Gonza, the lance fighter
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Gonza, the lance fighter (FRG) The forbidden love of the samurai (GDR) |
| Original title | 鑓 の 権 三 |
| Country of production | Japan |
| original language | Japanese |
| Publishing year | 1986 |
| length | 125 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Masahiro Shinoda |
| script | Taeko Tomioka |
| production | Masayuki Motomochi |
| music | Tōru Takemitsu |
| camera | Kazuo Miyagawa |
| cut | Sachiko Yamaji |
| occupation | |
| |
Gonza, the lance fighter , in the GDR The Forbidden Love of the Samurai , ( Japanese鑓 の 権 三, also 近 松 門 左衛 門 鑓 の 権 三) is a Japanese feature film by director Masahiro Shinoda from 1986. The screenplay for the film comes from Taeko Tomioka and is based - against the historical background of the Edo period - on a Kabuki play by Monzaemon Chikamatsu , a well-known Japanese playwright of the 18th century.
The film was first released in Japan on January 15, 1986. The German premiere took place on February 20, 1986 in the original language with German subtitles in the competition of the 36th International Film Festival in Berlin.
action
Feudal Japan in the 18th century. In Tokugawa -Shōgunat is peace, yet all daimyo encouraged as part of the sankin Kotai a certain time in the capital of Edo to spend. With this political instrument of control, the shogunate tries to avoid too much autonomy for the provincial princes. One of these local rulers is Prince Ichinoshin, who had been staying in Edo for three months when the longed-for male descendant was born to him.
A big festival with a traditional tea ceremony is to be held in the homeland in honor of the young ancestral owner. The honor of the alignment is to be given to one of his students, whereupon the two chosen ones, the samurais Bannojo and Gonza, vie for the right of execution. The vain 25-year-old Gonza is a respected and respected member of the warrior class who strives for social recognition. Since it is impossible for him to distinguish himself in peacetime, he tries to rise in the hierarchy of his clan by means of this task. His opponent, the family man Bannojo, is a master of this form of preparation. In order to keep his chances nonetheless, Gonza - a passionate gambler and bon vivant who, contrary to his reputation as a man of honor, lives only for his pleasure - tries to elicit the well-guarded family knowledge for the preparation from the wife of his master. The daimyō's unfaithful wife, Osai, grants Gonza an insight into this form of preparation at night, but in return demands that the attractive person seeking help woos the 15-year-old daughter Okiku, although she is not fond of him. Notwithstanding this, Gonza is in a relationship with Bannojo's sister Oyuki; nevertheless he agrees following his own interests. Already at this point it becomes clear that Osai is passionate about Gonza.
One night both of them are secretly observed while studying the traditional records by the jealous Bannojo, who a little later and deeply humiliated, publicly accuses Osai of adultery , even though he is the one who wrote her heartfelt love letters beforehand. The loyal and innocent Gonza feels shame. Osai persuades him to plead guilty of adultery in order to ward off shame from the absent Prince Ichinoshin. Osai and Gonza are now considered adulterers. At dawn, the two flee in the direction of Osaka. Meanwhile, Osai's brother kills Bannojo, who is also volatile, while the good-natured prince Ichinoshin sets out to persecute the adulterers out of a sense of duty. The prince wants to kill his faithless wife and mother of his children, despite the misgivings of the four descendants.
During the escape, Osai discovers more and more feelings for her escape partner, who initially rejects her, but gives in as the hike continues. There is an exchange of tenderness. Finally, the fugitive lovers are caught by the prince, who grants Gonza one last wish in the face of death and kills him with a lance. His unfaithful wife, on the other hand, is killed by the sword. At the end of the film, Prince Ichinoshin's eldest son performs the traditional tea ceremony.
Awards
- Silver Bear in the Special Artistic Achievement category for its harmonious composition
- Nomination for a Golden Bear
- Nomination in the category Best Actress for Shima Iwashita
- Nomination in the Best Cinematography category for Kazuo Miyagawa
- Nomination in the Best Lighting category for Takeji Sano
- Nomination in the category Best Music for Tōru Takemitsu
- Nomination in the Best Sound category for Shōtarō Yoshida
Reviews
The lexicon of international films wrote that the production was a “picturesque film full of poetry, in which the tea ceremony, the symbol of peace, would trigger a catastrophic development” .
Web links
- Gonza the Lancer in the Internet Movie Database (English)