Buddha (1961) review

BUDDHA 1961 aka SHAKA

Raizo Ichikawa (Prince Kunara), Shintaro Katsu (Devadatta),  Kojiro Hongo (Prince Siddhartha), Charito Solis (Yasodhara), Yamamoto Fujiko (Usha), Suratha (Higashino Eijiro), Elida (Isuzu Yamada), Katsuhiko Kobayashi (Ananda), Kano Junko (Matangi), Hiroshi Kawaguchi (Ajashartu)

Directed by Misumi Kenji

The Short Version: This ambitious, giant-sized historical epic from Daiei about the origins and teachings of Buddhism is the Nipponese answer to Anglo epics like THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) and BEN-HUR (1959). Before encountering giant monsters, Kojiro Hongo sought enlightenment as BUDDHA. Pre-Zatoichi Shintaro Katsu gives able support as the duplicitous Devadatta -- warrior, rapist, and sorcerer. Fans of chambara megastar Raizo Ichikawa may be disappointed he's top-billed, but has a supporting role instead. Covering every nook, cranny, and crevice of morality, filial piety, scorn, lust, and greed, BUDDHA spreads his teachings over a dozen vignettes in its sprawling 155 minutes of opulence. It's all here -- treacherous women, ignoble men, sex, violence, love, hate, redemption and retribution in Misumi Kenji's grand adventure of morality and humanity.

In India, 5th Century BC, a crown prince is born in the garden of Kativa Palace. Viewed as a good omen, the birth of the prince is prophesied to be the savior of the populace. Twenty years later, Prince Siddhartha wins the hand of Princess Yasodhara in a tournament of combat and archery. Living all that time within Kativa Palace, Siddhartha becomes increasingly disenchanted by the four tiered Caste system (Brahmin, soldier, citizen, slave), and the treatment of commoners left to die of starvation and untreated disease. The religious use of human sacrifice disturbs him so deeply, he decides to leave the palace, and his wife for six years to become a monk, seeking enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree before becoming Buddha, spreading his teachings to others. Meanwhile, Devadatta, the man he defeated for the beautiful Yasodhara, plots to take over the Kativa kingdom, and rule all of India.

Historical epics were a major source of box office revenue once upon a time. The United States and Europe (especially Italy) were professionals at producing them whether unilaterally or co-producing them together with the likes of SODOM AND GOMORRAH (1962) and CLEOPATRA (1963) being two of the resultant examples. In Italy, the early 1960s were the ripest for the Sword and Sandal genre with heavyweight titles such as two Steve Reeves spectacles THE TROJAN HORSE (1961), ROMULUS & REMUS (1961), and THE FURY OF ACHILLES (1962) flexing their budgetary and storytelling muscles. 

With big ticket super productions like THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956), BEN-HUR (1959), and SPARTACUS (1960) bringing in big numbers and big audiences, Japan's Daiei Studios mounted a massive 500-700 million yen (approximately $5-$7 million US dollars) Nipponese peplum production of their own; and one that contains all the elements required for the genre, but told with an Asian flavor. Planning for BUDDHA (1961) began in September of 1960, but the shooting didn't start till April 8th of the following year. The finished product was up on screens on November 1st, 1961. The massive production came in as the tenth most profitable movie of that year. It was shown in American theaters in 1963 minus approximately 20 minutes of footage.

Endeavoring to compete on the world stage, Daiei president Nagata Masaichi's big budget epic was hyped as Japan's first 70mm production. With this being the first such presentation, there was no 70mm processing facility in Japan at that time, so the film was flown to a Technicolor lab in London. The superb Akira Ifukube soundtrack was mixed there, too. Sources have stated that this Super Technirama film was actually shot in 35mm, but printed onto 70mm film. 

Renowned director Misumi Kenji was tasked with helming this 'Cast of Thousands' spiritual epic revolving around the life of Siddhartha and his Buddhist teachings. The film was reportedly controversial at the time for Yahiro Fuji's script taking liberties with historical details, and much of the scheduled location shoots in other countries being canceled as a result. 

