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Jigokumon (1953) Plus avec IMDbPro »

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14 commentaires au total

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8 utilisateurs sur 9 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
Guilt and Self -Punishment, the works of uncontrollable desires., 30 décembre 2004

Auteur : donofrio08 de Etats-Unis

*** Ce commentaire peut contenir des spoilers ***

In a time when movies are becoming more and more alike, Gate of Hell provides an intelligent way-out to imagination and, at the same time, to more complex and unorthodox endings. The classical Romantic triangle links to a Greek-like tragedy (it's loosely based on The Rape of Lucrece), where the main characters suffer the circumstances of carnal passion triggered by a vulgar political event. Contrary to a confrontation to be solved within the male stamina, Kinugasa's subtle tactful touches the theme of guilt and punishment embroidered in a suspenseful plot that reminds us of Dostoiewski's tragic hero. The ultimate and unrequited fidelity on the part of the unfortunate Tesa represents the silence of submission women are supposed to play in repressive societies. Her untimely death is more than the prize for trustworthiness, but the quintessential proof of dependability on 'macho's rights'. Shot in a resplendent Eastmancolor, Gate of Hell, the first Japanese movie to be filmed in color, extracts poetry from the misery of Man and the tragic destiny of tormented souls that recognize how oppressive feelings can be, as Kurosawa's Rashomon had discovered a few years before. This film is a big A.

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10 utilisateurs sur 13 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A Good Film That Falls Short, 25 juin 2002
Auteur : Howard Schumann de Vancouver, B.C.

In Gate of Hell, a samurai is rewarded for his courage with anything he desires, but what he desires is the wife of another samurai.

Gate of Hell was one of the most popular Japanese imports of the 1954-55 American film season and winner of two Academy Awards and the Cannes Grand Prize. I first saw it as a teenager and was captivated by its gorgeous color and beautiful cinematography.

According to Jasper Sharp of Japan Cult Cinema, "Still today the film looks as stunning as ever, with its opening battle scenes partially shrouded behind billowing veils and banners, and the majestic flight of the troops from the burning imperial palace providing some of the most remarkable images, as well such memorable set pieces as a horse race and Moritoh's tense night time confrontation with Wataru and Kesa at the film's climax".

Appearing around the same time Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon (1950), Kimisaburo Yoshimura's The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari, 1952), and Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu (Ugetsu Monogatari, 1953), Kinugasa's film is part of what is often termed The Golden Age of Japanese Cinema.

Adapted from a play by the twentieth century writer Kan Kikuchi, based on a story from the Heian period (794-1185) - the same era in which Rashomon and The Tale of Genji are set - Kinugasa's film opens in the midst of the spectacular battle of the Heiji War.

A revolt against the Emperor has been put down and Moritoh (Kasuo Hasegawa), a brave warrior is granted any wish he desires. Moritoh asks for the hand of Kesa (Machiko Kyo) but this request proves impossible to grant, since Lady Kesa is already married to Wataru (Isao Yamagata). Moritoh refuses to take no for an answer and becomes obsessed with obtaining Kesa as his wife, even if it means threatening the life of her husband to achieve his ends.

This film held my interest but I found the plot predictable and the acting exaggerated (Moritoh looks more ridiculous than frightening). According to Sharp, "Kinugasa himself was fully aware of his picture's dramatic weaknesses, and blamed intervention from his producer, an under-developed script, and a rushed working schedule due to a release date fixed in advance".

Perhaps this could have been a truly great film, but, to me, it is simply a very good film that falls short.

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8 utilisateurs sur 10 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
Utterly magnificent, 20 février 1999

Auteur : Enid-3 de Canada

It has been over 40 years (!) since I first saw this film, and I still see it, whenever I can. In my opinion, not only is it a masterpiece, but its use of colour may well be the the best of any film ever made.

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6 utilisateurs sur 7 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
This movie blew me away! Totally!, 22 avril 2006

Auteur : desert-buddha de Western Desert United States

Wow! What an awesome movie. The leading lady was gorgeous, the shots were magnificent, the music was fantastic, and overall, this was a great movie.

Although it is in Japanese, and I saw it with subtitles, it is still the best movie I have seen all year.

