Fires On The Plain

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Nobi Japanese: 野火 Release Date: 1959 Director: Kon Ichikawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

I just finished reading the book, so I watched the movie. I’m really torn as to which I prefer. The book is packed with subtle humor and delectable phrasing which is mostly lost in the movie. However, I love the fact that Ichikawa toned down a lot of the religious references in the book and I really liked his ending better. The ending of the book drags on for a chapter or two where it doesn’t need to. Granted, the book is a supposedly true story so it couldn’t have ended the same way as the film. As usual with movies adapted from books I’ve just read, I’m not sure it would be as clear having not read the book first. I think it probably would be since it’s a rather straight forward, linear narrative. Either way, it’s a good read and a good watch. It’s one of Ichikawa’s finest films.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Release Date: 1985 Director: Paul Schrader Netflix Link IMDb Link

A visually interesting depiction of the life of one of Japan’s most celebrated authors, yet most of the film seems more like a dream sequence; a two-hour long dream sequence. While all the events depicted are supposedly true, it seems rather embellished and stylized. Unless you have a pretty good understanding of the widespread political unrest in Japan during the 60′s and 70′s, most likely, this film will leave you wondering what the hell is going on. Ken Ogata is brilliant, as usual, but he’s not quite enough to carry the film. It is a gorgeous piece of cinema, however, the wiki entry on Mishima seems more accurate and interesting. In any case, I would recommend reading up on Mishima since you won’t glean much from the film itself, besides a beautiful and intricate stage-playish interpretation of the events of his life.

The Long Goodbye

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Release Date: 1973 Director: Robert Altman Netflix Link IMDb Link

I don’t know why I keep torturing myself with film adaptations of books I’ve just read. I keep hoping that somewhere there is a film version of Chandler that does justice to the book, but I’m not sure it exists. The only issue I have with this film is the story, but it’s a BIG issue – enough to drop a star off my rating. Chandler wrote a book full of wry humor, clever dialogue and opaque motivations, but the film bears little resemblance to the book. The screenwriter, Leigh Brackett, turned Marlowe into a babbling idiot who constantly mumbles to himself and his cat (Marlowe has a cat??). He does little to no detecting other than hiding in bushes and peeking in windows. By completely changing the story, it loses all the momentum and character motivations, and it drops all of the good parts. That being said, Altman’s direction is superb with fluid camera work and interesting shots. The cast is excellent, particularly Gould as the bumbling detective just floating his way through the story like driftwood. If this was just a no-name detective yarn and you removed the name Marlowe, it would be a good film, but as a Chandler adaptation, it fails. If you’ve read the book, I would not recommend seeing this film. If you haven’t, it’s worth a watch.

My Gun Is Quick

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Release Date: 1957 Director: Phil Victor, George White Netflix Link IMDb Link

Using very similar plot devices as the more renown Kiss Me Deadly, My Gun Is Quick is pretty standard fare for a Mike Hammer film. Chock full of misogyny, a few racial slurs, violence, strangely incomplete subplots and general smartassery, My Gun Is Quick fits quite nicely alongside some of its more famous brethren in the gumshoe genre. Robert Bray is actually a better Mike Hammer than Mickey Spillane himself in The Girl Hunters. Visually, this film depicts a snapshot of an era of Los Angeles quite different from its predecessors. In it you can see the seeds of what LA has become today. I still think Kiss Me Deadly is the best Hammer movie, but this one is worth a watch.

