Movie Review: Revenge (1964)

Takahiro Imai is not as well known in the west as Kurosawa, Ozu, Mitzoguchi, or any number of critically respected Japanese directors. That is a shame, and may have much to do with his well-publicized Marxist leanings. But polemics aside, and no matter where you stand politically, the fact is he was a master story teller with a great passion for social justice. I am very grateful for AnimEigo for releasing some of his most important works in beautiful subtitled editions. The latest I've seen is 1964's REVENGE (ADAUCHI), which is an unflinching and unsentimental indictment of the futility of revenge, and a powerful condemnation of any system which expects the individual to sacrifice his life and soul for a rigid code of conduct. It is beautiful to look at, masterfully suspenseful, and gut-wrenchingly powerful.

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Movie Review: Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai (1963, AnimEigo)

Tadashi Imai was a Japanese director who, throughout his long career, alternated between lyrical historical dramas and preachy Marxist polemical essays. His work is not quite as well known in the West as Ozu or Kurosawa or the small handful of other great Japanese directors; possibly because of his unpopular political stance. At his best, however, he was capable of a lyrical beauty that at times rivaled the masters.

Buy Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai on DVD

AnimEigo is now offering a crisp, beautiful transfer of his 1963 classic BUSHIDO ZANKOKU MONOGATARI, or BUSHIDO, THE CRUEL CODE OF THE SAMARAI. It is an episodic drama of a family, spanning 350 years, which attempts to straddle both schools of Imai’s output: historical drama and political “message” movie. As a result it displays the director’s greatest strengths and weaknesses in one fascinating package.