Remarkable film for Japan in 1941 - or by any standard. The panoramas of armed men marching in the distance must have called for immense man power at a time when this was hard to come by. Not easy to see why this was a war time priority when it's picture of the military is far from attractive.
The peasants gather in the studio village street uncertain about what is happening till a lone horseman rides through. "What war?" Pan down a cliff reveals the lines of moving warriors. There is a spy about so the wagon crew are suspicious of Yamada when she shows up alone. "Hyachi
found a beaurty."
The span broadens with the with attention switching between the group of workers and the rival lords strategising on maps, where the black markers indicating dead soldiers had been spread.
Their lord stirs the admiration of his men by not attacking while
sickness strikes his opponents.
With his Ninja hiding among lily pads to get intelligence one leader plans a secret move by night with his opposite number determined to out manoeuvre him.
The actual battle in part two is an anticlimax after this material, unclear and finally a disappointment.
Frequent great panoramas - the shot that opens out to show lines of warriors crossing roads ranged to the horizon, the tracking shot past ranks of warriors holding their spears at attention as their instructions are given, troops passing through the trees behind the main action their samurai banners lowered. The images of half naked men advancing through the forest trees anticipate Rashomon. It sustains it's two hours.
The 1561 battle is celebrated in Japanese culture (and numerous films including Kagemusha with the shadow warrior on his stool glimpsed towards the end as hostilities overtake him) What we see builds impressively. Apparently both sides claimed to have won in real life.
Pity the battle when it comes is so tame and small scale after the great set up. The film shapes up for being outstanding without getting there. It still remains evidence that Kinugasa is grossly under valued in English language criticism.