Archive
COURAGE UNDER FIRE – James Horner
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Courage Under Fire is a military drama directed by Edward Zwick and written by Patrick Sheane Duncan. Set in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, the story follows Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington), whose career and conscience are shaken after he accidentally destroys a friendly U.S. tank during combat, killing one of his own men. To restore his standing, Serling is assigned to investigate whether Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan), a helicopter commander killed in Iraq, deserves to become the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor. As Serling interviews the surviving members of Walden’s crew, he discovers that every witness offers a different version of the fatal battle. Some describe Walden as a fearless leader who repeatedly risked her life to protect her soldiers, while others claim she lost her nerve under fire, leading to confusion and tragedy. Determined to uncover the truth despite pressure from military officials eager for a politically convenient decision, Serling pieces together the conflicting accounts and, in doing so, confronts his own wartime guilt and begins to find redemption. Read more…
THE ODYSSEY – Ludwig Göransson
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
The Odyssey, written approximately 2,700 years ago by the ancient Greek poet Homer, is one of the foundational works of Western literature. It follows the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he struggles for 10 years to return home after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters gods, monsters, and supernatural dangers – including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the enchantress Circe, the Sirens, and the sea god Poseidon, who repeatedly prevents him from reaching home. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, his wife Penelope and their son Telemachus are surrounded by men trying to take Odysseus’s place and marry Penelope. The story ultimately becomes not just about surviving the voyage, but about returning home, reclaiming one’s identity, and restoring order. Read more…
SANSHO THE BAILIFF – Fumio Hayasaka
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Director Kenji Mizoguchi was inspired by Mori Ōgai’s 1915 novella Sanshō Dayū. Its tale about the tragic realities of human trafficking in feudal Japan resonated with him because of his own harrowing childhood experience of being given up for adoption. Also influential were his Marxist-feminist politics and his belief that post-WWII Japan needed to re-examine its brutal and oppressive past. Mizoguchi decided to use this historical tragedy to create a morality play exploring themes of resilience, human dignity, and the universal need for compassion. In the early 1950s, Mizoguchi’s career was ascendant, and although jidaigeki (period dramas) were not popular with the Japanese public, Daiei Film decided to back the project. Masaichi Nagata was assigned to produce, Mizoguchi would direct, and Fuji Yahiro and Yoshikata Yoda would write the screenplay. A fine cast was assembled, including Kinuyo Tanaka as Tamaki, Kyōko Kagawa as Anju, Eitarō Shindō as Sanshō, and Yoshiaki Hanayagi as Zushiō. Read more…
UGETSU – Fumio Hayasaka
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Producer Masaichi Nagata of Daiei Film Studio decided to offer renowned director Kenji Mizoguchi a new project following the critical and commercial success of his previous film, The Life of Oharu (1952). He sweetened the deal by granting Mizoguchi complete artistic control and a large budget. Mizoguchi accepted the offer, with Masaichi Nagata overseeing production. Screenwriters Matsutarō Kawaguchi and Yoshikata Yoda were instructed to draw inspiration from two stories in Ueda Akinari’s Ugetsu Monogatari (Tales of Moon and Rain, 1776): Asaji ga Yado (The House in the Thicket) and Jasei no In (The Lust of the White Serpent), resulting in this film: Ugetsu. For the cast, Machiko Kyō starred as Lady Wakasa, joined by Mitsuko Mito as Ohama, Kinuyo Tanaka as Miyagi, Masayuki Mori as Genjūrō, and Sakae Ozawa as Tōbei. Read more…
THE LIFE OF OHARU – Ichiro Saito
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Politically, director Kenji Mizoguchi was a leftist and a frequent critic of Japan’s historical patriarchal and misogynistic culture, which persisted after World War II. He wanted to make a morality film that would force audiences, particularly men, to confront and pity the suffering of marginalized women. He found inspiration in the 17th-century classic The Life of an Amorous Woman by Saikaku Ihara. He and longtime collaborator Yoshikata Ihara wrote the screenplay, and Koi Production Company agreed to finance the film. Hideo Koi and Mizoguchi oversaw production, with Mizoguchi also directing. For the cast, Kinuyo Tanaka starred as Oharu Okui, joined by Toshiro Mifune as Katsunosuke, Hisako Yamane as Lady Matsudaira, Jūkichi Sugai as Shinzaemon Okui, Tsukie Matsuura as Tomo Okui, Eitarō Shindō as Kahe Sasaya, and Eijirō Yanagi as Kikuoji. Read more…
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