GOYOKIN(1969)
(Directed by Hideo Gosha)
"The masterpiece you've sadly never heard of!"- Signed by MartialHorror.
Plot: Two Ronin team up to stop a clan of corrupt samurai from massacring a peasant village.
Review:
Awhile back, Hideo Gosha impressed me with the superb “Sword of the Beast”. That movie had strong characters with unique arcs and an interesting plot. So naturally, I had to dig out any Hideo Gosha film I could get ahold of. It also helped that Tatsuya Nakadai(“Kiru”; also “Sword of the Beast”) and Tetsuro Tamba(“Three Outlaw Samurai”; another Gosha movie) were in the movie too. “Goyokin” was next on my list, and it was amazing. It was almost everything I wanted from all these people. It’s not perfect, but it’s close. It takes the stylized action of the 70's Chambara(by the way, it pretty much means swordfighting) and combines it with the pessimistic, social commentary of the 60's samurai films(like "Harakiri").
The story opens with a narration explaining that Goyokin is the name of a location where ships are known to wreck. Ohira(Ruriko Asaoka) returns home, a village near that place, only to find everyone dead or missing. From here on, a rumor spreads that sea spirits have taken them. But our protagonist, Magobei(Tatsuya Nakadai), knows better. Three years after the strange event, Magobei is a master swordsman but also a ronin. It turns out he may know what really happened to the village, and the truth comes out when various assassins try to slay him. For some reason, his childhood friend and leader of his former clan, Rokugo(Tetsuro Tamba) has sent these assassins. What follows is a deadly game of intrigue, betrayal, sword fights and Magobei’s quest for redemption as he fears that another village will vanish or be slain.
You have to admit, that is a pretty nifty plot. On one hand, it’s not really like anything I’ve seen before in a samurai feature. On the other, there are plenty of lovable conventions that the movie sticks too. Thanks to this, the film is comfortably familiar, yet strikingly unique. The way the plot develops and the many twists and turns thrown our way is very compelling. The script is just wonderfully intelligent, full of brilliant ideas and well realized characters. Everyone is well written, whether they are a convention or not, all played by wonderful actors(Tatsuya Nakadai baby!). The brilliance is how everyone has a perfectly understandable side. Yes, Rokugo is certainly the antagonist, but it would be too easy to just dismiss him as evil. But to say so certainly isn’t wrong either. We also have to consider the side of Magobei. Is he doing the right thing too? Many people will suffer for what he plans on doing yet he never really seems to consider that. His ‘redemption’ is both admirable and kind of selfish. Much like “Gone, Baby Gone”, one has to wonder what was the right thing to do. I won’t bother answering it(I tend to sympathize with Magobei’s side though. Whoops, answered it…) but the fact is, the film has one true villain: The Samurai system.
In film, the Way of the Samurai is often romanticized in the same way that the Western Outlaws were. The truth was, while their principles may have been honorable, they were often bullies who thought too highly of their class. Human nature seems to corrupt just about anything(just look at crazy religious fanatics who murder people, often ignoring that their religion FORBIDS what they’re doing). Hideo Gosha obviously did not think very highly of the samurai class, stated in not only this, but also in his “Sword of the Beast” and “Three Outlaw Samurai”, where the samurai were not portrayed in a kind way. But the films demonization of the samurai system is perhaps more striking than the other two films. At one point, Rokugo justifies his actions by stating that killing the smaller bug is necessary for the bigger one to survive, reflecting how his clan needed to slay that village to protect themselves. Later on, he tells Magobei that their clan is a small bug compared to the Shogunate, so if they don't do it to the villagers, it will probably be done to them. It is a domino effect, created by the tyranny of the ‘system’. The film also deals with the ‘death of the samurai class’ that wasn’t too far from beginning. That makes “Goyokin” a bit of a Shakespearean tragedy, when you think about it.
So I’ve established that the script was strong due to its unique story and characters. But the films visual style is also unique. Everything is done ‘artfully’, for lack of a better word. The cinematography is outstanding, full of vibrant colors and ambitious locations. The visual style reminded me of Sergio Leone, who seemed to make a painting of his films. Every shot just seems so fantastic, telling a story of its own. Gosha also is excellent with the mood and atmosphere(the haunting opening sequence) and the editing is a beast of its own. Scenes blend in together tastefully and the title card sequence provided a special effect I hadn’t seen in Japan at this time. The score is also quite memorable and past its time. This movie was made in 1969, yet feels like a 70’s Samurai film(the 70’s began its own wave of artistic experimentation in Japan). “Goyokin” might just have been the movie to push this new wave, where movies like “Zatoichi and the Festival of Fire”, “Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance” and “Lady Snowblood” would all follow in its tracks. Yet “Goyokin” is stronger than all those (still good) movies, which all suffer from narrative issues. The fight scenes tend to happen quite often, and they’re immensely ambitious in scope and style, being more brutal than the usual samurai opus. Once again, this would be a trait that the 70’s would adopt in the samurai genre.
That’s not to say “Goyokin” is perfect. At times, the pacing is too methodically slow, which becomes a bit self-indulgent. This is especially noticeable in the opening scene and the final fight. I also felt that Ohira was kind of tacked on. She’s a well written character and the actress is strong, but I felt her to be unnecessary. Magobei already has made his decision to do what he has to do prior to meeting her, so she doesn't inspire him to do so and I felt there needed to be a more explosive sequence between them where she confronts him for what he did. But those issues are minor in the grand scheme of things. The truth is, “Goyokin” was and is a groundbreaking masterpiece. It is on par with the works of Kurosawa for sure.
Violence: Rated R worthy. Pretty grisly at times.
Nudity: None, although there is some slight sexuality.
Overall: “Goyokin” is a must see for all Samurai/Chambara movie fans. It has everything that makes them good, plus a bit more.
3.5/4 Stars