All Dressed Up, But Going Nowhere.

Rating: 3/10 (25 July 2016)

Viewed on DVD. Costumes/makeup = ten (10) stars; restoration = ten (10) stars; score = nine (9) stars; set/decoration = nine (9) stars; sound = five (5) stars. Today's mega-budgeted, tent-pole films consist of spectacular, computer-generated technical set pieces strung together like beads on an extremely thin (or near nonexistent) plot string. Director Akira Kurosawa has employed a similar approach here. There are two major technical beads on his string (and a fair number of minor ones). One of the majors is presented in the opening scenes where costumes (and actors' makeup) are overwhelming spectacular and, perhaps, the most gorgeous ever filmed for a samurai-like movie. The other major technical set piece occurs in the closing scenes of intricate military maneuvers by huge (some real, some not) armies. The plot string is excessively stretched/padded-out as well as twisted up and knotted to the point of numbing confusion. (I am not a fan of voice overs, but this is one film that could really use one!) Acting is hammy and sometimes ludicrous (a Kurosawa trademark) with characters using dialog styles that are often challenging to comprehend even with the subtitles turned on (another Kurosawa trademark). Some sound dubbing is poorly executed with outdoor scenes sounding like they were recorded in an echo chamber. Sets (indoor and out) are/appear completely authentic (filming occurred around and inside the most spectacular extant castles in Japan (except for the royal family's). Stunt work is curious with each stunt fall from a horse looking pretty much identical (same stunt person each time or reuse of the same filmed sequence?). Viewers who are riders will find mounting a horse on the right especially interesting. Camera format could have greatly benefited from a much wider aspect ratio to engender a more epic feel. Film score is rich and integrates well with scenes. Restoration is outstanding. Bottom-line: This is an overly long in effect documentary on some of the technical aspects of making a movie masquerading as a movie. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.