Taboo (1999)

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely Fantastic

A Major Disappointment

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

I was a complete Japanese cinema novice when I watched this film and, while I had to watch it twice to fully appreciate the tone, I now feel the same maddening addiction to it that I've seen in so many other reviewers. The insouciant but deadly thread that Oshima weaves throughout the beautiful shades of 19th cent. Japan is all the more poignant, as he seemed to single-handedly bring a Japanese film icon's son into a profession he now seemed destined for. I've read that Ryuhei-san was more interested in soccer than following his parents into acting, and in likely teenage boy squeamishness, actually turned down the role of Kano because it was a gay character (Matsuda is straight, and now married). Thank goodness he changed his mind, because Oshima had hand picked a boy who held his own among multiple film greats in a way that I have never seen in a teenage actor of his generation...or in anyone since.The only summary I can give is 'exquisite' – a must-see film in my opinion. And really, the explicitly 'gay' scenes are not explicit at all, and even the most butch heterosexual wouldn't be offended (perhaps I'm being optimistic). This is a perfect movie.

Ground breaking, the aptly-named Gohatto ("Taboo") tackles the issue of homosexuality in the armed forces. Set in feudal Japan in the 19th Centruy, the story centres around a militia group of Samurai, a professional and single-minded set of men who live together in their aim to serve their masters' wishes. Into this world enters Samurai Sozaburo Kanowho, a talented young trainee who causes ripples (!) through this once staid world. The young man is porcelain faced and has an androgynous look that stirs the Samurais repressed desires. One by one all the male adherent fall for his feminine charms, some openly flaunting their desire for him whilst others try to suppress it.Darkly humorous, this brilliantly by-steps all and any clichés over gay issues, and the audience is kept guessing over our lead man's aims. However, it's no comedy, and the acting and style is purely a period piece. As it's the old Samurai world, violence is unflinching whenever it occurs and testosterone is always at its peak in this world.The story itself is intriguing and fascinating, where the the samurais' reticence over their emotions (let alone homosexuality) is the main Taboo that is being toyed with here. However, there can be too many characters at points and it can get all a bit confusing. I felt the film ended a little too abruptly and could have padded out a bit longer, but it was still interesting. There is no real resolution to the story.Performances are excellent, especially from Beat Kitashi Takano as the "lieutenant" in the samurai stable, whilst the settings capture the beauty of the feudal Japanese world. Direction and camera work are also great.To my surprise, this is a film I very much enjoyed. It toys with the genres, and doesn't make you feel uncomfortable at any point. It mashes subtlety with humour and violence quite well, and most will enjoy. It's multi-character referencing on first viewing can make it difficult to follow, but given an opportunity most will be entertained by this wonderfully intelligent number.

Oshima has long had a fascination with the disruptive impact of sexuality in society - the story of a beautiful young swordsman and his impact on a closed warrior caste is an obvious topic for him.The movie starts very promisingly, with some beautifully filmed and dramatic scenes showing the selection and training of the warriors. But for me the movie rapidly lost its momentum and became confused and incoherent and ultimately unsatisfactory. The acting is highly uneven in quality and tone and some scenes are almost laughably badly directed (such as a highly stage bound scene where two warriors attempt to set a ladder down a very small drop). In many sections the action is filled out by ponderous and pointless voice-over narrative - usually the last resort of the unimaginative film maker.If this was by some unknown director I'd just put it down to an overambitious but untalented film maker, but clearly this can't be the case with Oshima. I found myself struggling to see what he was trying to say - is this simply a story about a handsome but vacuous and possibly psychopathic young man who causes havoc by exploiting the homosexual urges of some warriors? Is it a meditation on how beauty without depth draws men to destruction? Or is Oshima trying to say that homosexual desire and comradeship among men are intricately bound together? Its probably all of these things, but I found the story unsatisfactory and poorly thought out. Oshima makes a meal over the fact that even the 'straight' Samurai treat the boy (Kano) in a special way - he seems to think he's saying something profound here, but its hardly original to say that there are complicated emotions behind the feelings of comradeship and friendship between men. If I hadn't known this was made by a mature 'Master' film maker i would have thought it was an immature young artist thinking his banal thoughts are in some way profound and original when nothing could be further from the truth.I really wanted to like this movie - and I have thought a lot about this before writing this review as many people here (and respected critics such as Donald Richie) have loved it, and I keep thinking 'I'm missing something'. But I honestly feel that this is a poor movie by a film maker who is well past his best. The 'insights' are banal and clichéd and the overall execution of the movie is poor - the unevenness of the acting strongly suggests to me that the cast and crew were very unconvinced by the parts they were playing. I think its symptomatic of the long term decline of Japanese cinema that a movie like this that isn't remotely comparable to the numerous great Japanese films of the 20 years or so after the ending of WWII (including some by Oshima) should get such attention and praise.

I adored it. I watched it four times in a row and I was squealing with happiness and bawling my eyes out at the end.I love the portrait of Sozaburo, or rather the LACK of portrait of him. Even though he's the main character he's only seen through other's eyes and you never know what he's thinking or planning.The other characters are bloody brilliant, too. I really feel sorry for Tashiro, the only character I really feel for throughout the movie. It's obvious from the start that he loves Sozaburo (there is a really cute scene where that is obvious but I'm not telling since that's a SPOILER). I also really enjoy how the generals are portrayed, the scenery, the symbolism (which a friend had to explain cause I didn't get it first time we watched it)...All in all, brilliant movie which everybody should see! Well, not people who have a problem with gay men, but everybody else should see it.