Reviews

Best BL of 2021

I began watching this series before it was completed and had to wait patiently for new episodes. Never have I been so anxious to know what happens to fictional people. I have never seen a story that captivates the unpredictability of emotions so perfectly. The complication of having family drama and the pressure of keeping everyone will be happy at what may seem to be the cost of your own happiness.

The story centres around Pat and Pran and builds so much that I honestly was wondering where they can go, but they found a way to not only keep it fresh but captivating. They are separated both at school and at home, due to faculty wars and family wars, which had me wondering if this series is really a BL because their was no one for them to be in the same space unless they are fighting. Then in the heights of emotions and battles, emotions get out of hand and then that balcony scene happened. I was literally holding my breath. The actors really showed of their skills in this scene, the will they wont they dynamics came to a head. the tension, the intensity, the emotion and the uncertainty had me at the edge of my seat. I was so worried about what was going to happen that I had removed the subtitles and tried to judge what was going on from their actions. This had me broken from the moment Pran walked off and left Pat standing there. I literally could not process it and I had to re-watch the scene with the subtitles only for every word to pull at my heart to have it finally ripped out when he walked off.

When it finally began to look like they got everything figured out, the curtain drops and its back to square one. I felt for Wai the most because he actually was genuinely hurt by his best friend keeping secrets. The writing on this show truely captured the essence of having to keep things a secret for everyone to be happy. While also showing that love has no limits and doesn't require much for you to have all you need. That moment when they returned home because they realise it isn't all about their happiness, made it worth so much more for me because too many times people forget your actions affect others.

This show truly was a rollercoaster of emotions with highs and lows, the best part about it is that, no matter which emotion they had someone right there with them. It was an amazing experience going through this part of their lives with them.

PS: If you have made it to the where the Pat's dad refused Pat's friend gift. Congrats to their parents for possibly turning into adults.

Read More

the machinations of a gilded cage

TLDR-
You may expect the normal melodramatic saquek, but this drama will surprise you.
Gorgeous OST, beautifully shot cinematography with layers of deeper meaning that'll break your heart when you're paying attention; a strong plot that doesn't meander, and very strong acting throughout to keep it all seamlessly tied together. Even saquek-tired viewers will be pleasantly surprised by this fresh, even modern take on a real-life story.

Thoughts on the main leads:
Lee Jun Ho: I've been a devoted Lee Jun Ho fan since watching his first main role in Just Between Lovers. I first watched that series because I really liked the premise and the cover photo, and quickly became utterly enamored by Jun Ho's character. He was charismatic, deeply troubled, and full of old physical and emotional scars that drew me in throughout the entirety of the series. The arc between him and his grandma crushed me and I thought his emotional scenes were masterfully done (including his public breakdown in the street when he received his diagnosis). I had no clue he was an IDOL until I looked him up afterward and saw that his real-life persona couldn't be more different from his character in the series, which impressed me even more. From then on, I was a huge fan and looked forward to his other roles. His charisma certainly knows no bounds and is not limited to 1 genre. He portrayed his role as the crown prince (and later as the king) masterfully and I can't help but replay his emotional scenes over and over. His relationship with his grandfather, the king, was troubled and full of complications that I enjoyed watching play out on screen. It teetered so often on domestic abuse with the emotional and sometimes physical warfare the king inflicted on him, despite how often he claimed to love him. The dynamic was interesting and effective and I found myself both angry at the king and full of pity. In the end, I could sense the raw loneliness, grief, love, and pain Yi San felt for him.

Lee Se Young: Although I'd only seen Lee Se Young in another saguek, The Crowned Clown, that series also happens to be one of my all-time favorite KDRAMAS so I had high hopes for her. Her role in The Crowned Clown was much meeker in character, and I actually thought her character took away from the overall plot and pacing of the drama because I thought the most interesting aspect of that drama was Yeo Jin Goo's Clown Ha Sun and King Yi Heon and when the romantic melodrama aspect started taking the forefront of the drama and pushing the suspenseful dynamic of the twin brothers to the background, it changed my overall interest in the show (although I still loved it for different reasons). Her role in The Red Sleeve is much more prominent and gives her a lot of room to stretch her acting skills, both emotionally and physically and in different genres, so I especially loved watching her this time. Her facial expressions are so emotive and I found myself laughing and crying with and at her on several occasions.

OST: Gorgeous. Emotive. Enhanced every scene without overwhelming it.

