!
- Did you like the film? Why or why not?
- Have you seen other Miyazaki and/or Studio Ghibli films? How did this one rank in your opinion?
- Often for American audiences, films from Ghibli are dubbed over. I made it a point to show you the film with its original Japanese dialogue. Have you ever seen a Japanese anime in its original language before? If not, how was your experience seeing this one in Japanese? How was it different to see one in Japanese vs. in English?
Six-String Samurai (1998)
An independent American-made Samurai movie with an interesting rock 'n roll twist. This movie is definitely something else!
- Did you like it? Why or why not?
- How did knowing a bit about Samurai history and seeing a classic Samurai film before seeing this one affect your viewing experience?
Samurai Fiction (1998)
Yeah! A classic Samurai movie made in modern times, with a twist!
- Did you like it? Why or why not?
- Did having watched a truly classic samurai movie before enhance your viewing experience of this movie? How so?
Lily
ReplyDeleteI haven't properly seen Sanjuro or Samurai Fiction, so I'll post another comment after I have.
The Castle of Cagliostro:
I did like this film, it was pretty much exactly what I expected from a vintage anime spy feature. I wouldn't rank it too high in my list of memorable Miyazaki/Ghibli films; though that doesn't really say much, as everything Miyazaki makes is pretty dang magical. As someone who watches a decent amount of anime, I've had a lot of experience with both English dubs and original Japanese dialogue.
Typically, English dubs are terrible. Sometimes they're actually good, and on very rare occasions the dub is actually more enjoyable than original Japanese, Black Butler for example. I feel like this film probably wouldn't have gotten a very good cast for dubbing, so I'm glad we watched it in Japanese.
Six-String Samurai:
I thought this was a pretty neat Indie film, and it kind of reminded me vaguely of Scott Pilgrim. The quirk that comes with the feeling that the main protagonist's dialogue is ADR'd by someone who sounds totally different from him was one of my favourite things from this film. Post-Apocalyptic settings are kind of getting old by this point, but knowing that it was made in '98 as a low budget indie movie, and how they used it to craft some interesting characters from both main and supporting cast, I think it was a fine and clever choice to use it.
I don't really have a basis of comparison on terms of Samurai films, the only other one I've actually properly seen was Le Samourai, a French film. I do think that Six-String Samurai did exhibit qualities of Samurai though, such as strictly following a moral code until your death, and protecting the innocent from the wicked. (at least, that's how they interpreted it.)
Hi its me Maddi. I agree that lots of english dubs are terrible. but I also think many Japanese anime that has been dubbed are really good too. I grew up on studio Ghibli/Miyazaki films and I never knew they were dubbed i thought they were originally in english.
DeleteGhibli does a fantastic job of dubbing their films versus a lot of anime series, which is primarily what my comments were aimed towards. However; I still think that in -most- cases watching in the original Japanese is better. It retains the original acting that the director desired, and often times a different director will head the dubbing process.
Delete-Lily
hello this is Isaac so Sanjuro, this was my first Samurai movie. And i loved it it was a amazing experience for me. It is very different from american movies obviously so that was cool, but i just loved the way the movie floes it starts out in the middle of a plan that go's wrong but then is saved by that guy. I don't know his name and then he ends up being the mane character. And i just love that. The message was violence is wrong because the whole time that guy didn't want to kill anyone. And I learned that the Japanese are all about respect.
ReplyDeleteIts me Maddi! Samjuro was my first samurai movie,and I loved it. I thought that the movie was fun because the fight scenes. I thought the message of the film was killing is wrong. In the movie we are told that many times. Although we are told that there still continues to be fighting and killing. And at the end it finishes off with a blood bath! I learned from this movie that Japanese culture like to stay with there loved ones and fight to protect themselves and not just to kill to kill. I also learned that they listen to there elders and share there wisdom.
ReplyDeleteI like the The Castle of Cagliostro because it reminds of when i was younger when I would watch a lot of cartoons and it was nice to see a cartoon that wasn't Disney. I have seen many other movies from studio Ghibli but I think this movie is one of my favorites from them. This was my first Japanese anime in its original language. I liked it though because the subtitles keep me watching but if i wanted to relax more I would probably prefer it to be dubbed. I think it was different to watch it in Japanese because it made it feel more authentic and special.