Armed with an impressive talent slate both in front of, and behind the camera, BUDDHA (as it was called in the US) is an opulent, yet unusual entry in the annals of Japanese cinema. Mirroring biblical mythology, this tale is packed with drama, and even healthier dollops of tragedy, torture and death. Misumi's movies are often very melancholic, violent, with striking scenes of cruelty; and there's a lot of that here, too. However, he balances his tale of good vs. evil with equal doses of absolution and redemption. Furthermore, the brutality of BUDDHA is mostly off camera. There's a rape, mass groups of people burned alive, eyes burned out with hot pokers, baby killings, and slaves executed by being trampled by elephants for refusing to denounce their Buddhist faith.

Mirroring the Bible in its historical violence, and mythological metaphors for societal woes, Fuji Yahiro's script plays out like a series of vignettes wherein an individual, or diverse group of people are forced to confront their inner selves, their superficialities, or bring hidden desires to bear. They all eventually find their way to the Buddha, with the occasional interference of Devadatta -- the main villain of this piece, and the embodiment of evil.

The section of the film regarding the caste system gives the script a chance to ponder not just social status on Earth, but in how much catastrophe and violence is construed as "the will of the gods". Prince Siddhartha, who is destined to die and rise as the Buddha, questions why he and his family must live so well while others on the outside suffer from starvation and disease. Upon visiting the surrounding villages, Siddhartha then questions why it's the will of the gods that these poor people must die in such horrible fashion. The answer is that for not worshiping them, nor giving significant offerings, the punishment is death. The same applies to the deplorable human sacrifices Siddhartha witnesses -- "Only great gifts bring blessings". He comes to the conclusion that, regardless of rich or poor, whether you pray to gods or not, everyone will grow old and die. Longing for everyone to experience true freedom, free of the constraints brought about by Earthly pleasures of the flesh and materialism, Siddhartha disavows this "shackled" existence, becomes a monk, and sets off on a spiritual journey, where he himself attains true enlightenment, and becomes a god.

Fuji's script asks a multitude of questions about self-sacrifice, right and wrong, good and evil. The answer to virtually every calamity, act of attrition, and murder is love and forgiveness. Hate and revenge being a neverending cycle, a comparison can be made between religion and its potential for spurring hatred. Such is the case with the Buddhists who are captured by Devadatta, and forced to convert or die horribly. This mirrors the devout hatred towards Christians by Islamic extremists. For Buddhism, Devadatta seeks its destruction because it asks that man find peace within himself as opposed to worshiping, or fearing a god, or gods. In actuality, this is stripping man of his freedom. Devadatta really wants the populace to worship HIM, and obey his commands while keeping his brutalized flock enslaved and fearful of what disobedience might bring. Buddhism threatens this religious hierarchy by allowing an individual to be his own person. There are a great many interesting concepts explored here, and you don't have to be religious, agnostic, or atheist to enjoy this movie -- spirituality knows no denomination.

This is partially a fantasy film too, so aside from its humanitarian mission, there's a lot of highly dramatic moments of biblical bravado -- such as when Siddhartha brings rain to a drought-ridden village, heals a wrongfully maimed man, and repels Devadatta's sorcery in the most subtle fashion involving a poor elderly woman and her oil-lit candle.

The art direction (Kisaku Ito) and photography (Hiroshi Imai and an uncredited Kazuo Miyagawa) are impeccable. The camera is frequently mobile; the tracking shots often drawing you into the scene. Virtually every frame is lit up with sumptuous sets and framing that captures the beauty of the natural locations and intricately dressed sound stage settings. Some of the sets reportedly cost in the millions (Yen) to build. The finale was shot on the grounds of Japan's Self-Defense Force, some 215,000 square feet of ground.

Famed special effects artist, sculptor, modeler (and suit actor) Fuminori Ohashi modeled the various creatures (including three-headed demons, bird men, and killer midgets) that attempt to seduce and frighten Siddhartha while convalescing in a forest. The sexual quotient of this sequence is eyebrow raising for 1961. It's tastefully done, but unusual to see women in diaphanous gowns with a bare bottom, or breast exposed (but covered nipple, mind you). This exceptional sequence is BUDDHA at its most operatic. You feel like you're watching a stage play. The strains of Ifukube's cues in this scene have a theatricality about them that complement the bombast and romantic leanings of the rest of his score.

