We've spoken before about Yurusarezaru mono (Unforgiven), filmmaker Lee Sang-il’s Japanese-language remake of Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Best Picture winner. Lee's version, set in the same period of the late-1800s, relocates the story from the hard territory of post-Civil War to the equally hard territory of Meiji-era Hokkaido, and casts Ken Watanabe in the central role so memorably filled by Clint Eastwood in the Oscar-winning original. The film is due for general UK release from tomorrow, and ahead of this, Warner Bros. have released three new clips, showing brief moments from Lee's Sang-il's crack at the whip.
I will say, though, that if you are planning on seeing the film when released, even though nothing hugely spoilery happens in them, maybe take some level of heed, mainly directed at the third clip.
The first shows the moment Watanbe's Jubei is approached to help an old friend, Kingo (Akira Emoto), take up the bounty placed on two settlers, money put up by a group of prostitutes for disfiguring one of their own. From what we can see in this short clip, Lee has maintained the hard words and attitudes of David Webb Peoples's incredible original script, as well as the calm atmosphere of Eastwood's direction.
The second clip shows us the moment when Jubei, having denied his friend's request, but subsequently giving in on his own, rides out and catches up with Kingo. As a moment, it's good for a nicely underplayed demonstration of the pair's history and relationship. It's also a great showcase for the gorgeous scenery on display in the film.
The final clip is one of confrontation, albeit quietly so. Jubei has clearly taken up his gun again and grown closer to his old ways, and is now pointing his weapon at Ichizo (Kōichi Satō), the man who would be king of this harsh terrain. It presents a showdown between the two men, though Ichizo stands against a lone Jubei backed by his own people. Ichizo stares down Jubei's gun with only a sword and nary a sense of backing down.
On evidence of these clips, my personal interest in the project is still present, though it has to be said that I worry that the project has stuck too close the original Unforgiven, limiting the possibility for re-invention and re-interpretation only to the vague references and use of swords alongside the guns. Only that final clip seems to offer something slightly different to Eastwood's film. It would be a little disheartening if Lee's film stuck so rigidly to its predecessor, since cultural re-invention is the only real card the movie has to play, and since it is very unlikely, if not impossible, to be able to outdo the quality of the original film. If all Lee's film can ultimately do is wear a different kind of hat, it does not bode well. However, we shall see when it his cinemas tomorrow.
I will say, though, that if you are planning on seeing the film when released, even though nothing hugely spoilery happens in them, maybe take some level of heed, mainly directed at the third clip.
The first shows the moment Watanbe's Jubei is approached to help an old friend, Kingo (Akira Emoto), take up the bounty placed on two settlers, money put up by a group of prostitutes for disfiguring one of their own. From what we can see in this short clip, Lee has maintained the hard words and attitudes of David Webb Peoples's incredible original script, as well as the calm atmosphere of Eastwood's direction.
The second clip shows us the moment when Jubei, having denied his friend's request, but subsequently giving in on his own, rides out and catches up with Kingo. As a moment, it's good for a nicely underplayed demonstration of the pair's history and relationship. It's also a great showcase for the gorgeous scenery on display in the film.
The final clip is one of confrontation, albeit quietly so. Jubei has clearly taken up his gun again and grown closer to his old ways, and is now pointing his weapon at Ichizo (Kōichi Satō), the man who would be king of this harsh terrain. It presents a showdown between the two men, though Ichizo stands against a lone Jubei backed by his own people. Ichizo stares down Jubei's gun with only a sword and nary a sense of backing down.
On evidence of these clips, my personal interest in the project is still present, though it has to be said that I worry that the project has stuck too close the original Unforgiven, limiting the possibility for re-invention and re-interpretation only to the vague references and use of swords alongside the guns. Only that final clip seems to offer something slightly different to Eastwood's film. It would be a little disheartening if Lee's film stuck so rigidly to its predecessor, since cultural re-invention is the only real card the movie has to play, and since it is very unlikely, if not impossible, to be able to outdo the quality of the original film. If all Lee's film can ultimately do is wear a different kind of hat, it does not bode well. However, we shall see when it his cinemas tomorrow.
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