There's a good movie in here somewhere, but it's never allowed to escape. 'Never Give Up' seems to be making an important point about the state of Japan in the late 1970s, where the contained military forces will turn on their own people without hesitation or mercy. The main character comes up against a neo-feudalism, in which a single clan can control a town's big business, industry, press and police force. It's also the story of the hero's redemption, where humanity is reclaimed at a heavy price. Takakura Ken is a fine leading man and most of the supporting cast are adequate.
So why does it stumble so badly? The excessive length kills the pace and tension, not helped by flat direction. The script takes an eternity to set up the leading characters and various dramatic conflicts. It also relies on the Idiot Plot, where the story can only progress if the characters behave like idiots. The action set-pieces, though gory, are sparse and indifferently staged. Even Takakura's noble, stoic persona - used to good effect in 'The Yakuza' - is poorly served by a character who takes forever to decide what he needs to do, even though it's obvious to the audience from the first few scenes.
MAJOR SPOILER My biggest problem with the film is Takakura's failure to tell his adopted daughter why he was forced to kill her real father (the latter had been driven mad by fungal poisoning, slaughtered his fellow villagers and family, and was about to kill her). There may be a good reason - cultural or psychological - for his silence but I've no idea what it is. Furthermore, the daughter's psychic powers are forgotten completely in the final act, when they would come in really handy.
So why does it stumble so badly? The excessive length kills the pace and tension, not helped by flat direction. The script takes an eternity to set up the leading characters and various dramatic conflicts. It also relies on the Idiot Plot, where the story can only progress if the characters behave like idiots. The action set-pieces, though gory, are sparse and indifferently staged. Even Takakura's noble, stoic persona - used to good effect in 'The Yakuza' - is poorly served by a character who takes forever to decide what he needs to do, even though it's obvious to the audience from the first few scenes.
MAJOR SPOILER My biggest problem with the film is Takakura's failure to tell his adopted daughter why he was forced to kill her real father (the latter had been driven mad by fungal poisoning, slaughtered his fellow villagers and family, and was about to kill her). There may be a good reason - cultural or psychological - for his silence but I've no idea what it is. Furthermore, the daughter's psychic powers are forgotten completely in the final act, when they would come in really handy.