The acting is top-notch, despite it being jarring having Japanese actors playing Indian people, but speaking Japanese. Kojiro Hongo is third-billed, but is the main character. Granted, as he gets closer to becoming the Buddha, the mysteriousness and mythical stature of his character is highlighted by his face being obscured, and only his voice heard. We do see him in long shots, in silhouette, or as a shadow. Just a few years later, Hongo graduated from high profile productions to chief monster actor for a few films in Daiei's Daikaiju Gamera movies in the mid 1960s. The first two were quality films, but the series got sillier, and the budgets got smaller.

Raizo Ichikawa was a huge star at the time, and is top-billed here, although he doesn't show up till an hour in. With the dozen strands of overlapping character arcs, he's virtually a supporting player. His section of the movie is among the most dramatically grim. He starred in many great samurai pictures ranging from the SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH series to the SHINOBI NO MONO series. He died in July of 1969 from rectal cancer at only 37 years of age.

Before wandering Japan as a wildly popular blind masseur, Shintaro Katsu turned man against his brother, and brought misery to the world as the devilish Devadatta. He's fantastic in this, and the previous year played the antithesis of his famous Zatoichi character in THE BLIND MENACE (1960). Katsu worked with Misumi on many occasions including THE GHOST CAT CURSED WALL (1958), THE TALE OF ZATOICHI (1962), and FIGHT, ZATOICHI, FIGHT (1964) to name a few.

Unfortunately, Daiei's gamble to produce Hollywood level pictures never paid off, at least not in the long run, as they would be traversing troubled financial waters from here on out, and be bankrupt ten years later in 1971. Hongo and Katsu worked together on another epic film, WHALE GOD the following year. Daiei would soon enter into the realm of SPX filmmaking and the Daikaiju genre that Toho had popularized with their Godzilla series and assorted other science fiction films. Daiei's GAMERA (1965) would prove an immense success with a string of seven movies over the next six years. 

Daiei's president was apparently enamored with tales of Buddhist monks, stone idols, and the fantasy elements that went along with them. A few years earlier, his company had produced a similar epic starring some of the same cast members with NICHIREN AND THE GREAT MONGOL INVASION (1958). In 1966, in the midst of Daiei's financial woes, they lavished sizable budgets on three productions using the same idea with little variance -- mixing the samurai film with the popular Daikaiju genre to create DAIMAJIN.

World renowned filmmaker Misumi Kenji had been directing since 1954, and with a dozen or so films to his credit; one of which was YOTSUYA KAIDAN (1959). Misumi's version -- one of many cinematic interpretations -- was released two weeks shy of Nobuo Nakagawa's version from Shin Toho. It was also in B/W, and introduced some twists to the familiar tale of revenge from beyond the grave. 

As for the prestigious BUDDHA, Misumi, along with his crew, put together quite an epic. With much of his filmography unavailable on these shores, it's difficult to gauge if Misumi helmed many more movies on this grand of a scale. After films like the two SATAN'S SWORD pictures starring Raizo, he quickly became a dependable helmer of chambara pictures; the most talked about of these outside of Japan being the gore-drenched six film LONE WOLF AND CUB series from the 1970s -- re-edited and unleashed most famously in America in 1980 as SHOGUN ASSASSIN. His last film before his death, aptly titled THE LAST SAMURAI (1974), was an epic in itself, if a less optimistic one.

If all you've ever known of Misumi's work are his samurai pictures, and are interested enough to branch out beyond that spectrum, BUDDHA (1961) is worth seeking out. An enlightening experience, there's still that Misumi touch of cruelty and somberness that got more extreme as the decade progressed, and into the next one. With so much going for it -- exemplar photography, set design, and a boisterous, saddening, romantic score by Akira Ifukube, Daiei's big adventure is as close to nirvana as you can get for vintage Japanese historical epics.

You can buy this English subtitled DVD HERE.

