Chronicles the trials and tribulations of Oribe, the successor to tea-master Rikyu, Usu, his gardener, and Princess Goh, who attempt to balance artistic expression and duty amid political intrigue in feudal Japan.
Usually when I read reviews that recommend a movie on the strength of its visual qualities alone I become suspicious. But in the case of Go-hime and its predecessor 'Rikyu' the exquisite composition of many of the shots was sufficient in itself to sustain my interest. There are also some excellent exchanges between the characters to contemplate and so, all in all, I have to say that the director has surpassed himself. Kurosawa can infuriate as well as delight with his somewhat mannered and overbearing direction but somehow Teshigahara gets away with something similar here and in the process reveals himself to have the edge on his rather better known contemporary.