In many ways, the far east is a very different place from our domestic shores. The cultural backgrounds are vastly different, but those backgrounds are housed on separate foundations. They do not share the European honor system that America latched onto, and even reject some tenets we hold dear. Japan especially seems like a different planet, due to their years of seclusion.
However, in some ways, they are no different. Sadly, one of those ways is crime.
"Outrage," released to limited theaters this week, exemplifies that fact. The style of Japanese film makes this take on mafia life something new to us, but thematically it follows crime-filled American classics, like "The Godfather" or "Goodfellas" (note: I am not saying it is as good as either of those classics). This crime drama follows long-time yakuza Otomo. In his years with the mafia, he has seen his kind go from lackeys to ringleaders, but the most recent clan war threatens to take down the entire structure of this corrupt world. In the end, heroes and villains blur into a bitter reality.
This week, I am stretching all the way back to 1954.
I'm not stretching too much this week. It's too cold. Sorry if you wanted some epic non sequitur.
"Outrage" seems like a film inspired by American film. So for this stretch, I will just flip the comparison. There is one Japanese director who has influenced nearly every American film of today. If you are not familiar with Japanese cinema, I will give you one name to look out for: Akira Kurosawa.
This week, I will be looking at "The Seven Samurai."
This epic tale of honor duty opens with a master swordsman in a poor village. Kambei, as he is known, saves a young child from a kidnapper. With this one action, the entire village begs the samurai to save their village from mountain bandits. Kambei agrees, despite being paid in meager handfuls of rice. However, the village needs at least 7 heroes to defend the town. Kambei recruits six more men to his cause: Katsuhiro the youthful warrior, Kikuchiyo the boisterous loudmouth, Kyuzo the silent killer, Gorobei the noble archer, Shichiroji the old friend and Heihachi the jesting charmer.
If you had to skip those names, don't worry. You get to know each of these men on levels beyond their difficult names.
Together they consolidate the village's defenses and shape the villagers into a militia, while the bandits loom menacingly nearby. The villagers and samurai mount a strong defense against the massive invading army. Soon raids and counter-raids build to a final bloody confrontation, where these men are held together by honor and duty alone.
Now to get to my main point. Have you ever seen an old Western called "The Magnificent Seven"? Yep, that is a reinterpretation of "The Seven Samurai." However, Kurosawa's influence does not end there.
If you have ever seen a John Wayne movie, odds are that the film was inspired in some part by Kurosawa's vision. Many Western directors have named him as an influence. His themes and filming style is lovingly replicated in many Westerns. Not only that, but nearly every action film director will cite Kurosawa as well. He was, in many ways, the first director of pure action films. Kurosawa never used dialogue to get a point across, instead vying for movement and subtle looks. In simpler words, this man's genius started two new genres of film from across the sea.
The Final Stretch:
Filming styles are all well and good, but there is something I appreciate even more. In "Outrage," American crime dramas are translated to a Japanese audience. That genre of film is uniquely American, with the cynicism and sense of justice that directly affect our lifestyle. In something like "The Seven Samurai," the Japanese culture is directly translated to us. Their sense of duty and honor, their thirst for familial and nationalist pride... it is all there. Using film, two nations are communicating core values across the Pacific. In many ways, films like these have made the world even more community-oriented. Entertainment makes a great bridge.
