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Assassination - Masters of Cinema series
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £9.95 (subject to change)
New Wave Samurai
Review date: 2006-02-14 Rating: 8 out of 10
Shinoda was a leading director of the Japanese New Wave. In the mid 60s he turned to making classy period films of which “Double Suicide” used to be familiar on the indie cinema circuit, but the earlier “Assassination” has been little seen outside Japan. The reason is fairly obvious: this film has an extremely complicated narrative concerning a Machiavellian figure, Kiyokawa, plotting amongst rival factions, loyal to either Shogun or Emperor, as Japan decided how to respond to the first arrival of “foreign barbarians” (American gunboats) in 1853. Unless you know about this historical period you’ll find the film difficult to follow on first viewing. However the (black & white) cinematography is stunning, as is the editing: it is a very stylish, modern & intelligent film, sharp in every sense.
Eureka’s “Masters of Cinema” series is to be congratulated once again for selecting a neglected classic, with a beautifully restored print, a brief but informative intro from Alex Cox, plus a booklet including a lengthy explication of the movie by Joan Mellon which certainly makes subsequent viewings more comprehensible. A challenging film perhaps, but if you are interested in 60s Japanese cinema “Assassination” is worth investigating. Let’s hope they release “Double Suicide” next!
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Product Details/Specifications
Recording label: Eureka Entertainment
Manufacturer: Eureka Entertainment
EAN: 5060000402018
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-01-23
Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 104 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1964
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Japanese (Original Language)