…early angry ronin versus the world

I like japanese cinema because it can be violent, amoral and even cruel but it stays always noble and wonderful. Even when you watch a death duel, with swords and blood, there is something great that keep you on your sit. You can’t run away, you really want to watch the movie until the end ! My personal favourite period of this cinema, is the 60’s/70’s, time for exploitation’s movies, like chambara (sword fighting film) or yakuza’s stories. And be sure, there is nothing disguting or pejorative by using the term “exploitation”, this is great Cinema. Anyway, this period is full of rage with a powerful critic against the japanese society. In fact, japanese directors use the genre movie’s codes to express their ideas. For example, in Harakiri (1962, Masaki Kobayashi), one of the first shot show an empty samurai’s armor, meaning that the samurai’s spirit is a hypocrite thing ! And guess what’s the reference ? This is the same spirit that led Japan to the sadly atomic tragedy, millions of dead caused by an empty spirit.

Long time before Harakiri, a japanese director had already made an amazing critic style movie. This movie is Orochi. But the main difference between them isn’t 35 years, it’s the context ! In 1962, the war was over, the country could focus his efforts on the reconstruction, helped by the Americans. Whereas in 1925, it was the beginning of the end, militarists get the power and weren’t here to joke, but to make Japan greater than ever. So, in 1925, some laws were adopted to prepare the people for this “mission”, especially the youth. Orochi is a reaction against these laws from a bunch of angry youngs peoples ! Imagine how crazies they were ! Maybe at this time people who criticized the government were executed ! No, really, you don’t play with militarists !

Back in the 20’s, no blood or special choregraphy, movies were silent. Hey don’t run ! The best part’s coming ! So you have a person called the “benshi”, he’s an actor who play the sound track, he comments what’s on the screen. If he’s good, you can really forget that you’re watching a silent movie, it seems so dynamic with the benshi ! What’s surprising with Orochi, and not only because it’s a rare movie (most movies of this period were destructed !), is the fact that this is maybe one of the first film to present sword fights ! Don’t expect too much, it’s pretty simple, but this is coherent and well play, this is the birth of the myth of the samurai on screen ! And as soon as the myth is born, it’s already full of rage !

What about the story ? A young progressive samurai is dismissed by his master for having trouble a party with his revolutionnaries ideas concerning the way of the samurai. Unfortunately, without any master, the young man lost his social condition to become a ronin - a poor wandering and lonely man ! He tries to find a solution to survive, but nobody wants him, he’s a renagade ! The reason is always the same, he talks nonsense with his ideas ! The young man has to deal with a society too proud of herself to see how wrong she can be ! This is exactly the 1925’s context !

As a samurai, the young man was gently and proper dressed, a beautiful face showing all the honor of the samurai. But, by losing his position, he can’t afford anymore these needs, he got a crappy kimono and bear is recovering his face whereas his hair are dirty and totally mess up (you see my ban ? Same kind !). He become a monster feared by everybody, a real and definitive renegade. Thanks society for this gift ! Before he couldn’t explain his ideas freely, no he can’t even think of it. Life is beautiful for a young man full of hopes, it’s simple, shut up or die slowly ! There’s nothing more frustrating !

This situation is highly ironic, because at this time samurai was one of the proudly symbol of the society. It represents respect, honor and determination. No one could imagine see a samurai being a renegade, a man laughed and rejected by everybody ! In the movie, you can see people avoiding for what they are the most proud ! Ironic, isn’t it ? They should be honored to meet and help a samurai ! Instead, nothing, they laugh at him. So I guess a samurai can’t be someone who think about his future, he has to be a good dog, serving with honor a blind master and a blind society. The samurai can’t be a man, it’s a doll.

In 1925, Orochi proves that japanese cinema was already a way to make harsh critics without forgotten the entertaining part. Even with some cuts due to censorship, the movie is still a little bomb thrown at the face of the society with an amazing final, a man’s fighting all the authorities with all his guts. A man showing a way for the next generations.