Plot: Surprising and fresh with subverted tropes, strong and empowered female characters, broken stereotypes (female saves male MULTIPLE times, female with strong willpower, sensitive man, etc). I loved Deok Im's strength as a woman in her determination to live for herself, regardless of the pain she'd feel by not going the easy route. I loved that she saved Yi San and was able to protect him on multiple occasions. I loved Yi San's consideration for Deok Im later on in his conviction to treat her as a woman and not as an inferior subject. I loved Yi San's royal guard and his adorable gullibility and fierce loyalty. He brought on moments of much-warranted levity which brightened both the scene and Yi San's countenance. I loved the friendship between the court ladies and the moral greyness of some of the other women. I loved that the "antagonists" in this drama wasn't the true villain; it was the palace and its rules that entrapped our main characters and the "heroes" were the very people that were pillars keeping the palace living and breathing.

Episode 14 Update:
I've grown very frustrated with the relationship between Yi San and Deok Im.
I understand there are many complexities, and I empathize and understand Deok Im's fears and insecurities toward accepting the role as a concubine so I can't fault her for refusing the role and putting herself first; however, Yi San has only ever been fully honest with her regarding his feelings and his desire to keep her safe whilst she's *brutally* turned him down so many times, I've lost count. She disregards his feelings to intentionally hurt him and push him away despite her true feelings, and she only ever treats him for his title and not as a man. Yi San frustrates me as well because he's so painfully aware of his title, that his desperation to be treated as a man by Deok Im understates how serious and challenging that request would be for a normal person to hear. All physical skinship, excluding the reuniting hug, after she saved him from the ambush, has been physically forced and one-sided, including the kiss at the end of Episode 14. If I'm being told to believe she wanted that kiss because she submits into it at the end, no thank you k-drama world, that's not how reality works. I'm frustrated he did that, and I'm frustrated that it was *once again* a one-sided show of affection (that she didn't even ask for). I want to see HER fight for him *as a man* just 1 time and she hasn't. It has only ever been for her king and highness (excluding the time when they were children), and I pity him for that (despite disapproving of his behavior toward her physically).

Episode 15:
"I have deceived his Majesty. His Majesty may deceive the court ladies at his will, but a court lady may not deceive the King."
UGH. Still pretty frustrated with their relationship. They're both in very difficult positions, both on the level as a man and a woman and as King and court lady. I selfishly really just want her to hug him and tell him she cares about him too and he's not so painfully alone in the world.


Epsiode 16 & 17:
Oh. My. Tears. What a heart-breaking, gorgeous, beautiful, punch in the gut.
I love the ending so much. I love the subtle and nuanced cinematography that captured so elegantly the "prison walls" that framed so many of our characters throughout. I loved that Yi San stripped away and laid himself bare for Deok Im and that she *finally* openly acknowledged her love (and without saying it still) for him. I loved that they ended up together and both willingly chose the other in the end. If I'm not making much sense atm, it's because I'm still typing through my tears.

Can't recommend this drama enough, and I'm so happy our beloved cast and crew received the proper attention and accolades that were well deserved.

Read More

Revenge has never looked so good

This drama is amazingly good.
I don't really want to write this review because I might not do it justice; how do I express the wonder and elegance that is Money Flower? I'll try
Money Flower has some classic 'makjang' elements, chief among them being revenge and multiple birth secrets. I hope you won't be alarmed by my use of the word 'makjang' no need for you to imagine over the top plot twists or crazy hairpin bend plot development; no, not at all. Money Flower is so elegant, sophisticated, intellectual, watching it is like listening to a concerto, there are many lulling mellifluous moments where the plot is humming along beautifully until it comes to a crescendo which will leave you awestruck and marvelling at the wonderful storytelling.
This script is so tightly woven there is absolutely no room for you as a viewer to lose interest, when you're not riveted by the plot, you'll find yourself admiring the setting, the scenery, the camera work, the lighting, the beautiful people and costumes, there is an incredible attention to detail that was exercised in the making of this drama.

The story of revenge is handled in an intellectual manner, like a chess game it's methodical and well thought out, moves are calculated well in advance, there is very little room for error. The messed up family dynamic is shown to the viewer by the progression of the story and in flashbacks, you never feel as though the drama is telling you something, it simply shows you people's actions and the consequences of those actions.
The overriding theme in this drama is the love of money being the root of evil, as well as revenge and its consequences.

