Dir. Nagisa Oshima, 1999, Japan, 96 mins, subtitles
Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Ryuhei Mastuda, Shinji Takeda
Gohatto begins with a samurai training session (what we now know as kendo) designed to find the best swordsmen to join the famed Shinsengumi militia. Two of the men stand out: the highly effeminate Kano (Ryuhei Matsuda) and Tashiro, played by the star of Ichi the Killer (2001), Tadanobu Asano. Both men are accepted into the militia training school where they learn the ways of the Samurai warrior and develop their skills in swordsmanship. Problems begin when Kano’s beauty starts to attract the attention of the men within the militia. A relationship between Kano and Tashiro serves to inflame the sense of sexual tension and jealousy that grows through the ranks. When an unknown assailant gradually assassinates Kano’s admirers, the atmosphere within the Shinsengumi threatens to unbalance the sense of discipline and honour that serves as the basis for the group’s martial effectiveness. The need to quell the obsession with Kano becomes apparent as even the Samurai captain (Takeshi Kitano) and other superiors become enamoured with his porcelain beauty.
Gohatto marks the return to film making for the Japanese director Nagisa Oshima after a long hiatus. His ‘comeback’ film is cast superbly, from the androgynous Ryuhei Matsuda (it honestly took me a while to figure out that he was definitely a man) to the always entertaining Takeshi Kitano. Kitano’s Samurai captain Hijikata is played in exactly the same way as all of his other film characters, but no matter how many times I see this repetitive performance I never grow tired of it. Hijikata is given the task of controlling the rising problems from within the militia caused by the appearance of Kano. His attempts at de-feminising him by sending him to a brothel and separating him from his male lover all fail as the number of bewitched men increases. Through Kitano’s character we experience the very essence of what Gohatto (which translated means ‘taboo’) is asking us to do. Throughout the film Hijikata seems bemused by the homosexuality that is spreading throughout his unit (homosexuality was commonplace in Japan at this time but regarded as unacceptable within the ranks of the Samurai). His peers react in a similar fashion, stating that they would never be “that way”. As each man spends more and more time with the mysterious Kano, they find themselves becoming uncontrollably attracted to him, Hijikata included. The actions and lifestyles of others which seem so bizarre and unnatural are thrust upon the us, making us question our own hidden desires and forcing us ponder the mystery of physical attraction and the importance of gender.
Gohatto is a beautiful film to watch. The superb use of light and colour often makes the screen seem like the canvas of a great artist. It’s a moody and dark affair accompanied by a haunting and dramatically simple score by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The lonely tinkling of a piano and the solo sound of the violin accentuate the scenes in which the restrained emotions of the characters are all too evident. For some, the film may seem slow and uneventful, especially for those expecting a bloody fight filled sword fest. Although there are a few scenes of violence, they are quick and precise with the director opting for a sense of realism rather than the extravagance of the more bloody Samurai films. Gohatto is an understated and restrained drama set in the world of the Samurai rather than a Samurai film per se.
The period settings and costume in Gohatto rivals that of any big budget Hollywood epic. Shogunate Japan comes alive through the accuracy of the surroundings and the attention to detail that has obviously been applied to the overall mise en scene. This intense detail will transport you to the otherworldliness that seems to permeate Gohatto in general, a world of intrigue and taboo that provides the spectator with an interesting and thoughtful cinema going experience. It’s certainly not a film that will please everyone but will certainly be a pleasant surprise for many.
Daniel Laverick
|