I really enjoyed Six-String samurai because it was so weird. I enjoy weird things that make you wander and thats exactly what this film did for me. I think knowing a little about samurai history didn't really change my experience of watching it just i expected some cool fight scenes.
I liked Samurai Fiction because to me I couldn't tell the difference from this and a truly classic samurai movie. Because we did watch a truly classic samurai movie before i think It did enhance my viewing experience of this movie because I was paying attention more to see if there were any things that seemed pretty modern.
I agree with you all the way when it comes to samurai movies and SIX STRING SAMURAI, i felt like it was just a cool adventure flick with just cool fight scenes. And it was totally weird!
DeleteHello Isaac so The Castle of Cagliostro i liked this film it was cool to see something that is really popular in japan. I liked the silly mater thief thing about it. Ive only seen 1 other Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli film so i don't know how it ranks for me. i've only seen 4 anime in my life and two where dubbed and i personally like the subtitles more.
ReplyDeleteHey guys it's Kat (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
ReplyDeleteJapan Week Questions:
Sanjuro! :
1. Yes this actually was my first samurai movie :) Honestly it kind of proved my expectations wrong about Samurai movies. I think that's because americans views on action movies is drugs, sex, fighting, violence, and bad ass tough guys like Vin Diesel :3 But actually real samurai movies actually have very serious content and have amazing and sometimes breath taking morals. In Sanjuro, it included a lot of emotion and thought provoking sequences. I mean yes it had violence, but the violence was for a purpose and they wouldn't fight unless the had to. That's almost completely opposite from most American action movies.
2. The message that I got from the movie is team work, letting go, the toll violence can take on one person no matter the situation, and always be prepared and be clever.
3. The film taught me that samurai movies aren't just violence, they try to make the lessons as realistic as possible, and samurai movies can be violent, but they can also be beautiful at the same time.
The Castle of Cagliostro:
1. Yes I loved the film :3 I loved it not only because of the moral, the story line, and the humor, but I also loved it because it was like a classic action anime movie.
2. I actually have not seen any Miyazaki or Ghibli films to my knowledge, but if I would have to rate this movie from what I do know, I would have to rate it a strong 8.
3. I have seen a lot of anime/Japanese movies/animes in their original language. Honestly I wish I was strong at Japanese just so I could watch anime without dubbing it or subtitles.
Six String Samurai:
1. Omg yes I loved this movie :) I loved it because of the kind of steam punk vibe it involved, how it could make you laugh and cry at the same time, the moral, the suspense, and the weirdness :3
2. This defiantly was leaning towards the american side of samurai films, but it also was very related to classic samurai movies. There was only violence only if it was necessary, suspense, and the emotional level was perfect. Even though it was weird and on the strange side, it was beautiful at the same time.
Samurai Fiction:
1. This movie was really good but I wouldn't say it's my favorite. Yes I liked it, but not in the sense that I would watch it regularly. The twists and the story line were really good, but I cant really explain it. It didn't really catch my attention all that much.
2. Watching classic samurai movies previously did enhance my outlook on this movie. They had explained a lot of the everyday culture just by watching the movies, helped me understand the little life lessons hidden within the film, and they helped me understand that this movie really did an amazing job at portraying a classic samurai movie.
"It had violence, but the violence was for a purpose and they wouldn't fight unless the had to. That's almost completely opposite from most American action movies."
DeleteVery thoughtful and true statement! Thank you Kat. Your involvement in the class is so appreciated. You're awesome.
P.S. How'd you do the crazy little face thing next to your name? I love it!
Isaac. Six String Samurai. I liked it for the wiredness of it it was just absolutely crazy. And kinda didn't even make sense. But thats why i liked it and i liked this did you notice they really like to zoom in on things. And seeing another samurai movie before is why i didn't totally love it it just made me feel like they are making fun of it.
ReplyDeleteI did not think about them zooming in before. I will have to see other Japan movies, and look out for that. I totally agree though I love how the movie did not make sense. That kind of stuff is so funny to me!
Delete-Maddi
kat.
