Is there an epic Japanese film.

[theforce]

If they are any l dont know em. A movie ala TotalWar where clans are fightign with all those men killing in the field of battle. I can imagine my self watching it...
"Not from there stupid you are going to get flanked" http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif


------------------
Don't use only honour, use theforce, too.
http://www.darksideshogunclan.cjb.net
Enter the Darkside...

[bokassa]

Kagemusha directed by Akira Kurosawa is about Takeda Shingen. I haven't seen it and I'm not sure if theres many battle sequences though.

------------------
"How will we stop this man doctor?" "Oh no Sheriff he's not a man." "What is he ?" "He's evil."

[Ii Naomasa]

Sadly, although Kagemusha features a lot of troops marching about and has a number of battles (including the famous 'beginning of the end' battle for Takeda at Nagashino), the majority of the combat takes place off camera, which one or more characters looking on. This is well done for artistic purposes, but, unfortunately, won't win the hearts of those who merely want to see samurai kill each other.

Often talked about for its battle sequences, Kurosawa's later work, Ran, features only small size skirmishes, not full-on army vs. army battles. It's an excellent movie, though.

While not of the same general high quality of Kurosawa's work, two works that have 'epic' battle sequences that can be found without too much effort in the western world. One is Heaven and Earth, or Ten to Chi to, which features the battle of 4th Kawanakajima. Take the actual details of this movie with a grain of salt, however.

Furin kazan, more commonly known as Samurai Banners, supposedly features some decent battles. Unfortunately, despite its covering of Takeda Shingen's earlier years and co-starring Toshiro Mifune, I've actually never gotten a chance to see this one, so I'd get a second opinion before buying (renting should be sure thing, though...Mifune is rarely unenjoyable, even in his lesser movies).

[theforce]

I m the one who likes watching samurai's killing each other http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

------------------
Don't use only honour, use theforce, too.
http://www.darksideshogunclan.cjb.net
Enter the Darkside...

[Minagawa Daimon]

Also try looking for the movie "sword of doom", it features great 1 on 1 battles during "tokugawa" japan..or better look for the "lone wolf and cub" series, cuz for me it has the best storyline pound for pound..alas for "braveheart" style samurai movies we still have to wait for a producer incarnate of the late akira kurosawa..but while ur waiting, play the "kessen" and "onimusha" games for the playstation2...attu gyokusai!

[ltj]

http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/archive/fullnews.cgi?newsid977320937,60201,

[theforce]

AWESOME. I will see Samurai's killing after all http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif Thanks Itj

------------------
Don't use only honour, use theforce, too.
http://www.darksideshogunclan.cjb.net
Enter the Darkside...

[Minagawa Daimon]

That sure is great news...cant wait to hir more news about it! Attu gyokusai!

[candidgamera]

To Ii Naomasa or anyone:

Know where one can get a VHS of "Heaven and Earth"? (Had it on tape from cable, accidentally got lost) remember its battle scenes as being as good or better than Ran.

[The Black Ship]

Heaven and Earth is hard go get new...it always seems to be on order or backlog http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/frown.gif With Hollywood getting involved interest in the game will expand greatly! Provided they've kept the game fresh of course http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by The Black Ship (edited 01-13-2001).]

[Dark Phoenix]

With Hollywood involved it will probably get turned into something that will be no where near what the historians will want. It will probably be just Gladiator in Japan.

[theforce]

Well l think they will use more strategy in these game. And in Gladiator Romans were throwing fireballs, flaming arrows in the forest so the lines of the enemy were fucked up.

------------------
Don't use only honour, use theforce, too.
http://www.darksideshogunclan.cjb.net
Enter the Darkside...

[candidgamera]

Black Ship do you actually know where you
can order h&e from?

[Ii Naomasa]

Candidgamera, I, unfortunately, do not even own a copy of H&E. I saw it once on cable and have made half-hearted attempts to procure it. As BlackShip-san points out, it isn't easy to get a copy of it. Perhaps someone will make DVD version, as there is an undeniable faction of samurai-movie-loving fans out there.

