Revenge of a Kabuki Actor — dvd movie review
Director: Kon Ichikawa
Starring: Kazuo Hasegawa, Fujiko Yamamoto
Genre: Drama, Comedy
I’ve seen a number of stylish and outlandish revenge films in the past few years, but none quite like Kon Ichikawa’s Revenge of a Kabuki Actor. For with Revenge, Kon Ichikawa has created a surprisingly lighthearted tale of vengeance, a picture where style, fun, and wit is as integral to the telling of the tale as the act spurring the vengeance grudge.
As the title would suggest, Revenge of a Kabuki Actor sees, Yukinojo Nakamura (Kazuo Hasegawa) a celebrity thespian tasked with righting a terrible wrong. Only, this thespian is an Oyama, a professional female impersonator, and the wrong to be righted is one of his parents’ suicides, both attributed to dire financial situations resulting from the nefarious market manipulations of unscrupulous businessmen. According, this Oyama is looking for more than just physical revenge. He’s seeking the complete ruination of those responsible. Over the course of the picture Yakinojo will use his cunning, acting chops, and “feminine” wiles to ingratiate himself with man and woman alike, inching ever closer to a revenge far more devastating than any arterial tapping could provide.
The DVD jacket-copy claims Revenge of a Kabuki Actor is “a beautiful and poignant tale of tragedy, seduction, and betrayal,” but I have to disagree somewhat. The picture is a stunningly beautiful curiosity, packed from start to close with scenes of striking composition. Furthermore, there’s quite a bit going on, and keeping track of all the scheming, crushes, and other motivations requires more than a modicum of attention. But that said, its narrative never really ventures past lighthearted entertainment.
In fact, the tone is quite similar to the types of plays performed in highschool or community theater: tales of adventure and heroism, romance and intrigue, with a tongue in cheek playfulness relying on slightly self-aware cleverness, suitable for the most general of general audiences. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing – the film entertained me quite a bit, and Nakamura’s choice of psychological manipulations over physical attacks in carrying out his revenge was a welcome change from the norm. But if you’re expecting to be moved to any sort of emotion stronger that amusement or a chuckling laughter, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The film’s performances prove decent from all involved (special props to Hasegawa and Fujiko Yamamoto, who plays a tough female thief), but nothing substantive enough to push past their dramatics past the level of casual entertainment.
But back to the visuals. Above all else, these stand as the reason to view Revenge of a Kabuki Actor. Kon Ichikawa infuses every sequence with Kabuki theatrics, complete with fake snow, falling cherry blossoms, impossibly shadows, stage lighting, and even a plucky narrator (Yamitaro the Thief, played by Kazuo Hasegawa sans makeup). There are a number of eye-catching sequences which I fully intend to take a second look at, including multiple sequences of dense forest and textured architecture, a brief altercation in pitch black dark with rope-slinging baddies (the rope shooting forward from nothingness like a striking snake) and flashing blades, and snow, snow, and more snow. They’re all quite stunning, and well worth the price of admission.
Alas, I’m afraid that’s about all I have to say for this one. Revenge of a Kabuki actor provides a pleasant and visually striking diversion from director Kon Ichikawa, with style, fun, and talent to spare. It may not be something you will remember weeks down the line, but it’s definitely worth checking out at least once.
The DVD
Animeigo’s release of Revenge of a Kabuki Actor is pretty decent. In terms of video quality, the colors are vibrant and the contrast respectably strong, but the overall picture is a bit blurry. This could be due to soft-focus cinematography or the quality of the print from which the restoration was based, but it was nonetheless distracting in a handful of scenes. Translations are the usual AnimEigo awesomeness, but the picture seemed to feature a few less historical notes than usual. Still, good stuff.
In terms of extras, the disc features the usual AnimEigo trailer and production still galleries, and offering of expansive production/cultural notes. Viewers would probably do well to read through the notes before watching the picture in order to maximize their appreciation of the story.
All in all, a decent release for a surprisingly entertaining film. Check it out.
About the Author
