nINJA SCROLL (1993) Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Opening scene, what is this movie anyhow? Animated, sparse, muddy orange. a wooden bridge with no ends, they're not important, all the incidental fat trimmed, like only an animation can. A spear head flashes... Wooden bridge and stabby weapons, the time and place is old school world. The soundtrack is just a wind, we're being eased into it.
Cue the hero Jubei, travelling alone over the bridge, a rice picker hat hiding his eyes, his clothes are plain and edo lookin. Hes munching on a rice ball, cause hes relaxed, like a boss oughta be. The bandit shadows start moving in... sneak attack! *miss* he takes another bite of his riceball. The shadows reveal themselves, they exchange words, then round #1
FIGHT Jubei lobs his riceball into the air. The baddies are ugly, so we don't have to worry about them when they're getting the bash. The ringleader he fires a gun! The strongest weapon in late feudal Japan... Jubei shifts his head a little *miss* eyes still guarded, we sense this is just the tip of his iceberg. The heroes' turn (our turn) he clicks his sword from its hilt (pulls the hammer back on his gun) then releases it, the blade is too fast to see, we catch only an after image like tail lights in long exposure. Click, the sword is sheathed (holstered)again. Finishing pose, Herons erupt behind the hero (John Woo style), he holds out his hand, catches the rice ball. too easy!
The ringleader some twenty feet away is rent in two (Jubei somehow strikes so absolutely that the cut carries on the wind!) luckily his body was fake, and his smaller real body jumps away safely, ninjas are tricky. They exchange words and then Jubei notes a storm is a brewin' and proactively gets to runnin'.
Jubei doesn't kill anyone here, he don't slouch, and during his dialogue with the ringleader he says some ethically sound stuff too = He's a good guy. Add that to the talents we're showcased and we have a pretty idea of who our protagonist is at the outset. Having a fight scene straight out the gates is a good way to hold attentions. What a promising start! Opening scene mission accomplished
Opening scene, what is this movie anyhow? Animated, sparse, muddy orange. a wooden bridge with no ends, they're not important, all the incidental fat trimmed, like only an animation can. A spear head flashes... Wooden bridge and stabby weapons, the time and place is old school world. The soundtrack is just a wind, we're being eased into it.
Cue the hero Jubei, travelling alone over the bridge, a rice picker hat hiding his eyes, his clothes are plain and edo lookin. Hes munching on a rice ball, cause hes relaxed, like a boss oughta be. The bandit shadows start moving in... sneak attack! *miss* he takes another bite of his riceball. The shadows reveal themselves, they exchange words, then round #1
FIGHT Jubei lobs his riceball into the air. The baddies are ugly, so we don't have to worry about them when they're getting the bash. The ringleader he fires a gun! The strongest weapon in late feudal Japan... Jubei shifts his head a little *miss* eyes still guarded, we sense this is just the tip of his iceberg. The heroes' turn (our turn) he clicks his sword from its hilt (pulls the hammer back on his gun) then releases it, the blade is too fast to see, we catch only an after image like tail lights in long exposure. Click, the sword is sheathed (holstered)again. Finishing pose, Herons erupt behind the hero (John Woo style), he holds out his hand, catches the rice ball. too easy!
The ringleader some twenty feet away is rent in two (Jubei somehow strikes so absolutely that the cut carries on the wind!) luckily his body was fake, and his smaller real body jumps away safely, ninjas are tricky. They exchange words and then Jubei notes a storm is a brewin' and proactively gets to runnin'.
Jubei doesn't kill anyone here, he don't slouch, and during his dialogue with the ringleader he says some ethically sound stuff too = He's a good guy. Add that to the talents we're showcased and we have a pretty idea of who our protagonist is at the outset. Having a fight scene straight out the gates is a good way to hold attentions. What a promising start! Opening scene mission accomplished
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