Where to begin when attempting to review a film classic and overwhelming cinematic epic? A production so immense that it required two directors (Shinji Higuchi and Isshin Inudo)! The movie recounts the siege of Oshi Castle (located about 40 miles northwest of Edo/Tokyo) when defenders (out numbered four to one) successfully held off attacking forces towards the end of Japan's feudal era. This "floating" castle was mostly surrounded by swamps which formed part to it's fortification. (It has been partially rebuilt in modern times.) Defenders threw in the towel (but seem to have never really surrendered) after being drowned out by a flash flood induced by the attackers who built and then emptied a large reservoir filled by damming nearby rivers. All of this is convincingly (and grippingly) recreated in this film which is also loaded with believable high drama. Crammed with supporting-actor talent, actor Mansai Nomura (playing the leader of the defenders) is a stand out while actress Machiko Ono not so much. Nomura's character is an aristocrat who: is also a man of the people; has an amusing off-the-wall personality; although not a warrior, can be a shrewd military strategist when pressed; and is a very good song-and-dance man (yes, you read this right!). The latter talent is used to confuse and soften the resolve of attacking forces after the flash flood. The castle looks more like a fortification than a castle as depicted in the movie. Special effects are spectacular (and rarely look like simulations). Costumes are imaginative yet seem to be historically accurate (except for some head gear). Same for weapons. Interior sets are richly detailed. Music adds much to what is occurring on screen. Nomura's singing is hauntingly reprised during the closing credits. Subtitles seem to capture the gruff, hard-to-understand dialogue , but the translation ignores clarifications and guide posts (names, titles, etc.) inserted through out the film to help the viewer keep on track. That said, movie watching very seldom gets better than this! Viewed at Japanese Film Festival Online. WILLIAM FLANIGAN.
Review of The Floating Castle
