Japanese Sword Fencing (1897)
The earliest surviving Japanese film showing the martial art of kendo.
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Lack of good storyline.
A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
Here we have the earliest samurai flick on record -- although whether it was filmed by a cameraman in Japan or taken of a traveling troupe of Japanese performers in Paris I have no idea. Europe had been fascinated by Japan and Japanese culture for some time, ever since Perry had opened the country to westerners in 1854; and Gilbert & Sullivan had produced THE MIKADO a dozen years before this.Although this seems a rough and chaotic mêlée, it is the very chaotic nature of the action that maintains its interest; the viewer's eye is drawn from one flashing weapon to the other and never has the chance to grow bored. Compare this with the mannered, almost sedate way such combats are choreographed in the works of, say, Kurosawa.