Deleteyea i loved the little twist on this movie about the steam punk/ western atmosphere :3 it defiantly was weird but so weird that you just wanted to keep watching it :3
-- SANJURO --
ReplyDeleteThis was my first time watching a samurai film all the way through, and I really enjoyed it. Kurosawa really knows what he is doing. He has a very firm grasp on composition and how to get the best performances out of his actors. The main actor did a phenomenal job blending intensity and humor in his performance. He was a real treat to watch.
I think that the message of this film is basically "Don't judge a book by it's cover".
This message really applies to a lot of situations in this film. The nine samurai first think that the lord Chamberlain is the corrupt one, but they soon find out this is not the case. They are also hesitant to trust Sanjuro, but he ends up playing a key roll in saving them.
I noticed that Japanese films have a lot of characters who are first perceived as one thing, then they change into something better/worse. I really enjoy Japanese films because they are made with such care and attention. They are really fun to watch.
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-- THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO --
This film was a blast to watch. It has some beautiful and colorful animation that really catches your attention and holds it for the entire film. Miyazaki is such an amazing director when it comes to animated films. He really knows how to create beautiful and fantastical landscapes and characters using animation.
This film also has a great quirky twist to it, and I really enjoyed watching it.
This is not my first Miyazaki film. I have been watching Miyazaki since I was a little kid. I had 'Kiki's Delivery Service' on VHS and I wore the tape out till it broke. I absolutely love that film. I also love 'Spirited Away' and 'Howl's Moving Castle'. Those films have such a emotional resonance with me. They are extremely powerful and moving and I absolutely adore them.
This film is probably my least favorite Miyazaki feature. Not because it is bad, but just because how much I love his other works. It is still a great film, it just isn't his best work, in my opinion.
I have seen a lot of anime films and television series with the original Japanese audio, and I definitely prefer it over English dubbing. When a film/TV series is dubbed over, it will not be the original script. When people dub, they simply take the sentence that the character(s) are saying, translate it, and tweak it to match the lips of the character(s). This means that they will sometimes shorten the original lines in order to match the lips. When this is done, a lot of times it is vastly different and I don't like that. I believe that the creators worked very hard writing the script to these productions, and I think they should be presented in their entirety.
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- Taylor Stoddard
-- SIX-STRING SAMURAI --
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was decent. I don't really enjoy films that are really silly. I think that the overall idea of this film is really cool, and the fights are really well choreographed, but some parts of it really didn't appeal to me. I feel like they tired too hard to make this film wacky that it distracted me from the plot.
Having watched an authentic Samurai film before seeing this one defiantly made my experience better because I could understand what they were trying to emulate. I think they did a pretty good job with the sword fights in this film.
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-- SAMURAI FICTION --
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It has a good blend of humor and drama, with some great action sequences as well. I got a very noir-ish feel from this film, and I really liked that. It gave even more atmosphere to the film. This film is a great love letter to classic Samurai cinema.
Having watched a classic Samurai film before this one increased my love for the genre even more. It gave me things to watch out for while watching this film, and that enhanced the experience a lot.
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- Taylor Stoddard
Sanjuro:
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was absolutely terrific. While it starts out fairly bland, it gets very immersive very quickly. It had good story telling, good acting, good shots, just everything about it screams 'I am here, I am Sanjuro, I am worth your time!'
This was my first samurai movie, and thanks to the incredible experience I had watching it, it will most definitely not be the last. It was enjoyable for just about every bit, and I was a little sad when it ended.
I think the message in this film was that everything can be won (and you will have an easier time winning) if there is no violence and you think things through before you act.
I honestly can't say I really learned anything about Japanese culture from this, because the parts that it did teach about it, I already knew. I was obsessed with Japan as a little kid so I researched everything I could about it.
The Castle of Cagliostro:
I very much enjoyed this film. Generally speaking, I HATE dubbed anime. While Miyazaki films are ones I can actually stand and love if they are dubbed, I am glad we watched subbed instead. I thought this film was fun, quirky, and just over all a cool film, which is why I liked it so much. I have seen most Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli films, even played the game Studio Ghibli made game "Ni no Kuni", which is excellent by the way, and found every single one enjoyable. I would not, however, rank this among my favorite films by them. It comes pretty close to last place. It's great, don't get me wrong, but it just isn't the best of the films Miyazaki has made.
