Homosexuality among samurai wasn't uncommon (I know, I was there); likely to occur in a hierarchical order made up predominantly of men. Older samurai would teach their young apprentices more than just how to use their sword...ahem. In his last film, Nagisa Oshima explores how a young samurai arouses both lust and suspicion among a militia, with all seemingly taking a fancy to the young warrior, with deadly consequences.
Kano (porcelain beauty Ryuhei Matsuda) and Tashiro (hairier Tadanobu Asano) are two young swordsmen drafted to join a samurai militia. Kano - from a better background and there by choice - is deemed to be the stronger fighter. But the heads of the militia seem to be impressed by more than just his skill with a sword.
Many take a shine to young Kano, and he seems willing to flirt with some, while is more reserved with others. The number two in command, Hijikata (Takeshi Kitano), is concerned by Kano's influence on the behaviour of others. With some embarrassments and the murder of one of Kano's lovers Yuzawa (Tomoro Taguchi) threatening harmony and the reputation of the militia, Hijikata feels the need to intervene.
With suspicions that Kano and Tashiro are lovers and that Tashiro is attacking fellow members of the militia, it is felt he must be punished and that Kano should be the man to inflict it, but is he up to the task?
Oshima is far from subtle in his swan sing, stating rules and laws on screen and Hijikata's thoughts are vocalised throughout. Though, with Kitano's twitching face and considered stare, he almost acts as the voice of the audience as we piece the plot together. Matsuda's painted face and locks as Kano make him an obvious target for amorous intentions, though his almost too-pretty-a-face give him a sinister edge, which Hijikata is wary of. For what reason's has this privileged boy joined the militia?
His first feature film for over a decade, this certainly has Oshima's stamp on it, feeling at times trapped somewhere between a dream and reality. The film's conclusion has a haunting quality you would expect from period dramas from the post-war era, as Hijikata plays out various scenarios, feeling more ghostly than alive.
Ryuichi Sakamoto once again delivers a soundtrack that is instantly memorable and recalls the film on hearing, haunting the mood with tension. Aesthetically as well, there are attempts for nice visual moments that feel as much for the sake of it as they are symbolic in the story.
But one can't help have the feeling that this is a film made by a director from the Sixties and Seventies working in a different era. He's brought some old friends along, but some of the techniques feel a little old fashioned, and if this was made in the Sixties, you feel your response to it would be a little more complimentary.
That said, this is a film that does provide some memorable moments and scenes and is an enjoyable watch. The finale, while feeling of a different era, works well, and confirms Hijikata's suspicions that there is something more sinister lying beneath Kano's pretty skin. And, as ever with Oshima, there is a little something lying under the aesthetic.
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