This is based on a 10th
century Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter that has been covered
in a few other films - one being the wonderfully animated The Tale of Princess
Kaguya in 2013. But they add a little Close Encounters of the Third Kind
at the end here which is kind of cool if a bit of a sellout. Still the film
for my taste was a bit turgid at two hours but grows in power towards the
end. The costumes are lovely and there are a few ravishing shots but not
enough to make up for the slow going. After watching it, I was surprised
to see that it was directed by the great Kon Ichikawa who helmed such serious
fare as Fires on the Plain, The Burmese Harp and The Tokyo Olympiad. But
you have to be commercial sometimes. In fact, Ichikawa said he had wanted
to make a "film of pure diversion". It was made for Toho's 50th anniversary
and did well at the box office.
Same basic story if you are familiar with it. A poor couple lose their
daughter (in some versions they are unable to have a child) to illness and
bury her in the bamboo forest where the father goes every day to cut bamboo.
One day there is a great bright light and explosion. When he goes into the
forest he discovers a baby in a casement. She comes out and grows up to
the age of his dead daughter in a matter of minutes and looks just like her.
He takes her home and his wife falls to her knees and blesses God for returning
their child. Well not exactly her child but close enough and the girl's
eyes are this eerie deep blue that the kids make fun of. Turns out that
the casement was made of pure gold and with his riches he and the wife move
to town near the Emperor. Meanwhile the daughter Kaya grows up very quickly
to be a beauty that every man wants to marry. Like an old mythical tale
she sends three of them on impossible tasks far away from Japan. Then the
Emperor gets interested. Finally, the moon calls. Ring ring. Hello. Moon
calling. Time to come home.
Toshirô Mifune is the big name in the cast as Kaya aka Kaguya's father.
For Kaiju fans this might be a small treat. The Princess is played by Yasuko
Sawaguchi who was in Godzilla vs Biollante and Gojiro (1984) . And the blind
girl is Megumi Odaka who played Miki Saegusa in six of the Godzilla series.
I have seen nearly no Kaiju films so it means nothing to me. Something,
someday I want to rectify. The mother is Ayako Wakao, who has her share
of classics as well.
