Gate of Hell.

Review #2393: Gate of Hell.

Cast: 

Kazuo Hasegawa (Endo Morito), Machiko Kyō (Lady Kesa), Isao Yamagata (Wataru Watanabe), Yatarō Kurokawa (Taira no Shigemori), Kōtarō Bandō (Rokuroh), Jun Tazaki (Kogenta), Koreya Senda (Taira no Kiyomori), and Masao Shimizu (Fujiwara no Nobuyori) Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa (#735 - A Page of Madness)

Review: 

Remember Teinosuke Kinugasa? Well, it seemed appropriate to try and remember the man who gave us A Page of Madness (1926; at the time, people thought the movie was lost). Born in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, he went from being an actor (at least until the onnagata of men specializing in female roles became less prevalent) to becoming a director who made over a hundred movies from 1922 to 1966, and one of those movies included Gate of Hell [known in Japan as Jigokumon] for Daiei Film. The 1950s saw the dawn of Japan getting to see feature films in glorious color, at least occasionally. Carmen Comes Home (1951), as released by Shochiku, was the first to set that trend. Daiei Film, a studio formed during World War II, had their key place come early. They were behind the production of Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon (1950), the first big piece of a great age for Japanese films going beyond its native country. So, what film did Daiei make for its first color of production? Gate of Hell was based off the play Kesa's Husband by author/publisher Kan Kikuchi (coincidence or not, he actually was the first president of the studio*). The script was written by Teinosuke Kinugasa and Masaichi Nagata (the president of Daiei Film), which is generally put in the "jidaigeki" genre (okay that just translates to period dramas before the Meiji Restoration, which in this case is way way back in the 1100s). The movie was done in Eastmancolor (as one does when having imported film stock) and it so happens that you can watch the film in its restored form for quite some time now. In 1954, the movie was awarded two Academy Awards: the "Honorary Foreign Language Film Award" and for Best Costume Design (back in the days of awarding ones for films in color) to go along with the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

For 86 minutes, one does get a wonderfully curious movie to experience in all of the glances possible, which extends beyond the vivid reds and greens that come across the screen. You might call it a polite sort of tragedy in the slow boil that comes through with this movie, one that allows you to peek behind the curtain of what people seemed to look like in the seemingly quaint times and what really lurks beyond pleasantries and appearances. Sure, those first couple of minutes (call it about 20) are probably the most sluggish in terms of setup, but it is generally worth it after that because of what you will see in the aftermath of conflict that merely leads into the seething-type of conflict. Hasegawa was a prolific actor for over 300 movies in his life, and he does pretty well with this role that an actor would love to have play out on the stage in his unnerving conviction that plays out here. It isn't so much that he is playing a villain as much as you are watching a creature wrapped in lust and obsession that might as well fit the title of the film. Sure, you could label him as just an obsessed creep, but you have to understand that his plight is not exactly helped by the people around him (in terms of samurais, remember). Kyō (speaking of prolific actresses, she was in Rashomon) does quite well with showing the terror that comes across in being wrapped in a situation of an unwieldly triangle that isn't really love on all sides and also isn't easy to simply untangle from (in contrast, one sees a calm Yamagata, at least for one living in such polite surroundings involving samurai that isn't just taking up a sword). Wishes to acquire others are thought to be what you might call quaint rather than, well, pick any other word besides "odd", but you do get to see from one person the true meaning of sacrifice. If it wasn't already stressed to you, it is a pretty movie to watch, one that strikes you with its colors in vivid nature that remind you what it means to look and feel what a film is trying to convey to you about people and surroundings that make for a vibrant experience. It has its highs and lows in pacing, but it never stumbles in being a worthwhile film worth a close eye.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

*Incidentally, he is the namesake of an award for achievement in Japanese literary culture.

Godzilla Raids Again.

Review #1098: Godzilla Raids Again.

Cast: 
Hiroshi Koizumi (Shoichi Tsukioka), Setsuko Wakayama (Hidemi Yamaji - Koehi's Daughter), Minoru Chiaki (Koji Kobayashi), Takashi Shimura (Dr. Kyohei Yamane-hakase), Masao Shimizu (Zoologist Dr. Tadokoro), Seijirô Onda (Captain Terasawa of Osaka Defense Corps), Sônosuke Sawamura (Hokkaido Branch Manager Shingo Shibeki), Yoshio Tsuchiya (Tajima, Member of Osaka Defense Corps), with Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla), and Katsumi Tezuka (Anguirus) Directed by Motoyoshi Oda.

Review: 
Six years after doing the original film (#167), I figured it was finally time to do the sequel. Apologies for the wait.

The original film managed to evoke its share of terror and fine moments with its monster in 96 minutes, being an interesting piece of world cinema from Japan in my eyes. It had its share of human drama that I found to be moderately entertaining to accompany the narrative, and it had a conclusion that felt satisfying. Six months after its release, a sequel, going by the title of Godzilla Raids Again (whose title in Japan translates to Godzilla's Counterattack), and it certainly tried to stand out - for better or worse. For one thing, Godzilla fights another monster (this one called Anguirus), with the explanation being that the two monsters were brought back to life by the bomb that had awoken the original Godzilla, and naturally they fight each other, complete with miniature sets and destroying a pagoda. Like before with the original, Eiji Tsuburaya assisted with the special effects, serving as Director Of Special Effects for this film, and they certainly fit well for the spectacle that plays out on screen. The human drama this time isn't too particularly interesting, having its share of cliches and actions that you'd probably expect, and it borders a bit on tedious at moments but it proves to be mildly conventional enough to fit fine. Koizumi and the others (including Shimura briefly reprising his role from the earlier movie) do okay in carrying the movie to the points where it needs to go in its 81 minute run-time. The film isn't as good as the original film in the sense that it doesn't resonate so much with its action and narrative, but it does prove to be a fairly decent product of entertainment. It would be seven years until King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) continued the series.

One year after the release of this film, the original film was heavily re-edited in order to be released into American audiences, which was released as Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, with new scenes filmed with Raymond Burr describing the action that occurs in the movie that were directed by Terry Morse. In 1959, a re-edited version of the sequel followed (after trying to make a new film with the effect footage dubbed The Volcano Monsters failed), with it being called Gigantis the Fire Monster. This version, released into U.S theaters by Warner Brothers, had numerous edits such as replacing the original music by Masaru Satō with stock music, dubbing over the voices (with such voices like Paul Frees and George Takei), and even replacing Godzilla's roar with Anguirus' roar, while being released in a double bill with Teenagers from Outer Space. It should be noted that both films in their original form had played in theaters in Japanese-American neighborhoods, with the re-edited version of the first film being released in Japan in 1957. In any case, the modern age has led to the original versions of either film (and the re-edits) being more available, and it's not hard to see why as both of these movies are fine pieces of entertainment, with Godzilla Raids Again serving as a fair sequel for any sort of audience.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.