This is a Japanese film, and if you know your general knowledge, it is all about martial arts. More specifically, this film is focussed upon Karate, or the empty hand arts. The movie is set in the past, when Japan is starting to modernise their military forces thanks to the influence of Western contact.
Three pupils, Taikan, Choei and Giryu, are practicing their art when the police come to take their dojo. An altercation occurs, where Choei is slashed by an officer and is unable to fight and Taikan ends up killing an officer with his skills. The conflict escalates to the point where Giryu is challenged against the commanding officer. At this point, the audience is shown the difference between the use of Karate for attacking (Taikan's use of it) and the 'true' teaching of Karate, which is to "staving the attacks of your attacker" i.e. rendering their attacks useless against you without attacking them yourself, which is how Giryu defeats the commanding officer.
The sensei passes away (probably from stress...) and his black belt, the kuro-obi, which is very old and weathered/worn is supposed to be passed to his students. The sensei however does not pick his sucessor, giving that task to Choei and some words of wisdom.
Taikan and Giryu go their separate paths, and much occurs between their absence of each other until the final showdown between the two, to see who deserves the kuro-obi in Choei's opinion.
The movie is wonderfully filmed. There is no 'special effects' as such, a very simple, clean cinematography used. The combat scenes are very realistic and tension filled, to the point where you could be actually there experiencing it. Though, it is shocking and sad in some parts on how effective Karate is as a killing art.
The music is very melencholic but adds incredible depth to this film.
Even if you are not a Karate person, if you have any interest though in martial arts, I would say to give this one a look into. The IMDB for it is here.
Three pupils, Taikan, Choei and Giryu, are practicing their art when the police come to take their dojo. An altercation occurs, where Choei is slashed by an officer and is unable to fight and Taikan ends up killing an officer with his skills. The conflict escalates to the point where Giryu is challenged against the commanding officer. At this point, the audience is shown the difference between the use of Karate for attacking (Taikan's use of it) and the 'true' teaching of Karate, which is to "staving the attacks of your attacker" i.e. rendering their attacks useless against you without attacking them yourself, which is how Giryu defeats the commanding officer.
The sensei passes away (probably from stress...) and his black belt, the kuro-obi, which is very old and weathered/worn is supposed to be passed to his students. The sensei however does not pick his sucessor, giving that task to Choei and some words of wisdom.
Taikan and Giryu go their separate paths, and much occurs between their absence of each other until the final showdown between the two, to see who deserves the kuro-obi in Choei's opinion.
The movie is wonderfully filmed. There is no 'special effects' as such, a very simple, clean cinematography used. The combat scenes are very realistic and tension filled, to the point where you could be actually there experiencing it. Though, it is shocking and sad in some parts on how effective Karate is as a killing art.
The music is very melencholic but adds incredible depth to this film.
Even if you are not a Karate person, if you have any interest though in martial arts, I would say to give this one a look into. The IMDB for it is here.
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