The cast is all excellent and well matched to their roles.
Jang Hyuk carries this show to such levels of acting excellence that I'm inspired to watch ALL his work. I've always been a fan but now I'll probably become a stalker, he's that good. He literally had no expression on his face most of the time and yet you knew exactly what he was feeling at any given moment, his eyes are so expressive, and the minor, barely perceptible shifts in expression were equivalent to a huge grin or frown in their impact. just wow.
The conclusion of his story is cathartic and you can feel his relief and the twenty year old burden being lifted off his shoulders.

Lee Mi Sook perfectly portrayed the power hungry yet fundamentally insecure Mal Ran, she is the perfect example of someone who has all their priorities mixed up.

Park Se Young is good as Mo Hyun, she didn't need to be epic so her quiet, simple straightforward demeanour was just perfect for the role.

Jang Seung Jo is wonderful in his role of Bu Cheon. Next to Jang Hyuk this is the performance and storyline that hit a chord with me. Bu Cheon is so pitiful in that the deck is stacked against him even before he is born, his mother's machinations make it impossible for him to chose his own path in life and ultimately to be happy. Jang Seung Jo managed to convey a sad cheerfulness that broke my heart every time, his acting is really great in this drama.

Finally we come to the root of all the evil in the Jang family: Lee Soon Jae as Chairman Jang. This man is diabolical and will stop at absolutely nothing to get what he wants which is to create a lasting legacy of himself into perpetuity, he is so narcissistic. He uses his company that he founded to manipulate his children and grandchildren, holding the presidency as a carrot stick to keep everyone in line, he employs some very heartless tactics, and is overall an extremely ODIOUS man!

The music is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Overall 10 out of 10. A splendid piece of entertainment.

Read More

Been watching Kdrama and Cdrama for years but haven't wrote a review. But because I felt like I have to say something about this series here is my first attempt.

I just finished the series an hour ago and the songs kept playing on my mind so I thought of writing this. Overall, the series is cliche as to most of us who read and watch dramas. But what makes it unique is how the artist portrayed each character that changed the viewers perception from ordinary to extra-ordinary. I was actually been waiting for this drama.

Plot wise, a common wealthy male lead falls in love to a nobody female lead. But of course, that what gains the public's interest. The transition of the story line was indeed smooth. There were unexpected twist but most were predictable. If you ever love music this series is for you. It contains finding your inspiration, persevering for your dreams and overcoming sufferings. RomCom side of this story is strongly bonded at the same time I find it cute. As for the other side stories, I must say, only Cdrama made me hate second lead male. Originally I would vouch for the second leads, but this drama just didn't work that magic. Nonetheless, the antagonists made just the right balance to make this drama perfect.

As for the characters, what I hate about dramas are female lead being too submissive and weak, and so, that's one of the strong points of this series having a strong personality for a female lead. Although sometimes she acts stupid, it only shows the natural flaws of a person in reality. ZTao on the other hand, was the perfect guy for this drama. Like he was just being himself during the whole duration of the series. The vibe he portrays were all natural and not just an act, from his singing and interaction with other the casts. Just like watching the life of a real star unscripted and that's what amazed me.

Of course, there will always be a weak points. What I dislike about this drama is that it has to end while the story was just starting. I think, 44 episodes were enough, but then it felt like most of the airing time where wasted by unnecessary side stories and ended up rolling the credits way too rush. I was really anticipating for his time on the stage but saw none, what a petty. What are those practices for??!! (Ranting because its unjustifiable, you'll know when you finish this series)

Nevertheless, I would recommend this to those of you who's lost their purpose in life. Learn from the script and the characters way of life. There were many hurdles, but despite that they overcome.

Read More

The first half was amazing. It was funny, romantic, full of friendship and simply great. Unfortunately as soon as they return to Thailand the drama takes a nose-dive. It feels as if they changed the writers. The characters seem almost schizophrenic. They change their opinions at every turn. The only ones who stay constant are Pat - he just continues to be spineless right until the last two episodes - and the main couple. But those two were great! Krit and Matt had perfect chemistry and made it seem like it was real and not just for a lakorn. If the director had stayed true to the first half, the show would have been a new favourite of mine! As a whole I don't regret watching it!

Rating:

3 points = 'hmmm...'
Rewatch value: I normally don't rewatch dramas, therefore.....

