04-21-2018, 09:01 AM
Revisited this on El Rey recently. It's such a sleeper classic, probably my fav Forest Whitaker flick. It's got such unique style, part assassin flick, part martial arts, part gangster, and part ghetto. Jarmusch is a master at catching that strung-out nite owl vibe, and RZA's soundtrack is right in the groove with his trance-like plodding city beats (I should really pick up the soundtrack). I luv the way the Hagakure quotes are worked in, and Rashomon. The gangsters are echoes of The Godfather, which I also rewatched recently and might review soon, that sort of gritty schlubby cutthroat TCB stereotype that feels authentic in a urban way.
But it all falls apart for me with one scene, the one where Forest is practicing katana on the rooftop and wearing his saya upside down. It's glaringly obvious to anyone who's ever done any Japanese sword, and an unforgivable oversight when the film gets so much of the rest of it right. If only someone would go back and digitally flip that saya over in post, all would be redeemed.
But it all falls apart for me with one scene, the one where Forest is practicing katana on the rooftop and wearing his saya upside down. It's glaringly obvious to anyone who's ever done any Japanese sword, and an unforgivable oversight when the film gets so much of the rest of it right. If only someone would go back and digitally flip that saya over in post, all would be redeemed.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