The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) review

 

THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US 1956

Jeff Morrow (Dr. William Barton), Rex Reason (Dr. Thomas Morgan), Leigh Snowden (Marcia Barton), Gregg Palmer (Jed Grant), Maurice Manson (Dr. Borg), James Rawley (Dr. Johnson)

Directed by John Sherwood

The Short Version: The inherent machismo of the CREATURE trilogy reaches its zenith in this last of the series, the most character driven of the three; and a radical departure from the two previous movies in a few ways; one of which is the abandonment of 3D. Shockingly, the relationship between the monster and the girl is downplayed for a disturbed husband, horny hunter, and a respectable geneticist looking to better mankind angle. The title has a double meaning in that the 'Creature', or monster, is also man, and that inner primal savage walks among us as well. Meanwhile, the Gill Man becomes the Gill-less Man -- castrated by his human counterparts, longing for his watery true love, but never to enjoy it again. It's a compelling, if melancholy trilogy closer, but alas, it's unfortunate that 'Son of the Creature' never materialized.

Another group of scientists set sail aboard a yacht with a fully functioning laboratory to study the Gill Man after he's been sighted in the Florida Everglades. After a harrowing encounter, the Creature is badly burned and rendered unconscious. The scientists -- some of whom have different motives -- take him to a research facility in California where they perform an operation to save his life. The operation is a success, but now with his gills removed, a noticeable change has occurred that has made the monster more human.

The CREATURE trilogy closes out on a high note with this engaging, non-3D sequel that matches the first movie in a variety of ways. Moreover it leaves the increased action quotient of the second picture, REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) behind while striving for loftier, expositional ambitions. The storyline is the main focal point, so those expecting familiar Black Lagoon theatrics have something entirely different in store for them. 

Firstly, it takes approximately 30 minutes for the first interaction between man and monster to occur. We see the Gill Man prior to that, but these shots are left over from the first film. An underwater sequence where Dr. Morgan, Marcia, and Jed search for the Creature has stock shots inserted as well. The first actual encounter -- at night in a small boat -- is among the best sequences of the picture. A noticeable amount of suspense is derived despite the familiar trappings, and that we all know what the monster looks like by this point. Aside from a few exciting set pieces, the most intriguing attribute of WALKS AMONG US is in its characters and concepts.

Returning from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) is contributing writer Arthur Ross. He gets sole credit here, and he goes hog wild with characterization -- creating the sort of character arcs you rarely, if ever got in these sorts of science fiction-horror movies, particularly of the B level. As much as the Creature evolves, so does the storytelling. The ugliness of man is put on display for onlookers, while the ferocity of the Black Lagoon's most famous resident is substantially reduced. It's a daring, if ingenious concept that will be appreciated by those willing to accept a sequel going in a totally different direction from what came before it.

While the Creature does Walk Among Us, that "Creature" isn't just a half man, half fish left over from the Devonian Era -- it's the ugliness of man that walks among us within ourselves. That bridge between man's inner primitive and his civilized nature stretches across a fairly vivid quartet of four characters with the Gill Man, or the now Gill-less Man, caught in the middle. 

This love triangle was seen in the two previous pictures, but nothing quite like what is presented here. A lot of hate has been added, too. The two leads in WALKS AMONG US are much stronger than the second movie, and Ross's script gives them lots to chew on. The Carlson and Denning arc was a tense rivalry, but both men respected the other; the Agar and Bromfield arc was of a friendlier nature, what little of it was espoused in the second film. The Reason and Morrow match-up of Sherwood's movie is the most complex of the three films. It starts off very professional, then slowly dissolves from there. The two men never come to blows, but both eventually nurture an uneasiness between them. Morgan knows Barton is slipping into madness, and Barton becomes suspicious of Morgan whenever he enters into conversation with his wife. If that weren't enough, a third male suitor is added to this potentially volatile mix in the form of jungle guide Jed Grant, an all around sleazeball, and the man who takes our intrepid scientists to where the Gill Man is located. With three men centered in some way around Marcia (Leigh Snowden), that leaves us with the Creature. 

Ironically enough, the 'Beauty and the Beast' angle that was integral to the first two films is almost non-existent in this last entry. Even more surprising is that the monster is, at least once he's humanized, turned benign -- the savage beast is soothed -- for a time, anyways. He even walks into his observational area without the aid of chains or shackles. There are a couple of spots where the monster spies Marcia, but never takes it to the next step of claiming her as a mate. He even saves her from being raped at one point, but never attempts to make off with her; even more surprising is that not once in the entire movie does the Creature even carry her off! 