6-7 points = 'it's not better or worse than any other drama out there'
Story: nothing new, but enjoyable nonetheless
Music: not bad, but not very memorable either

9 points = 'I loved it'
Acting: Matt and Krit were fascinating. I could imagine them reacting the same way in real life. And for once the gay best friend was kind of funny and not simply annoying. Besides, I loved their friendship! It showed throughout the whole show and made my heart all fluffy ;)

10 points = 'I would die for it'
I don't give away 10 points. It really is that simple :)

Read More

I am writing this review after watching this drama for the third time. And every time I re-watched this drama, I have rated it a little bit higher. Yes, the story isn't exactly original or unpredictable but I have to admit that it is entertaining.

I have no idea what the budget for this drama was but they must have spend it a fair bit, especially for the overseas locations. I can't say that the actions were done that well but for a Kdrama, it has one of the biggest gun battle scene I've seen in a drama.

Overall, the acting was okay, the story was good but what was exceptional was the OSTs, there were some very memorable ones that stays with you.

I would recommend this drama to anyone who is bored with rom-coms or melodramas and want something with a revenge theme and a lot of action.

Read More

All is fair in love and war...

For those who love wuxia or Zhang Yi Mou's films, Hero will weave around you, wrapping you in its hypnotic effects of color, music, scenery, and skilled performances. The film is a poetic examination of the different facets of being a hero and the sacrifices required. As a fan of both wuxia and Zhang Yi Mou I found this film breathtakingly beautiful and emotionally heartbreaking.

It is helpful to understand on the first watch of Hero that the story is not told in chronological order or from a single viewpoint. Each viewpoint and version of the story has a particular color hue. When the warrior Nameless is brought before the Qin emperor, gray and black dominate the color scheme. Nameless has killed the three most infamous and dangerous assassins in the realm granting him unprecedented access to the emperor, coming within 10 paces of him with only several rows of candles between them. The emperor asks Nameless to explain how he came to possess the weapons when even 3000 soldiers could not acquire them.

Nameless (Jet Li) tells the emperor a story of how he defeated Sky (Donnie Yen) and his silver spear in the rain accompanied by an old blind man playing the guqin. Every time I watch this movie it is a treat to see Jet Li and Donnie Yen fighting in the rain with water dripping from the rooftops. Next, in a world gone crimson, Nameless explains how he defeated the warriors and lovers Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Broken Sword (Tony Leung). Broken Sword believes that calligraphy and sword fighting are intertwined. He and Snow are the masters in a calligraphy school drenched in red but have a rift driven between them. This vermillion school is the home of primal emotions-jealousy, hate, lust, and revenge. Nameless wants a banner with the unique and 20th version of the word "sword". This memory has a sequence with an extraordinary fight between Snow and Moon (Zhang Zi Yi). In a spiraling storm of golden leaves the two women swirl and parry until blood is drawn and the leaves echo the color of life and death.

The emperor doesn't believe Nameless and gives his version of events now told in blue. The characters are calm, clear thinking and accepting instead of being ruled by their passions. Instead of Nameless ending up with the swords because of vengeance, this time the lovers willingly hand over their swords in order for the skilled Nameless to kill the emperor. After Snow sacrifices herself Nameless and Broken Sword have a balletic battle over a tranquil cerulean lake.

Finally, the truth is told in white as death hovers ever near for the characters and the genuineness of their motives is revealed. The emperor's memories of Snow and Broken Sword attacking him three years ago are in green with floating green curtains hanging from the throne room ceiling. In this emerald world Broken Sword had a moment of clarity and that clarity distanced Snow from him.

Zhang Yi Mou's lush and color saturated frames were romantic and stunningly spectacular. Every version of the events was filtered through the chosen color-lighting, wardrobe, and sets. He is a director who always knows how to get the most out of nature's scenery whether in the wind blown desert or a verdant hillside. Tan Dun's score was splendidly lovely and mournful.

This film had a dream cast. Jet Li's reserved acting was perfect for the Nameless and committed warrior. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung have never looked more beautiful. Snow and Broken Sword had a tender yearning for each other tragically tethered to her burning desire for revenge. They were truly the emotional heart of the film. Neither the lovers nor their swords could ever be parted. Their final scene was emotionally shattering. Zhang Zi Yi played Broken Sword's servant, Moon. Thinly drawn, she filled it out as much as she could. Donnie Yen was only briefly featured and brought the martial arts credibility to go along with Li's. Chen Dao Ming gave the right amount of balance, maybe more humanity than he deserved to the tyrant emperor.