Beau Travail

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Release Date: 1999 Director: Claire Denis Netflix Link IMDb Link

If you want to see an hour and a half of nicely built, sweaty men doing testosterone-driven exercises that almost look like some sort of ballet, this is the movie for you. It seems that Claire Denis is a big fan of the buttocks and I can’t say as I blame her. There are some nice ones on display in this film. For eye candy, you can’t do much better than Beau Travail. As for substance, action, interesting characters or anything resembling a plot, there’s not much of it here. Beau Travail is supposedly based on Mellville’s Billy Budd, Sailor. I think poor old Herman might be pretty darn upset by the cinematic results of his efforts. I would be if I were him. If you’re looking for something that’s more like a movie than a workout video, you may want to look elsewhere.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 2004 Director: Mahiro Maeda Netflix Link IMDb Link

Gankutsuou is a reimagined version of Alexandre Dumas’ book set over 3000 years in the future with spaceships and moon colonization yet, strangely, they still have horse-drawn carriages and dress in the era of the book. I haven’t read the book in a long time, but I don’t remember the character in book being quite as gullible as Albert is in this series. Aside from the unusual (and seemingly lazy) animation where the fabrics and hair are simply filled with patterns that never move, I thought this was a reasonably entertaining series. It doesn’t have any unnecessary side plots and maintains its pacing throughout with a nice windup of the story.

The Reivers

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Release Date: 1969 Director: Mark Rydell Netflix Link IMDb Link

A movie starring Steve McQueen and written by William Faulkner? Too good to resist. Unfortunately, neither McQueen nor Faulkner are at the top of their game in the Reivers. Faulkner wrote this coming of age tale based on his own experiences. Granted, I haven’t read the book but, I would surmise that it is a lot better than the movie. McQueen plays the irresponsible charge of a rich Southern gentleman who takes his only grandson on an unsanctioned trip to Atlanta to learn him a few things about life. In the process, they stay at a brothel, have the family automobile traded for a racehorse and wind up in jail thanks to McQueen’s even more irresponsible childhood friend. There are some warmhearted and even funny moments in this film but, overall, it doesn’t quite measure up to my expectations. If you are a fan of Faulkner or McQueen, it’s worth a watch but there are much more worthwhile coming of age tales out there.

Ugetsu

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Ugetsu monogatari Release Date: 1953 Director: Kenji Mizoguchi Netflix Link IMDb Link

Beautiful and timeless, Ugetsu is one of the most amazing classic Japanese films around. Rivaling Kurosawa in elegance and subtlety, it blends fantasy with reality like an Aesop’s Fable or Grimm Fairy Tale come to life. Ugetsu is based on the Japanese folklore novel Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari. It is a warning about how easily greed and desire can overcome the human spirit. This is the beautifully restored and translated version by the Criterion Collection. If you like Ugetsu, watch Sansho the Bailiff also by Kenji Mizoguchi.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Release Date: 1982 Director: Ridley Scott Netflix Link IMDb Link

Blade Runner has always been one of my favorite films of all time. So, naturally, upon hearing of another new version of it, I had to see it. The Final Cut is a beautifully restored and enhanced version of the film. It doesn’t add any ridiculous new CGI scenes just because it can and there is no unnecessary filler. For years, I’ve preferred the Director’s Cut to the Theatrical Version. It was the “belly full of killing” line that always sent me over the edge. However, I don’t think I would appreciate the Director’s Cut as much without first having seen the Theatrical Version. The Final Cut finally bridges the gap between the two. In the introduction, Ridley Scott says this version is now his favorite and I would have to agree. The Final Cut, may be just that; the ultimate version of this amazing film.

Rampo Noir

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Rampo jigoku Release Date: 2005 Director: Akio Jissoji, Hisayasu Sato, Atsushi Kaneko, Suguru Takeuchi Netflix Link IMDb Link

Admittedly, I haven’t read the original story by Rampo Edogawa so I can’t comment on the clarity of his vision as portrayed in this film. Rampo Noir is comprised of 4 short stories, each by a different director. The whole film is an interesting exercise in strangeness as only the Japanese can compose. The first three stories hold your interest, but it’s really the fourth story, the one starring Tadanobu Asano, that will stick with you. I would not recommend this movie to anyone who isn’t a fan of eccentric Japanese horror films. There isn’t much by the way of blood-gushing gore but it does get thoroughly disgusting at times. The whole film will leave you wondering what the hell you just witnessed.