Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle

As I wrote in the title for, "Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle," this is not a film for everyone. However, I really enjoyed the film. Sometimes [many times] a film does not have to tie all the loose ends to be enjoyed, sometimes just the escapism and pure enjoyment of a film as an entertaining piece of cinema is good enough. And I found the film interesting enough to put in my collection. Plus, I liked the character of Benkei (Daisuke Ryu) as a monk who has put down his sword, yet decides that he must complete one more mission. Benkei was once a famed swordsman, however, it has been years since he has slain anyone. Yet things are about to change: For there is an evil presence at Gojoe Bridge. Who is killing all the samurai? And for that matter, why?Benkei tries to enlist the help of his former mentor, who warns Benkei that he is not ready for this mission. Further, this monk warns Benkei that he will fail because he has not seen the way. Yeah, I know, sounds like a bunch of silly philosophical mumbo-jumbo, [and maybe it is] but that does not mean the film is not entertaining. At least for me. Moreover, I really liked the character actors in the film too. Plus, the antagonist in the film is portrayed by (Tadanobu Asano), who gives a very good portrayal in his role as a gifted swordsman. Tadanobu Asano is trying to reclaim his place as the rightful heir to the land, and watching his performance makes this film a worthwhile watch. Plus, the cinematography in the film is very good. Although there are spots here and there in the film where the picture is not very clear, they are few and far between. The film itself has great cinematography.The films narrative takes place in 12th Century Japan, at a place called Gojoe Bridge. Apparently, many members of a warrior clan are being killed by an unknown entity. Benkei, a former warrior has become a Buddhist and refuses to kill anymore, however, he changes his mind and decides to destroy whatever evil is lurking at Gojoe Bridge. Is it human? Or is it something else? I will leave this to the viewer to watch. I can tell you, however, that this movie does not disappoint. It sure did not disappoint me. I thought the cinematography and the acting and action sequences were very good, and the film definitely has an original storyline. I am a huge fan of the Toshirio Mifune and Akira Kurosawa classics. [Not that I am comparing this film to those earlier classics]. I am not. However, I like it when directors come along with something different for a change, and this film is definitely different. And once again, this is not a film for everyone, therefore, rent it first. [Stars: 4.5]

Exceptional kung fu action

It is difficult to imagine a Japanese movie more awful than this. It is boring, incoherent, pretentious, and lengthy. The sword fighting scenes are amateurish. The actors do not know how to handle weapons, and the director deliberately tries to avoid exposing the lack of professionalism in the fighting scenes. The "philosophical" scenes are ludicrous. It is an insult to Buddhism and Shintoism.

this film is full of spiritual mystcism many heavy handed films are as the genre bends the supernatural in half so one is forced to look ahead but that isn,t going to happen even if you have discovered what that is most of the time i ,ve never been correct only that i was close but still wrong so if these elements pull then this film fits the bill

Gojoe is a rather strange offering and while I find it interesting, I'm still undecided as to what it's supposed to be. It's not a straight telling of the story of the monk Benkei at Gojoe bridge, indeed apart from taking a few characters and locations seems to have very little to do with it. So we know it's not a historical costume drama, then what is it ? The metaphysical element is strange, it's very difficult to judge what view the film is taking, is it one of the real world perceived from the the viewpoint of people who believe in demons and the mystic powers of Buddhism. Or is it a more fantasy oriented scenario where these are literally true and the combatants really are waging psychic war ? Perhaps it's a choice we're allowed to make ourselves, make of it what you will, I don't know the answer. The films pace also jumps to extremes, from blood spurting action shots where somewhat inept samurai are hacked up by the dozen to sections where a confused Benkei gets all angst ridden and meanders off into the wilderness to indulge in much tedious self examination and find himself. Clearly the director is trying to provide something deeper and more spiritual than Baby cart or Azumi but I'm not entirely sure he's succeeded, maybe you need to be a Buddhist to really get it.

What can you say? No really what *can* you say about Gojoe?I did understand the plot, rambling and strange as it was, but I doubt the casual viewer would be able to figure it out. I watched the uncut version, it felt a lot longer than it was, and I was still left with the feeling that vital scenes were left out. The best way to put it is that I got it, I get it, it just doesn't make any real sense.It's sort of a hybrid between a Buddhist version of the Exorcist, a Samurai movie, and a slasher film. It fails at all of them, creating something that tries to be enlightening in among the sprays of blood.I give it two stars for being occasionally pretty, though even here it can get downright confusing and weird.

I tell you, if you believe in gods and devils, this movie is quite terrifying. Note that this is a play on alot of folk tales about the legendary warrior monk Benkei. Also good if you're easily hypnotized by fire...

Purtroppo in Italia non sono stati importati molti film asiatici, alla ricerca di qualcosa di nuovo mi sono imbattuto in questo titolo. Trama intrigante, bel film. spedizione veloce e prezzo dell'articolo convenientissimo!!

An awesome joyride of, perhaps sometimes so frantic as to be a headache, perhaps overblown in the gore and screaming, but nonetheless frenzied, action leaves one staring numbly at the unravelling plot. it seems as if the film will stick to a thin blood and slash theme, in the B movie traditition, and promises to wear thin with climactic battle scenes and superhuman feats of swordplay, but then develops a sophisticated plot which is half metaphor, half adventure, but without any portentousness. the characters are surprisingly engaging for grossly characatured archetypes, perhaps reclaiming the grander tradition of storytelling in some of the classic samurai films of yore. in fact, the use of different camera types (all digital darkroom I'm sure) with at times an authentic filmy, grainy quality, that reminisces hong-kong productions, and at times with shaky hand-held sequences, subtly blended with the most glorious, high resolution, vividly coloured, detail and imagery gives a longitudinal context. likewise, a careful use of special effects which add to the tension and story, but don't come to the fore.This is all exemplified in the final finale, which is one of those sequences of true breathlessness, and which somehow happens so fast that it is only barely possible to process the revelations which preceded it... but to spill these beans would be to spoil them, so worth a watch, and one to own.

L'unica cosa decente di questo "film" è il doppiaggio. Tutto il resto non ha senso di esistere.

I'm still not quite sure about this Japanese offering.The film tells the story of a wandering monk,who was a very nasty piece of work,in his soldiering days.He now seeks enlightenment,and hears about a demon spirit at a place called Gojoe Bridge.The 'demon' is actually a man,although he pocesses powers,and is a highly skilled swordsman.The film leads up to the final confrontation,at Gojoe Bridge.The fight scenes,I though,were very well done,and it's certainly a film,with a high body count.I wasn't too happy with the scene,showing the leading actress' fate in the village massacre.I really wished the film had shown her character had survived.She was totally innocent.Overall though,very enjoyable.

Plot is interesting, if rather unbelievable. Costumes are fantastic, in fact I concentrated more on the costumes than the action.The fight scenes are a disappointment, you don't get to see many martial skills - the shaky camera and tendency to close-up focus on peoples faces sees to that.If you like crazy action flicks like Versus or Kurosawa's films, be warned that this may not be for you.