This movie totally held my attention, and delivered everything I could have wanted, but not in the way that I expected. Wow! Easy to see why this movie won an Oscar for best foreign film. I would say that it is as good as any movie I have ever seen. I loved it.

If you are looking for something different from a film, give this one a look. You will not be disappointed.

Desert-Buddha

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4 utilisateurs sur 5 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A gorgeous film - even now, 22 avril 2006

Auteur : sonztwin de Orlando

I saw this last night on TCM, which, BTW, is a rare treasure in this medium called the "idiot box". Isn't it remarkable that this movie is 53 years old, and it still sparkles? What an accomplishment! It had the ingredients of a truly great film - complex characters that are developed fully and efficiently, great story-telling with attention to details, and good acting - a little stylized, but keep in mind that that impression might be due partially to Westerners unfamiliarity with Japanese culture, and partially to how the definition of "good acting" has evolved.

I love the film's nobility and moral rectitude. Those were the days when (and we were in a culture where) "doing the right thing" was the expected norm. It was seen in Moritoh's loyalty at the price of - at least it seems at the time - expediency, which was preceded by Kesa's unflinching sense of duty and willingness to lay down her own life. This is the beauty of Kesa's "soul" that Moritoh found out all-too-late he failed to see, which manifested itself as bookends in the plot, but is in fact the moral center of the movie. Such ideals are no longer frequently or fully embraced these days. Look at how we glorify criminals in shows like The Sopranos and Thief. I also liked how the plot falls together: Kesa's readiness to sacrifice herself at the outset of the story made her self-immolation at the end of the film ring true. The little details: remember the talk of chestnuts when Moritoh first saw Kesa with her aunt? We saw later on those very chestnuts hanging on the swaying trees during Moritoh's unfortunate night time visit. When Wataru and Kesa took what turned out to be their last walk in the garden under a full moon, it was all peace and serenity. The very same setting is transformed sinister and ominous just moments later, with the moon now hidden by clouds, as Moritoh slowly emerges out of the darkness in the background - a truly masterful and memorable scene in the history of cinema.

The theme of "folly" pervades the movie: we see a lot of it just from one character, Lord Kiyamori - and he's a top dog and a leader! His son had to advise him to act quickly to quash the uprising when we first see him. He then failed to reward Kesa, who is every bit as deserving as Moritoh of recognition. Even if you chalk that failure up to be culturally driven, we have his Jephthah-like stupidity and arrogance in giving Moritoh pretty much carte-blanche in his wish for a reward. What's more, we have his incessant and insensitive teasing - instrumental in precipitating the tragedy, in that it made the proud Moritoh all the more determined to have Kesa. Was Wataru cowardly, foolish, or both, when he "threw" the race? Lest you missed it, there's the cruel irony of Moritoh's comment after his brother's treachery resulted in his execution, "My brother was a foolish man". Well you proved to be no Solomon, Moritoh.

I thought it was a little frustrating to watch Kesa's helplessness when Moritoh blackmailed her. Surely there's another way out, woman! But I suppose that's part of the tragic theme: all the characters had strengths as well as tragic flaws. At the risk of second-guessing the director of a great movie, I felt that he could have kept the identity of the person in bed a secret until the moment of truth, but I'm sure I need to remind myself that this is not meant to be a thriller. I'd like to watch this movie again, maybe along with a movie it reminds me of: Kurosawa's Ran.

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3 utilisateurs sur 4 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
First Japanese Film in US, 23 avril 2006

Auteur : whpratt1 de Etats-Unis

During WW II there were no Japanese films ever shown in the United States and this

was the first film presented to the American Public in 1954. It is outstanding in its color presentation of the country of Japan and the photography and character studies received great awards and acknowledgment The story involves a married woman, Machiko Kyo, (Lady Kesa), who is a very beautiful lady who is desired and lusted after by another man. This man does not care about her being married and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. However, there is more to the story, and it depicts conditions in Japanese households and their way of living and thinking. Machiko Kyo appeared in "The Teahouse of the August Moon",'56 and starred with Marlon Brando. This is a worthwhile film to watch and enjoy. A truly great Classic Film.

