Own the rights?
I think this is a movie where it helps to know at least a little Japanese. There is some fun wordplay in it. I haven't seen it with subtitles yet, so I'm sure I've missed a lot, since I am not in any way native-speaker proficient in Japanese. I think the parts that may seem slow-moving go a little faster if you know Japanese.All the performances are excellent. There is a wonderful physicality to the acting, not just the dance, acrobatics and fight scenes. As in kabuki, every movement tells a story with great precision and power. The score combines elements of traditional shamisen, flute. vocals and percussion with Jazz-age orchestral passages. It works to show the parallels between Late-Edo era Japan and the 1920's in the U.S., both times of semi-controlled, hypocritical lawlessness. The title character, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, could have stepped out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.Major props to Frankie Sakai, a jazz drummer turned movie producer and actor, for a fine performance as the publisher Tsutaya, and for being the force behind the tone of the film.
You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.
