Jan

12

Samurai Rebellion is one of the best Japanese samurai moves. Toshiro Mifune stars as Sasahara, a mid rank guard officer. The scene is beautifully set and filmed in 1725 Tokugawa feudal era. The feudal lord orders one of the young maids to "serve" as his mistress ruining her pending engagement. Later the lord dumps her and orders his vassal, one of the guard's son, to marry her though she has the lord's son. Though reluctant, the Sasahara family takes her, and soon they have a child of their own, fall in love, and are happy. Then the lord's other son dies, and orders the wife back to the castle without regard at all for the feelings of the new couple, their child, or the family. It is intolerable morally, emotionally, politically. Sasahara has had all he can take and the result is well expected. Blood flows. The acting is powerful and touching, though it must be difficult for Japanese who do not overtly show emotion, and the seething feeling shows through the stifled masks. This is much different than other sometimes cartoonish samurai acting. They had no rights of liberty, life, property. There's a great tension the negotiations when the chamberlain asks Sasahara to ask to return the son's wife, rather than have the lord order it, so appearances are preserved.

The theme of the trampling of the rights, the feelings, the property of the lower ranks is so resonant with Chair's current themes of the flagrant abuses of power by the flexions and their brethren in command and other top feeders while they maintain appearances so properly.


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