To delve deeper into dubbed vs. subbed, I can't stand dubbed. I personally think everyone should watch all anime in subbed, because you lose the general tone of the story in my opinion. that being said, I think if you are just getting into anime, dubbed is probably a good place to start. Once you start to understand the differences between anime and cartoons over here in the U.S, and start to love the genre, I think it is time to switch to subbed. This is how I did that anyways. However, if you start with dubbed, DO NOT WATCH NARUTO! You will be bombarded with "Believe it!" after EVERY DAMN SENTENCE! If you want to watch in dubbed, Miyazaki's movies are a great place to start, or there are also animes like Black Butler, Soul Eater, Full Metal Alchemist, and so on, that just give a great experience even when in dubbed format.
Six-String Samurai:
While I liked this movie, it will not be going in my top 100. I mean it was cool, and it had funny moments, cool moments, but over all I feel like it just didn't mix well. I mean, it was cool, but the whiney little kid was too much like Anakin, a cry baby. I think I might have liked it more if I hadn't seen samurai movies before, I don't know why but I feel like I could have enjoyed it more.
Samurai Fiction:
This movie was by far my favorite movie we watched, It has instantly come into my Top Ten Movies to Watch. It was cool, original, I couldn't decide what was going on, my mind was always working to be one step ahead, but it never was. Foreshadowing was EXCELLENT, story telling was amazing, Watching Sanjuro helped me enjoy this to its fullest potential, because Sanjuro taught me what a samurai movie is like and this took everything and put it up to the next level.
I'm sooooooooo glad that you mentioned Black Butler's English dub, as I personally feel that it's actually better to watch than the original Japanese; if you're a native English speaker. Mostly because it's set in Victorian England, so of course all the characters should speak English, but also because they actually put some money into dubbing it. Every character has a distinguishable voice that matches their character traits.
DeleteI'd like to tack Space Dandy onto your list of good dubbed animes there, I have similar opinions of it's dub to that of Black Butler's.
-Lily
Isaac. Samurai Fiction. this was my favorite one we watch from japan. I loved the story I love just everything about it. the funny parts like wen they are running yelling at each ether the sad parts when he's friends die and i don't know i just loved it. And seeing other samurai movie did enhance my experience by being able to camper the two and see the different
ReplyDeleteHey, it's Taran.
ReplyDeleteThe Castle of Caligostro
This movie was extremely enjoyable in my opinion. I really liked the pacing of the movie, and I was immersed in the story throughout the whole film. The characters were very likable and well-developed for an animated film. I also really liked the animation; it's very well done for its time. I've seen other Miyazaki films, and enjoyed every one. I liked this movie about equal to the other films by him that I've seen. I also vastly prefer seeing films in their original forms, so I was happy seeing this movie in Japanese with subtitles, rather than a dubbed version.
Six-String Samurai
I was totally insure about this at first. From the very beginning, this film is extremely weird and bizarre. In fact, this is what really makes the movie fun to watch. The story really doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and again, that's part of its charm. It's a really fun road movie, and I'd definitely recommend anyone to watch it at least once. It did a good job on balancing odd and bizarre situations with fun comedy moments. It was also very evident that they were highly influenced by Japanese samurai films. Overall, a very fun movie.
Samurai Fiction
To me, this movie was pretty good. I'd say it was my least favorite of all the other films from Japan, only because I didn't feel all that invested in the characters or in the story. I did enjoy watching the film, I just felt it just wasn't quite as good as the others. I did really like the fact that they borrowed so heavily from classic samurai movies. The fight scenes were also extremely well choreographed and intense. It was a very good tribute to the old samurai movies, and did very well in capturing their spirit.
SANJIRO
ReplyDelete- This is not my first samurai movie. SEVEN SAMURAI was my first samurai movie. It's really hard to compare the two, but I was a little more impressed with SEVEN SAMURAI. I felt like SANJIRO was sometime being really preachy about the message, and I felt like SEVEN SAMURAI was just really fun. Don't get me wrong, I still love SANJIRO, but enjoyed SEVEN SAMURAI more.
- Don't kill, killing is bad. Respect your elders. And violence is absurd.
- I learned that honor and defending your honor is really important. And the eat a lot of rice.