Goemon (2009)

An unforgettable film.

Goemon is a 2009 Japanese historical fiction film written and directed by Casshern's Kazuaki Kiriya. The film follows Ishikawa Goemon, a Robin Hood-esque figure and his exploits during the end of the Sengoku period. The star-studded cast includes Yosuke Eguchi as the titular Ishikawa Goemon, Aragami and Sky High's Takao Osawa as Kirigakure Saizo, and Ryoko Hirosue as Goemon's love interest Chacha. Film legend Eiji Okuda plays the main villain Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and Kamen Rider Agito's Jun Kaname plays the scheming Ishida Mitsunari.

Oozing with stars!

When the film opens, we find our hero Goemon breaking into the royal vault where he helps himself to Hideyoshi's gold and other treasures. As guards storm the room, Goemon makes a daring escape across the rooftops, charming the people and showering them with gold along the way when he reveals a blue box which appears to be entirely ordinary. It's not gold so he simply throws it away. Unbeknownst to Goemon the box he discarded contains a map which points the way to a hidden scroll that contains highly classified information regarding Toyotomi's rise to power and the conspiracy surrounding the Honnoji Temple incident. Because Goemon is the last person who was in possession of the box, a number of powerful figures want his head including the current daimyo Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Other power-players include Toyotomi's rival Ieyasu Tokugawa, and Toyotomi's traitorous minister of finance Mitsunari Ishida - both of whom send shinobi after Goemon including Goemon's best friend Saizo and Goemon's master the legendary ninja killer Hanzo Hattori. The situation becomes even more complicated when Chacha, Goemon's childhood friend and Toyotomi's concubine gets caught in the middle. What transpires is a long, action-adventure thrill-ride filled with drama, moral dilemmas, and stunning fight sequences.

Saizo vs Goemon

As mentioned above, the film was written and directed by Casshern's Kazuaki Kiriya. He's refined his craft since 2004 and many of the earmarks of Casshern are present here such as a cast of rich characters, an inversion of tropes, and a different take not on the perception of good and evil, but which characters we are prone to seeing in that manner. "Goemon" uses its two hour run-time very effectively which is a must for a film juggling so many plot points. As a work of historical fiction, the film gives a different take on the final events of the Sengoku period i.e. the Battle of Sekigahara, the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the Siege of Osaka. At the same-time it explores the relationships between all the main characters and develops their personalities through major events in the film, playing with the viewer's expectations along the way. For example, in most films of this nature the dichotomy between Goemon and his rival Saizo would be one of good versus evil. However, Saizo is a man who fights for his family while Goemon (at least initially) is a man who fights only for himself. It really changes how we see our characters when Saizo forces our protagonist to reevaluate his life choices and how they affect the people around him.

Oda Nobunaga

The film has a generous amount of character development for nearly everyone not just our lead Goemon. We see what motivates these characters, what drives them to be forces of good or evil, and the toll it takes on them. Hideyoshi Toyotomi was a peasant, but worked to get to the top. His efforts were noticed by Oda Nobunaga who took him under his wing. Whenever Toyotomi couldn't achieve his objective through hard work, murder became a more viable alternative. The poverty he endured manifested as greed and that insatiable appetite for more, or perhaps the fear of having to live without the necessities for survival drove him down a path of evil. What I especially enjoyed was "Goemon's" characterization of Oda Nobunaga. Hashinosuké Nakamura plays Oda Nobunaga, the most famous (or infamous depending on your perception) warlord in Japanese history. However, the film doesn't portray Nobunaga as a ruthless warlord like most other fiction are prone to do, rather we see Nobunaga as a man doing what he feels is best for the future of his people. He doesn't always make the best decisions, but every move he makes is motivated by the need to build a happy future for all. I was really captivated by this approach and Nakamura's performance. Doubly so because Nobunaga made a profound impact on Goemon which the film explores.

Taking a level in BADASS.

The world is gorgeous, wonderfully imaginative and the costume designs are superb, mixing eastern and western styles which adds to the film's swashbuckling feel. Goemon's default attire even has similarities to 1922's "Robin Hood". The film has a powerful orchestrated score which adds weight to every scene. While I'm not normally a fan of a lot of CG, I don't mind it so much here because similar to "Casshern", given the style of world in which this story takes place and the fight scenes it couldn't be filmed in any other way. The fight scenes themselves are a sight to behold with the second to the last battle defining the word epic. We see Goemon dodging bullets from several Gatling canons (yes canons and yes several), wall running, leaping over castles, and fighting hundreds of soldiers. Imagine the opening to Onimusha 3 or Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams but 10x more awesome.

"The sky is crying."

