Amazing

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2002)

This movie is truly one of a kind. Set in medieval Japan, with a borrowed script from Shakespeare, this is a study in human nature. We get to witness insanity, manipulation and cold-blooded betrayal.
What really makes this movie shine though, is two things. Firstly and foremost; its acting. Two of the best acting performances I've seen are Tatsuya Nakadai as Lord Hidetora and Mieko Harada as Lady Kaede. I've never seen these actors before (I'm not too familiar with Japanese films), but they are evidently very skilled. The other thing that really stands out is the visual experience. Stunning at least. For example, the battle scenes are beautiful--if battle scenes can be called beautiful--and yet quite realistic.
I personally like this movie more than Shichinin no Samurai: but that's something that changes every week. They're both movies in the same league. A well-deserved 9/10.