Despite being a wuxia, the fights were not the main thrust of the story, even though they were well choreographed and shot. For those not familiar with the genre, the fights often relied on wire work. Though most of the actors were quite graceful as they danced and twirled in the air, there were a few gaps. The choreography tended to err on the side of the visual instead of the realistic which made for imaginative sword work. Jet Li moving through the rain drops is still one of my favorite movie images. The large Qin army raining down impossibly numerous arrows on the calligraphy school with two characters countering them conveyed the dire situation of the heroes and the high stakes.

The only thing that kept this film from being perfect for me was the ending. The emperor's adage that the brutal destruction of his enemies and annexation of their lands was for the greater good and the hero's acceptance of this was disturbing. I thought it was ironic that the old calligraphy master said, "Qin arrows can never annihilate our written words." In reality, the emperor did just that by massive book burnings and burying alive over 400 scholars who disagreed with him. I do agree with Broken Sword that the goal is to be rid of the desire to kill and the need for the sword and to live in peace with one another. Because this is not my country and history, I do not have an educated view on this emperor, only a limited personal opinion. Whether desiring to kill the emperor to prevent further war or letting him live to prevent further war, the heroes were willing to sacrifice all for their beliefs.

Despite the ending, I loved this film. The haunting score, the lush colors, fanciful fights, and sorrowful love story pull me in every time. In large part due to the stellar cast and Zhang Yi Mou's exquisite directing style, I have found few wuxias better than this one.


3/27/23

Read More

It is a Japanese remake of the American film Ghost. They both used the song Unchained Melody, have the same story as one of the lovers will die and became a ghost, but the plot in the Japanese version is different.

It is ver romantic, emotional and you can feel the grief after the lost of someone you love. The special effects is good, the fighting scene and the thrill when uncovering the reason of death.

The wedding ceremony is so surreal but romantic indeed.

Well, I feel both happy and sad at the end. It is fantasy but it gives hopes and idea of eternal love. Both actors were good and I like Song Seun Hun (male lead) speaking Nihonggo.

Overall, I like the movie.

Read More

Finally a good action romance drama!!

I watched this drama as a part of recommendation challenge and I literally have to thank them for introducing me to this.

To outline the drama it was an absolutely wonderful and interesting watch.
There was a bit of everything for me that worked here - action, romance with both strong male and female lead and a bit of suspense and drama. The story kept me intrigued and invested till the very end. Each and every detail or clues in every episode somehow made sense at the end. I couldn't find any story loopholes. Tbh story isn't very unique but it is put together to almost perfection. You would really have to nitpick (which I am not gonna do :D)

The acting by all the cast members were perfect! The romance arc between the ML and FL is simply beautiful. The chemistry between them is FIRE! No nonsense! Just 2 adults trying their best to be together and handle things maturely. The OST was decent too. 

All is all , a great watch!

Read More

Entertaining

It's a well rounded story about parallel universes, and if you like these light sci-fi kind of drama (like Someday or One Day and First Love Again) you might like this one as well. The problem here is that the characters lacked emotion. The best one is the female lead's father, but the rest didn't get me attached to them. When the actors changed from child to adults I couldn't feel the connection between them either.

So, if you're looking for a romance to get emotional and root for the leads, I don't think you'll find it here. And I don't believe it's just the actors fault, the script didn't make them close either.. it felt like they didn't really care about each other. At the same time, it's nice to have a romance without it being over the top, I guess you need some balance and for me this wasn't enough.

Despite everything, it's the kind of drama that makes you want to talk about it (hence this review) cause it leaves you thinking and it's pretty interesting.

Read More

Its a psychological torture

This drama is so intense, if you decide to watch it make sure you are mentally prepared by it This drama is like Squid Game and its also like Big Brother House wit a horrible twist. 8 different people were chosen to play this game . 8 different people with different personalities combined in one place, but all have one aim, to be a winner of the said gane and take away the prize money. If I will play in the said game it will surely drive me crazy, because I dont know who is my enemy, its hard to trust someone in this kind of game.
How far you will go or haw far you will do for the sake of money? All of the have different struggles including money, so they are willing to do anything for the sake of it. Doesn't matter if they hurt someone as long as they win. Some players have a heart wherein they mind others feelins but some players have no heart they dont mind if they hurt others. I can say that its a psychological torture because they experience torture which affects them mentally.
All the cast did their best in portraying their roles, they are effective on it because all your emotions you will feel in this drama. Its a good drama because its very unique but its a bit dark.