Sure the film isn't perfect. While anyone can enjoy it, it may be difficult for some viewers who aren't familiar with Japanese history or at least the Sengoku Period as there are a lot of historical figures in the movie. While the movie juggles a lot of plots, subplots, and relationships very competently, it may be hard to keep track of for some viewers. As you can see from the trailer there is a lot of CG in this film and if that's not your thing the film may be a turnoff. Those items aside I found "Goemon" to be a very enjoyable film and it really sold me on Kiriya's style of writing and directing.

Casshern (2004)

Mah feels!

Written and directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, Casshern is a 2004 tokusatsu based loosely on the 1973 anime Neo-Human Casshern by Takao Koyama. The film stars Yusuke Iseya as Tetsuya Azuma/Casshern, Kumiko Aso as Tetsuya's love interest Luna Kozuki, Toshiaki Karasawa as the antagonist Burai, Kamen Rider Agito's Jun Kaname as Barashin, singer/musician/actor Akira Terao as Dr. Azuma, and actress Kanako Higuchi as Midori Azuma.

Definitely earns those four stars.

Casshern (2004) takes place in a distant future in the aftermath of a fifty-year war between the Eastern Federation and Europa; a war which has devastated the environment and the human population. A brilliant (see mad) scientist named Dr. Azuma has discovered Neo Cells within the genes of a subspecies of humans. In theory, the Neo Cells would be able to regenerate limbs, organs, and even cure disease. During this time, Dr. Azuma's son Tetsuya enlists in the army and is soon called upon to help put down a resistance movement in Eurasia Zone 7 - where he is killed shortly after. One fateful evening when Dr. Azuma is researching Neo Cells, a lightning bolt strikes the pool of genetic material he keeps in his lab - reconstructing and reanimating the bodies therein -giving birth to the Neo Sapiens in the process. Lead by the powerful and intensely focused Burai, the Neo Sapiens set out to destroy humankind and take their place as the dominant life-form on this planet. Dr. Azuma uses the Neo-Cells to resurrect his son Tetsuya - reborn, rearmed, and rejuvenated Tetsuya now called Casshern is the only thing that stands between mankind and extinction. What follows is a long, complicated, epic that will stir the heart and make you question everything you know about these characters, their motives, and the nature of human existence.

Make It Right

The summary I've written is rather complex and even a bit disjointed because the film is two hours long (longer than that in the original version). Despite its Transformers-esque length the movie doesn't feel like a slog and much of the narrative does thread together more organically even if the plot is often more fantasy than science fiction. From a thematic standpoint Casshern is much, much different from its 1973 predecessor, but this is not a detriment to the film. At its core the film's primary themes deal with war, family, and how trauma affects how humans relate to each other. The film deals with these incredibly complex themes while drawing inspiration from classic literature. For example, the film has elements of Frankenstein given the nature of the Neo Sapiens, the circumstances of their creation, and Dr. Azuma's relationship with them. The Neo Sapiens seek Dr. Azuma's acknowledgement his love even, but it's not something he can give to them because they are abominations.

Film legend Toshiaki Karasawa delivers a powerful performance as Burai.

Our hero Tetsuya and our villain Burai are in some ways both victims of their circumstances, but paradoxically enough are reaping the karma for their own actions towards others. Tetsuya and Burai develop a Cain and Abel-esque relationship even though deep down Burai doesn't want Tetsuya's death he wants Tetsuya's understanding. The language of Kazuaki Kiriya is pain and these characters fight through a profound level of suffering and violence is their only outlet. During his battle with Tetsuya, Burai even admits that he hates mankind so much that he doesn't know how to stop even if he wants to. While Tetsuya himself has to fight for the survival of all mankind even though he's aware that people will never stop fighting wars and will one day destroy each other. Whether they are acting in the name of revenge, love, science, or the future every character is locked in a situation where lose-lose is the only real outcome. Even so they keep moving forward, doing all the good they know how to do until the end. There are some shocking revelations in the movie that may leave you as devastated as the characters themselves.

Casshern Solos

Don't think for a minute that this film doesn't have badass credentials. Casshern is tokusatsu and with that in mind it has some super cool fight scenes. We're talking cinematic speedlines, action poses, some brutal beatdowns, and one particular battle where Casshern single-handedly destroys an army of robots in a fight so over-the-top that it's worth watching the film for that battle alone. Aesthetically, the film is a mix of urbanpunk and Russian Avant-Garde and if like myself you aren't familiar with either of those the film is visually stunning.

Shiro Sagisu composes the film's score which can only be described as fantastic, and Japanese rock band The Black Horn drops a few tracks as well. Casshern may not appeal to everyone. It does take a long-time to get started which might turn off some viewers. Traditionalists may not be pleased with the liberties the film has taken with the source material. Also, the first English release had issues wherein the subtitles would not always display which is a localization issue. These flaws aside, I found Casshern to be a powerful film about war, sacrifice, and humanity that falls just short of a must-own, but is still a great movie.