New Samurai Movie

[Forward Observer]

I was just wondering if a big time production of a movie about feudal Japan would be marketable in the US, the UK, and Europe today. It appears that there has been a revival of the big time epic historical dramas lately. Certainly, the fairly recent advent of highly realistic computer generated effects and graphics have overcome the prohibitive costs that used to be associated with such movies. Movies like Gladiator, SPR, and the Patriot were all made possible by this technology. If a fantasy movie like Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon could get such high acclaim, just think what an epic movie about Samurai Warfare could do. The TV adaptation of Shogun was very successful when it originally aired, and even though it was ambitious for the time just think what today’s movie technology could add.

I'm not saying to redo Clavel's Shogun, but maybe follow some of the same formula. It could be centered on a charismatic leader such as Oda Nobunaga. Add lots of personal drama and sub plots such as those found in Clavel’s Shogun. Maybe add a
Western character as a hook, and finally include a couple of “Ran” type epic authentic battles and I think you could have a winner. I’m sure given the chance, Hollywood would muck it up, but if they managed to tell a great yarn filled with great visuals, and still maintained some historical accuracy, they would have a blockbuster on their hands.
I’m sure at least all the visitors to this site would be in hog heaven if such a movie were to come out.

Anyone agree or (ha ha)want to back such a venture?

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Artillery adds dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl.

[Aucassin]

I quite agree with you. I would love to see such a movie. Actually, I would love even more to make the film myself.

[This message has been edited by Aucassin (edited 09-28-2001).]

[Minamoto Yoritomo]

I still think a film about Minamoto Yoshitsune could be hugely successful. It would have legendary feats of daring and bravery, political intrigue, betrayal, a tragic ending, in short everything that makes a great epic.

[Yoshitsune]

Not surprisingly, Yoritomo (or should I call you 'brother'?), I agree Can't understand why there has never been a Japanese epic about this character who is their equivalent of Robin Hood and King Arthur rolled into one (and look how many movies based on those two legends have been made in the West...).

There's already been quite a few Sengoku-jidai period films made including Kurasawa's and my favorite 'Samurai Banners' (Hiroshi Inagaki), but hardly anything based on the epic Genpei era. Very strange...

[Ii Naomasa]

As anyone who's read many of my posts would know, I would whole heartedly agree with the Minamoto brothers' opinions (when I started writing this, only Yoritomo had replied, so my post duplicates some of Yoshitsune's comments).

Yoshitsune's life (when you apply the legends that have grown) is of the exact caliber as Braveheart, Robin Hood, or Gladiator...and the nice thing is that all the fluff, exaggeration, and 'Hollywood corrupting' of the tale has already been ages ago to the point where it's almost considered the truth, so you could have a great, modified story without turning people off.

Minamoto Yoshitsune's story would have all the classic elements. War, romance, betrayal, loyalties (and the lack of such), action, landscapes, and a story that includes both hordes of characters and emphasizes a few individals. Of course, some would claim that it rips off some other tales, like Robin Hood (the battle with Benkei on the bridge is very Robin/Little John like in its style), but legends tend to form around a small set of points, no matter where they come from.

As much as I think it would be cool to see such a production, I have as much fear that it would be done all wrong. I’ve undertaken a sort of modernized version of Yoshitsune’s story for a friend who loves my writing (and it makes great practice…since I work on story telling as opposed to plot) and I can see so many places someone could destroy its integrity…and that’s ignoring the fact that I’m probably making a mockery of it myself).

Most studios probably wouldn’t go for a story that doesn’t have Westerners in it, though. After all it’s difficult to sell a movie with an all-‘foreign’ cast, even if every star is a second or third generation Asian-American. There’s not a whole lot of faces that the American movie audience would recognize and would therefore bring people into the theater (look at the majority of movie posters…it’s the stars that sell all too often). For a Yoshitsune story, you’d need a bunch of twenty-to-thirty something people, which eliminates a vast majority of well-known Asian-American actors (it would be nice to see Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as secondary character…maybe even Taira Kiyomori or Go-Shirakawa(as he could play either in younger-middle age as well as old age). Hollywood would want to wreck it by throwing in someone like Chow Yun Fat or Jet Li, neither of whom would fit as a main character (while nationality may be an issue to some, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal…it would be like an Irishman playing a German…you can get away with it…my point is not in physical issues, but just the age/style of acting).


[This message has been edited by Ii Naomasa (edited 09-28-2001).]

[solypsist]

just as long as there isn't a Japanses general who says stupid things like, "On my command, unleash hell" or anything, it'd be great to see an epic samurai movie.

[eeyore]

The greatest samurai movies tend to involve smallish clans, not the armies we deal with in the game. Kurosawa's late films the most notable exception. Westerners I've seldom seen if you mean Japanese-made period film. Most recent I've seen, not primarily a battle film, but co-scripted by Kurosawa, Kobayashi, Kinoshita, and Kon Ichikawa, is Ichikawa's "Dora-Heita." As good as it is in a way, the battles seemed all camera trickery. Doubt that Koji Yakusho actually learned the sword.

[Minagawa Daimon]

my movie wishlist:

1) make the Taiko novel an epic movie
2) a movie about the Battle of Dan-no-Ura(Kwaidan had a scene about it and i like it in a artistic sort of way but i wish theyd make it into "Gladiator" or "Braveheart" kind of violence

if i see one of these movies made into reality then i'd be in bliss for all eternity

[Hosakawa Tito]

A movie based on the book "Genpei" by Kara Dalkey would be a great fantasy tale.I would definitely pay to see this story done on film,especially with today's excellent special effects technology.

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Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so that they look forward to making the trip.

[tienyi]

All western movies can be spread worldwide, like Harry Potter, because many cinema films made by Western people are in English, therefore almost the whole world get to know it like Harry Potter for example. If this movie is translated in english then there is a chance that is can spread Worldwide.

[CEWest]

There are so many epic stories, large and small, during the sengoku, that an epic would be easy to put together, like Sanada Yukimura and his brother being split up between 2 clans, eventually finding Yukimura defiantly fighting as the chief defender of Hideyori at Osaka castle while his brother fights against him on the side of Ieyasu, or the downfall of the Asai - the list goes on and on. I guess it would have to be a long movie, to introduce all the characters - if it is a 'western' movie, you can't assume everyone knows who is who, like they do in Japanese. An epic story - done right - would make a lot of money, although I have to wonder how 'believable' a samurai movie would be in english...

[Jaguara]

I would love to see a modern attampt at this...but I would rather not see it done by Hollywood. I would rather see it done in Asia - anywhere in Asia. Put it this way, I would rather see this done by a Hong Kong studio than an American one...

More and more I find the stuff coming out of L.A. to be overproduced and phony.

As for the film having to be English...I think that would detract heavily from the atmosphere...I would go for subtitles like in CTHD...which did just fine on the world market despite being in ?Mandarin? (or was it Canotonese?)