H&E's historical accuracy is suspect without even being a Hollywood piece, as are most tales that need to be condensed and made more 'exciting'. Despite the completely new 'history' of Commodus, Gladiator wasn't that bad for a Hollywood movie. Sure, you can nitpick on things, but I'm willing to give a Hollywood movie some lee-way as long as it inspires a small part of the population to explore the history behind the fictional story.

[The Black Ship]

I find with Historic fiction (that's what Hollywood always creates) that if I imagine I'm watching the events from some alternate-universe, not our universe, it's easier to take. That way Rome could indeed become a Republic again http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif

Buy.com has H&E listed on their movie titles, but it's always on order...the damn order must never get in!

[This message has been edited by The Black Ship (edited 01-18-2001).]

[Minagawa Daimon]

true, looking for a copy of a heaven and earth video is really hard, i am currently looking for one too, heard that it was one of the most expensive movies made in japan and that the fight scenes is very well done, good luck in your search

[candidgamera]

Many thanks for the feedback posts. Just got Kagemusha - a good watch even without as much Ran-like battle scenes.

Black Ship: went to buy.com per your post, wondering if that's really "our" H&E and not
the Oliver Stone film about Vietnam.

Ii Naomasa: how good's the history in your estimation in Kagemusha?

Went into a Suncoast video store looking for H&E and it came on their screen on some indefinite status in Laserdisk from IVE. Was told that IVE was bought (or is now?) Artisan Entertainment.

Curious to know the story of why such a prominant film of the genre, relatively recent (1990) would be so unavailable.
Wonder if its like the "Heavy Metal" story:
unavailable for about 10 years because of legal BS.

Still haven't given up on finding H&E, will post anything I find out, its now a quest.

[Minagawa Daimon]

Kagemusha is ok, why dont u try watching the lone wolf and cub series, it may not be a army vs army movie but it has one of the best samurai storylines ive ever watched, as for the H&E question about its inavailability, the only copy they made was for the vhs only and no dvd's due to the fact of licensing as u said due to a company takeover, hope it helps...good luck

[candidgamera]

Minagawa Daimon:

Speaking of Lone Wolf & Cub: found a site with those for sail (haven't contacted them yet) through Planet Total War site. It appears they have Samurai Banners too:
http://www.animeigo.com/Samurai/SBANNERS.t

On H&E, I'd be happy with VHS, as have no DVD player yet, starting to feel like the cassette-to-CD switch for music gone through about 10-12 years ago

We all ought to flood the equivalent of the "Japanese National Film . . whatever" with email and demand they re-release it, damn the lawyers, ect! (only half serious of course).

[UncleLou]

And if you want to see a great movie about a black assassin in New York City who does his training with a katana on a rooftop and reads "The Way of the Samurai", watch "Ghost Dog" by Jim Jarmusch.
But I think this isn`t quite the movie you wanted to see...

------------------
CD-Recommendation:
Miles Davis the complete live at the plugged nickel 1965

[Minagawa Daimon]

one quick solution...have the lawyers commit seppuku, but the again they have no honor in the first place so they have nothing to redeem exept bring back H and E to the masses..as for the comparison between Lone wolf and ghost dog...Daigoro(ogami ittos son aka the cub) has more warrior spirit in him than ghost dog will ever have even if he practices his whole life,...Ghost dog is merely a modern day interpretation of Hagajure..while lone wolf and cub is bushido eternal...attu gyokusai!

[Kurando]

UncleLou;

I'm glad someone else liked Ghost Dog too; to my mind that movie is poetry... the poetry of war...

[UncleLou]

Kurando:
That`s what I think!
I knew you had taste when I saw that you posted a picture from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and now I`ve got the final proof. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

By the way, I once saw Jim Jarmusch in Hamburg when he visited the same concert as me. Well, he`s easy to recognise, tall as he is and with his strange hair-do!

(My final goal is to post one message I won`t have to edit because of severe spelling mistakes.)


[This message has been edited by UncleLou (edited 01-20-2001).]

[CEWest]

You could probably consider some of the Japanese "Taiga Drama" 'epics', considering the fact that they are approximately 40 hours long, although sorely lacking in the 'big, epic battle' department.