Ninja Gari, or The Ninja Hunt, was made in 1964 by Toei Pictures, directed by Yamauchi Tetsuya. The only other movie I know that he did was Festival of Gion, but as to his history I am clueless. Konoe Jushiro plays a ronin called Wada, who is hired along with several other ronin to protect the Gamo Clan from the evil machinations of Kura, a ninja who is seeking to destroy the letter that will validate the Gamo's young heir to be their Lord. Otherwise, the clan is dissolved. They are awaiting for the arrival of the Shogun's messenger who will see the letter and escort the young lord to Edo. It has a "new wave" style to it; minimalist music, strong composition, with emphasis on diagonals and long shots, greatly taking advantage of the black and white film to emphasize the blacks of the ninjas lurking in the shadows, and the whites of the Gion clan in mourning, and the priests and nuns who are not what they seem. The attitude too, is akin to a film like a Gosha Hideo film, very violent for its time. Wada is ruthless as he tries to find the evil Kura, killing a small group of Gamo samurai in an incredible scene because he knows that one of them is a spy for Kura. There is an evil nun who collaborates with Kura, trapping a young Gamo maid because she may have a lead as to the location of the letter. The maid is killed by Kura, but the nun is no better. There is a disturbing scene where the nun is confronted by one of the Gamo ronin. Her allegiance exposed, she tries to seduce him in order to kill him. She's very pretty, but it makes no sense in the context of the film, other than that both act like vicious animals caught in the heat of the moment in sex and in war. They end up killing each other. There are beheadings, dismemberment, eye stabbing -- as the two factions vie for the upper hand in this battle for the clan's survival. The climax of the movie, taken place in the Gamo tomb, where the remaining main characters are trapped, is incredibly suspenseful. Kura is lurking in the shadows, picking off the clan one by one, until he has a final duel with Wada, in almost total darkness, while outside the Gion clan is desperately trying to bash the sealed door in....... A brisk 90 minute action film, atypical of its genre, but great viewing. I'm surprised I have not seen this movie mentioned other than online. Highly recommended!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Ninja Gari - one thrilling action flick
Ninja Gari, or The Ninja Hunt, was made in 1964 by Toei Pictures, directed by Yamauchi Tetsuya. The only other movie I know that he did was Festival of Gion, but as to his history I am clueless. Konoe Jushiro plays a ronin called Wada, who is hired along with several other ronin to protect the Gamo Clan from the evil machinations of Kura, a ninja who is seeking to destroy the letter that will validate the Gamo's young heir to be their Lord. Otherwise, the clan is dissolved. They are awaiting for the arrival of the Shogun's messenger who will see the letter and escort the young lord to Edo. It has a "new wave" style to it; minimalist music, strong composition, with emphasis on diagonals and long shots, greatly taking advantage of the black and white film to emphasize the blacks of the ninjas lurking in the shadows, and the whites of the Gion clan in mourning, and the priests and nuns who are not what they seem. The attitude too, is akin to a film like a Gosha Hideo film, very violent for its time. Wada is ruthless as he tries to find the evil Kura, killing a small group of Gamo samurai in an incredible scene because he knows that one of them is a spy for Kura. There is an evil nun who collaborates with Kura, trapping a young Gamo maid because she may have a lead as to the location of the letter. The maid is killed by Kura, but the nun is no better. There is a disturbing scene where the nun is confronted by one of the Gamo ronin. Her allegiance exposed, she tries to seduce him in order to kill him. She's very pretty, but it makes no sense in the context of the film, other than that both act like vicious animals caught in the heat of the moment in sex and in war. They end up killing each other. There are beheadings, dismemberment, eye stabbing -- as the two factions vie for the upper hand in this battle for the clan's survival. The climax of the movie, taken place in the Gamo tomb, where the remaining main characters are trapped, is incredibly suspenseful. Kura is lurking in the shadows, picking off the clan one by one, until he has a final duel with Wada, in almost total darkness, while outside the Gion clan is desperately trying to bash the sealed door in....... A brisk 90 minute action film, atypical of its genre, but great viewing. I'm surprised I have not seen this movie mentioned other than online. Highly recommended!
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