Gonza the Spearman

In the organizer's words:

Director: SHINODA Masahiro
1986, 126 minutes, OmeU, color, DCP

This romantic drama is based on a play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1724) and was awarded the Silver Bear for artistic design at the 1986 Berlinale.

The excellent lancer Gonza is in a relationship with O-Yuki and is skilled in the art of tea, which is helpful for the rise of a samurai. The birth of the daimyô's heir is to be celebrated with a special tea ceremony and Gonza persuades O-Sai, the wife of his tea master Ichinoshin, to give him access to the well-guarded scrolls containing the secret tradition of the ceremony. The nocturnal meeting is observed by Bannojô, Gonza's adversary and admirer of O-Sai. He starts a rumor of adultery, whereupon the two flee and actually become lovers, pursued by the jealous Ichinoshin.

Film series
Japanese historical films (Jidaigeki) - newly restored classics

Historical dramas(jidaigeki) are among the most popular film genres from Japan. We present works by master directors Misumi Kenji (1921-1975), Fukasaku Kinji (1930-2003) and Shinoda Masahiro (*1931), which have been digitized in recent years in cooperation with the Japan Foundation. The series is complemented by the newly restored classic Rashômon by Kurosawa Akira.

The jidaigeki mostly tell stories of revenge and detective stories or depict the lives of famous swordsmen. Their plot is set in the feudal era, which was characterized by fierce power struggles between the shôgunate and the local lords of various provinces. They are often set in Edo, the military metropolis of the time, but sometimes they also tell of masterless samurai roaming the country and fighting unjust adversaries.

Until the 1960s, jidaigeki made up a significant proportion of mass-produced films in Japan, with kabuki theater initially exerting an important influence. The first actors in jidaigeki usually had stage experience in kabuki, and some of the films were also produced by actors and other influential members of the kabuki theater.

Price information:

Admission free