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Title - Gohatto (also known as Taboo)
Director - Nagisa Oshima
Year of Release - 1999
Duration - 100 minutes
IMDb - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213682/

Synopsis
Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a samurai compound where young warriors are trained in swordfighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering around a handsome young samurai named Sozaburo Kano. The school's stern master can choose to intervene, or to let Kano decide his own path.

Trailer


I had a very upbeat, modern film in mind for the movie of the fortnight, but seeing as how our previous film was very much along the same lines I decided to go in the opposite direction and picked Gohatto.

Directed by popular auteur Nagisa Oshima, starring the famed Takeshi Kitano and with a very atmospheric score by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Gohatto is a captivating, chilling samurai drama that contains themes of homosexuality, which was obviously Taboo during the Edo period and is loosely based on actual historical figures from the Japanese police force known as the Shinsengumi (whom you may have seen portrayed in various anime series, most notably Peace Maker Kurogane and Gintama). While not the best samurai drama out there, I feel it is definitely one of the most interesting.

Another great choice Touka! Oshima, Sakamoto and Kitano working together again, plus a bit of Shinsengumi history. A must watch.

Woot, now I sarted quite early to DL... To bad it isnt softsub the copy I found. But will see asap. Hope it's another good movie.

Lovely movie, don't mind rewatching it as I'm still abit buffled about the ending.

People have different interpretations of the ending, but the way I see it...

(spoilers ahoy)

Also, this is my first choice, Panda-Chang. Reckful chose the first film. :)

...and for anyone who wants a download link for this movie - message slenderfall.

I remember the first time I saw this after smoking too much - yeah it was just as great sober - the end is quite ambiguious but satisfying. I also agree with Toukas interpretation of Hijikata cutting down the tree

Thumbs up all round

Great acting, superlative directing, an interesting and realistic interpretation of that time period...and yet, I can't even classify it as legitimately "good", let alone great.

I had the same problem here that I do with some Coen Brothers' films; what, exactly, was the point of the film? The punchline? The conceit? What does Captain Inoue and a good part of the film have to do with anything?

This could partially be forgiven if there was deep psychological insight or a major emotional impact, but it wasn't there. As a result, despite all the good things about the movie, I often felt disengaged.

Still, it's at least decent and worth a look.

65/100

Taboo! My friend actually tricked me into watching this movie. Please forgive my completely politically incorrectness. Not good or bad, but this is certainly the equivalent of a Shounen-ai or Yaoi title if it were an anime. I affectionately call it the gay samurai movie. :)