I Want To (1979)

A squadron of Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers find themselves transported through time to their country's warring states era, when rival samurai clans were battling to become the ... See full summary »

Director:

Kôsei Saitô

Writers:

Ryo Hanmura (novel), Toshio Kamata

Stars:

Shin'ichi Chiba, Jun Etô, Moeko Ezawa

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Shin'ichi Chiba	...	Lt. Yoshiaki Iba (as Sonny Chiba)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jun Etô	...	Nobuhiko Ken
Moeko Ezawa	...	Widow Yui
Ryô Hayami	...	Kazumichi Morishita
Noriko Honma	...	Old Woman
Koji Iizuka	...	Shokichi
Masashi Ishibashi	...	Hosokawa Fujitaka
Toshitaka Itô	...	Seaman Harumi Takashima
Haruki Kadokawa	...	Sanada Masayuki
Takuzô Kadono	...	Seaman Toshishige Suga
Hiroshi Kamayatsu	...	Mokichi Nemoto
Gorô Kataoka	...	Tategawa Katsuzo
Hiroshi Katsuno	...	Track Coach
Tadashi Katô	...	Sgt. Hideo Shimizu
Kenzô Kawarasaki	...	Koji Kano

Storyline

A squadron of Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers find themselves transported through time to their country's warring states era, when rival samurai clans were battling to become the supreme Shogun. The squad leader, Lt. Iba, sees this as the perfect opportunity to realize his dream of becoming the ruler of Japan. To achieve this, he teams his troops up with those of Kagatori, a samurai daimyo who also aspires to become Shogun. Are either of these power-hungry warriors to be trusted?

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Plot Keywords:

samurai | japan | soldier | no credits | fighting style | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Initially the producers approached the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) for props and vehicles, but the army withdrew its support after reading that soldiers go AWOL in the script. For that reason, old and sometimes outdated equipment (like M3 sub-machine guns) had to be used. The tank featured in the movie was even built entirely from scratch.

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Goofs

None of the vehicles run out of fuel despite being stranded 400 years before the creation of fossil fuels for weeks.

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Alternate Versions

The UK version is cut by 40 secs to remove shots of horse-falls.

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Connections

Referenced in The Last Horror Film (1982)

User Reviews

Wow!

I just finished watching the 139 min version (widescreen) with some friends and we were blown away. I won't bother repeating what others have said. What the filmmakers do with the concept is unexpected and fun. The huge battle is exhausting. Afterwards we were stunned to find there was still nearly 30 minutes left to go but that didn't keep us from being completely involved and entertained.

There is one thing that nearly ruined it and that was the horrific music/songs. Blues, Country/Folk and Rock Ballads do not belong here and every time they are used we all broke out in laughter. It's hideous. You have been warned but the story and storytelling keeps you grounded.

There are several outstanding moments that make you appreciate the talent behind the camera. There are many uses of silence as well as slow-motion photography that work beautifully. I really wish I could erase the music but alas.

Seek this out. It's fun, it's different and it takes you to places you wouldn't expect and that's very refreshing.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

January 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Want To

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kadokawa Haruki Jimusho

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1