After he's badly burned from top to bottom during that harrowing capture sequence, the scientists discover a second skin beyond his severely charred gills, as well as a set of lungs allowing a minor amount of air to keep him just barely alive. After performing a tracheotomy, the metamorphosis of the now Gill-less Man continues. It continues to the point where the monster is no longer a monster, but an increasingly docile shell of its former self that, scarcely resembles its fishy origins; and now looks like Lou Ferrigno in a monster suit. This transformation is another startling aspect of this film. Both the fire and the surgical procedures have turned the formerly aggressive Creature into a passive beast capable of displaying emotions -- they've essentially castrated him. The loss of his gills is equatable to the loss of his manhood. Which brings us back to his disinterest in Marcia Barton. His one true love is the water, and he can never have that love again.

Jeff Morrow is the true monster of the movie. Armed with all his scientific knowledge, and understanding of what makes man tick, his base instincts of primal savagery get the best of him allowing jealousy to consume his soul. The script masterfully alludes to his mental decline, compounding on it as the finale draws near. There's a great conversation between Morrow and Rex Reason as they watch the now docile Creature in his new, caged surroundings. Dr. Morgan (Reason) senses Dr. Barton's (Morrow) animosity towards his wife, and the possibility of harm being brought to her. He subtlely tries to reach Barton's remaining sane faculties with this exchange...

Morgan: "If [the Creature] thinks all men are his enemy, if he can't see things the way they are instead of the way he thinks they are, he lives in terrible fear."

Barton: "He's only an animal."

Morgan: "The same holds true for man. If man, or animal becomes too terrified to think, he resorts to violence. And in the animal world it's called the law of the jungle. But when it happens to human beings, its name is murder."

By this point, there's been a total role reversal between the Creature and mankind that has hunted him for so long. The monster does resort to violence, but it's out of self defense whereas Barton is prone to aggressive, even murderous tendencies because his pride has been damaged.

Of all of Jeff Morrow's (at right in insert) genre performances, this is arguably his best, most complicated character he essayed in science fiction films. He co-starred with Rex Reason the previous year in the big budget classic THIS ISLAND EARTH (1955), the innovative B/W SciFi alien invasion film KRONOS (1957), and the literal turkey from outer space that is a classic of another kind, THE GIANT CLAW (1957). He returned to the genre in 1971 with Harry Essex's mediocre monster movie, the BLACK LAGOON remake, OCTAMAN.

Leigh Snowden's character is the female center by which all the men revolve; and she's an unusually strong female persona for one of these movies, at least temporarily. She's musically inclined (she plays piano and guitar), she's fearless, been on numerous hunting safaris, and is proficient with guns. At the same time, she tries to remain a dutiful wife to her mentally unstable husband who thinks she's having an affair with every man but him. The script abandons this strong feminine mentality almost as quickly as it's introduced. Marcia is gradually reduced to "woman in distress" status. For a brief moment, though, Marcia is one of the guys.

Actor Don Megowan played the land-dwelling Creature, and Ricou Browning briefly returned for the underwater sequence wherein the monster, post operation, attempts to return to the sea, only to discover he can no longer breath underwater. Megowan does a fine job as the lumbering "Frankenstein's Creature". At approximately 79 minutes in length, he's not given enough time to emote to a large degree, but there are a few moments where Megowan's monster gets the sorrow across succinctly. His rampage at the finale is extensive and spectacular wherein he thoroughly remodels the maniacal Dr. Barton's mansion while unleashing his man-fish fury.

The music is (mostly) new compositions, with only a few spots dotted with that classic Creature cue that dominated so much of the previous movies. Reportedly, Henry Mancini (THE PINK PANTHER) was responsible for a sizable chunk of the score!

THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956) isn't your typical 'Part Three' of the average movie series. It takes a huge chance by refusing to play it safe, going all out in a totally new direction. Performances are strong, the script is good, and a greater deal of pathos is accrued for our title monster leading up to a surprisingly downbeat finish -- closing with a coda that echoes man's failure to cage the wild beast within us all. It could be better, but for what's here, it's surprisingly well mounted with a few great sequences and the usual scientific gobbledygook found in B cinema. Some will be undeniably disappointed with this series closer, but others may be surprised at just how creative this one gets as opposed to trotting out the same old Creature.

This review is representative of the Universal Legacy Collection DVD set.