Yamamoto Kansuke is an esteemed samurai and military tactician. He is ruthless with his war strategies, but he is also manipulative, stubborn, and forthcoming with his beliefs. Kansuke has plans to manipulate the Shogun unit the people of his country by conquering all the clans to make one all powerful clan. He even
goes as far as planning the Shogun?s air. This epic depicts a period in time when Japan was unruly and an empire was about to be born. ?The princess is about to kill herself. Do not enter until she is done.? Inagaki's Hiroshi, director of White Snows of Fuji, Journey of a Thousand and One Nights, Forgotten Children, Samurai I, II, III, Samurai Saga, 47 Ronin I & II, and Incident at Blood Pass, delivers Samurai Banners. The storyline for this picture is a masterful epic that reminded me of The Seven Samurai. There were not a lot of action sequences, but Mifune?s performance was brilliant. Mifune delivers a stern and compelling performance as the title character. ?I cannot die, even if I am killed.? The thief sequence at the camp fire, the assassination attempt on the Shogun, the battle versus Suwa, the princesses first interaction with the first lady, the mother?s dying wish, the sacrifice so the princess could escape, the beginning of the war (after intermission), the monk transformations, and the arrow in the eye sequence were amongst the better portions of the film. ?You?re the type of man who lacks a likable personality?? Toshiro Mifune is one of my all time favorite actors as his performances are awe inspiring. He is a very stern and stout man who delivers his roles in a resounding fashion. I found this DVD on sale for $10 with free shipping on the AnimEigos website. This is a long epic, 160 minutes, but well worth your time. There are enough twists and turns throughout the picture to keep you on your toes and the end in doubt. I strongly recommend this picture to fans of the samurai genre. ?They each dreamed their dreams and then left this world.? Grade: B+
July 21, 2007