Read More

I watched "Deliver Us From Evil" last night. It's a good Action-packed movie. The fighting and knife scenes are really great, it was shot in a unique way. I can't comment on the cinematography, because there was nothing special about it. All I can say is that they worked hard to reduce shaky cam scenes to the minimum, it's almost unnoticeable. Concerning the individual performances "Hwang Jung-Min" is really good as a contract Assassin, he was ruthless and skillful, but I really missed his sense of humour in this movie. "Lee Jung-Jae" as a brutal villain is really eye-catching, he was fierce and his presence was really haunting, "Park Jung-Min" as a transgender was something special to watch. The low point of this movie (for me) was the storyline and the plot, there was clearly a lack of backstories to give the audience a hint on how the characters reached the present day. In simple words, there was almost no (Character Development). I feel like they should've gave this one more time. It gives you this weird feeling that you're not satisfied with the conclusion of the whole story. Overall I would say its an enjoyable experience as an action-packed movie, but unfortunately I wouldn't put on a top 10 list of korean movies released in 2020.
I will give it a rating of 7.5/10.

Read More

A beautiful coming of age lgbtq movie

I knew this would be a good movie based on other people’s reviews, I just didn’t expect this level of acting and cinematography. The story of Jia Han and Birdy wasn’t a perfect one, but a realistic one and a story that needed to be told. This film dealt with real issues such as homophobia, society norms and conflicting emotions aswell as the church. The emotional elements the soundtrack brought made every scene even more beautiful/emotional. Jia Han and Birdys story may feel like fiction but represent real life people (based on true events) and every person affected by homophobia in the 80s. The movie perfectly captured teenage friendship, feelings and confusion. Although the ending was ambiguous it was also beautiful and in my opinion and peaceful ending for both men- at peace with their sexuality and together, wether it be as friends or something more. The last scene with them walking together and the flashback of them playing with the guitar and ball was amazing and this was even more accentuated by the song which included the title “your name engraved herein”. I would go as far to say this was one of the best films of the past decade and I couldn’t recommend it more, at times you’ll be laughing at their friendship and the story but at others cry at how raw and real the scenes are. This isn’t a BL but don’t let that deter you from watching, everyone should watch this film.

Read More

The best Anti-Samurai film to be ever made...

Unemployment has always been a tragic consequence of change and modernisation. What if this situation occurred at a time when there was no pension, no unemployment benefits and the moral code was not able to keep up with the times?

To me Harakiri had elements of a job interview gone horribly wrong. Considering the past two pandemic years where a lot of people became jobless, this movie hits close to home and makes me feel really thankful that we live in different times.

Story:
The time is 1630 - Japan. We have a ronin (wandering unemployed samurai) Tsugumo, who goes to a clan house and requests permission to kill himself i.e commit Harakiri. The clan elder Saito tells him a story designed to discourage this but the tables are turned when Tsugumo skilfully humiliates the leader in front of his retainers.

This is an anti-establishment film that portrays the flawed bushido code hiding behind a facade of honour and morality. It depicts the tragic circumstances surrounding ritual suicide and provides a potent message which I think is relevant as long as authoritarian regimes exist in this world. We are all born into a system that influences our thinking and behaviour. Be it cultural or political, the system defines our actions and when we are faced with an ethical dilemma it can challenge what we think to be right or wrong. A similar situation forces Tsugumo to give up his ideals and deal with it in the only way he knows - sepukku/ harakiri.

The story is poignant and the thought evoking screenplay by acclaimed screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto is brought to life by Kobayashi in an extremely mesmerising narrative structure with some beautiful stills and graceful cinematography by Yoshio Miyajima.

Acting:
Tatsuya Nakadai as Tsugumo delivers a flawless performance. His calm demeanour in the initial sequence really brings in the sombre mood of the film.
Mikuni Rentaro does a splendid job as Saito. The acting in this film overall is superb but the direction by Kobayashi elevates this film to brilliance.

Overall:
There are a lot of symbolic shots during the opening and closing sequences that reflect the tarnished glory of feudal Japan. History is written by the victors and the ending shot of the samurai armour sears it into the minds of us viewers as it brings forth the hypocrisy of feudal Japan.

With a brilliant screenplay, an amazing director and the wonderful acting of every cast member, this is undoubtedly one of the most thought provoking samurai film to be ever made!
A solid 10 from me.

Read More