Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Bambi B (A) on February 28, 2010 at 10:29:05

In Reply to: RE: Top 10 Sports Movies posted by geezerrocket on February 25, 2010 at 13:26:18

PAINTING: The Alchymical Trickster"

geezerrocket,

While I'm not a serious sports fan- only a hit and miss follower of car and bicycle racing, there are great movies centered around sports- worthy of watching by even the rabidly sports resistant. Why, "The Bad News Bear" alone,..

But, I can't think of a greater sports movie than "Blazmo's 7 Dreams", directed by Hakiro Takasawa and released in 1955, black and white, 244 minutes. On every level that movies may by judged and by reputation of this transcendent masterwork, I don't understand why this movie is not considered greater than "The Seven Samurai", "Casablanca", and "Citizen Kane".

"Blazmo's 7 Dreams" was Takasawa's first movie following the great success of "The Fourth Element" of 1952 and tells the story of a Samurai warrior Norobodei (Toshiro Mifune) who has a recurring dream that he is the greatest master of Nakashire- a 15th Century martial art related to Whu Theatre that is also a kind of interpretive ice skating. This is very difficult and subtle, and basically involves kicking stones from ice at troops near river and lake banks, but incorporates a lot of symbolic gestures and poses in set sequences. A sensa -Master- of Nakashire was said to be able to kill a warrior within 100 meters of any ice. The Nakashire Sensa sometimes flooded places to make these "launch" points. There was a special person to do this- he also makes the tea for the sensa- flooding the night before a battle called a Koorihakuchi and "Blazmo's 7 Dreamsa" has a wonderfully funny, touching subplot about a Koorihakuchi sort of adopted by Norobodei.

In short, the plot Of Blazmo's 7 Dreams is that the Mifune character Norobodei meets a roming Ronin who is dying but as a last gesture, teaches Norobodei the highest level of the Nakashire Art, "The Seven Ravens". Norobodei excels and at a certain point he is visited by an old friend who tells him of a war between "The Two Eagle Thrones"- the neighbourhood big cheeses- warlords. This friend wants Norobodei to takes the side of one of the Lords and at the same time rescue his of course perfectly beautiful daughter from the other warlord. Norobodei gets into the opposition castle by posing as a gardener and then proceeds to flood the main courtyard of the castle,..

I can't express the strength of this touching story, the fantastic humour of the dream sequences, the superlative sports action beginning to end and the satisfaction of fulfillment from the complex conclusion. Gay choreogrpahers the world over have proclaimed the dance numbers "super-fab". Las Vegas could never attain nor ever dare show the memorable Buyou sokosoko nanbyaku shikima toppuresu oppai shoujo "Dance of the 250 Eager Topless Virgins".

Astounding photography- better than "Touch of Evil", perfect editing, and music. When you see this you'll wish it was twice the 244 minutes!

If you only ever see one more movie in your entire life- let it be "Blazmo's 7 Dreams"

Cheers,

Bambi B

Edits: 02/28/10