Ichikawa plays wonderfully with conventions, cliches and expectations. Even though An Actor's Revenge was made in 1963 (fucking 1963!), it's still one of the best-looking movies I've ever seen. The acting is excellent, especially Hasegawa. The movie is, perhaps, a little bit slow in parts.

# 649

Japanese director Kon Ichikawa has crafted his greatest achievement yet. Incredibly enjoyable and audacious. Has a very strong focus on acting, and it has a breathtaking, mind-controlling style buried richly in texture through its dark, daring golden heart. Has lots of splashes and strokes of depth too, along with a very unique plot and it features touching scenes once in a while. All in all, an all-time classic.

It's very easy to appreciate the skill and artistry with which An Actor's Revenge was made. The plot is very cleverly constructed, bringing together its many characters in a neatly organized revenge scheme. It's made with a bold, unique style that calls upon countless theater influences, but also exploits the filmic medium to great effect. Yet though I admire it very much, on a gut level, it wasn't as easy to appreciate. It never fully hooked me emotionally. Impressive but not quite my thing.

705

The actor's voice is really annoying, although it suits the role. Other than that its a fantastic film.

A unique and captivating film. It's very theatrical with minimal sets and a strong focus on acting, but that doesn't prevent it from having a very strong artistic style. As you'd expect in such a film the acting is very good and the story is a nice take on the standard revenge tale. What gives this that extra edge is how rich the visuals are even with limited sets. Ichikawa manages to throw in randam splashes of life and energy into the visuals that coincide well with the action on screen.

A slow starter, but the intrigue builds and the film reveals itself to be constructed in a pretty clever manner. It is full of characters who are, for better or worse, not as they appear on the surface. At first it seemed they all had rather arbitrary connections, but the plot is tied together nicely. However, this is a film most notable for its brazen presentation, with masterful framing and brilliant use of light, shadow, and color. The score is an unusual mix of traditional Japanese and jazz.

The visual flair is audacious, lively, and incredibly enjoyable to behold. The colors are vibrant, the staging absolutely exquisite. Masterful use of empty space. He exploits the widescreen scope in dazzling and unusual ways. He effortlessly tosses off one bold stylistic flourish after another as if to say, "there's plenty more where that came from!" The acting is top-notch across the board. The story is full of intrigue, suspense, romance, melodrama, and an astonishing playfulness and wit.

Peculiar. I thought some of the characters were a bit superfluous, but the cinematography is amazing and Ayako Wakao is as gorgeous as always.

657