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3 utilisateurs sur 4 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
Delightful Film, 6 juillet 2001

Auteur : (dwjjunk@hotmail.com) de Midwest-United States

Being a fan of the "Samurai" genre, I was taken in by this film. I actually found this video at the local library. The visuals are wonderful, sword-play is very realistic, acting is excellent. The plot comes on strong, but becomes very predictable by the end. Still, worth checking out.

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Making a fool of yourself over a woman!, 17 janvier 2009

Auteur : lastliberal de Florida

Supposedly the first Japanese film shown in the US after the war, this film was highly regarded by many critics and won a well-deserved Oscar for costume design.

It starts out as a war movie, but that is only a backdrop to what is really going to happen. In an uprising, Lady Kesa (Machiko Kyô) pretends to be royalty to fake out the rebels and allow the real queen to escape. She ends up in the home of Sir Moritoh (Kazuo Hasegawa) and is there until the rebellion is crushed.

Sir Moritoh asks for her hand as a reward for his service, but finds out she is married to Wataru (Isao Yamagata), the head of the palace guards.

This is the real story: a fool in love with another man's wife who will not give up his pursuit. I imagine that a lot of us can see ourselves in Moritoh. Cue Elvis, the King, singing "Fools Fall in Love." Lady Kesa is forced in the end to don disguise once again to save her love in this tragic tale.

Not only were the costumes beautiful, but the cinematography was outstanding also.

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Great Classic Film, 6 mars 2008

Auteur : WaveTossed de Etats-Unis

*** Ce commentaire peut contenir des spoilers ***

This is a great classic film that I just had the opportunity to watch. It was made in 1953 about events in the 12th century in Japan -- but the themes of love and sacrifice hold true for all places and all times, even into the present day.

It's very tempting to see the main character as a victim of female oppression and repression. However, what I got was the incredible will of Kesa, the main protagonist in the film. She might speak and walk softly, but her heart and soul are made of the strength of iron from inside. The basic plot concerns itself with a general, Endo Morito, who for his part in suppressing a rebellion against the government, is offered "anything he chooses" by his lord as a reward. What he desires is Kesa, a lady-in-waiting to the Empress. However, Kesa is already married to Morito's colleague, Watanabe Wataru. Watching Kesa and her husband interact, it's quite clear that she loves him dearly and he loves and cherishes her as well.

However, Morito becomes more and more obsessed with "possessing" Kesa for his own. His (and Watanabe's) lord puts some pressure to entice Kesa to leave her husband (and have him divorce her) and accept Morito as her new groom. She resists, wishing to remain faithful to her loving husband.

Morito ends up at the house of Kesa's aunt, and he threatens to kill Kesa's husband and her aunt if she does not yield to his desires. It is at this point where Kesa decides to die for her husband to save his life and honor. She pretends to assent to Morito's demands; the plan is for Morito to come at midnight and kill Watanabe in his bed. He leaves and Kesa gives her aunt a keepsake and bids her sadly farewell.

Later in the evening, there is a truly poignant scene where Kesa exchanges sake with her husband. She plays the koto and Watanabe asks gently, "why is your song so sad?" She says "it's nothing." She cannot tell him of her plans, but she knows that his life will be saved. Kyo Machiko, as Kesa, has expressions that are full of unspoken emotion. She quietly arranges to exchange beds with her husband and take his place. And she calmly lays down her life for her husband; Morito steals into the house and slashes her with a sword, thinking that she is her husband and that Kesa will at last belong to him. He is horrified when he finds out what has actually happened -- he has murdered his beloved.

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A Japanese soldier save a young princess in approx 12th Cent he wants her for himself but finds she is betrothed to another, 24 décembre 2006

Auteur : Michael Stewart de Royaume-Uni

I saw this film when new in 1954 in London, and still remember much of it today. It is a sad and poignant story, beautifully photographed and effectively directed. Costumes and scenery have an authentic air about them. It starts with a battle scene with the young women travelling in a small carriage under threat and in danger. It follows with her life being saved by the heroic action and bravery of a young warrior. He claims her for himself as a reward for his bravery but soon finds that she is already spoken for. Nevertheless he pursues her and insists on what he feels are his rights. This leads to friction in her family and eventually causes the tragedy of her death. It is a lesson in how selfishness can lead to unhappiness in another's life. I feel it is a film not to be missed and would watch it again if it were shown on UK TV. or was available on DVD

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