“What kind of grown ups will we become?"

Blue Gate Crossing is in a way your usual coming of age drama, but instead of focusing on romantic relationships, there’s a big empathize on the importance of friendship. It's not a very unique story, yet I can't name another film that has really touched on the subjects this film does. There’s flaws, but in a way those further presents an honest depiction of adolescent.

The film centers around a love triangle. To explain it simply, a girl likes a boy, the boy likes her best friend but her best friend might like her. This is the beginning of the main characters, Meng Ke Rou, journey to self discovery.

The dialogue is very simplistic but repetitive, which makes you remember it. A lot is expressed through acting and not verbally, that’s where the actors really shine. The cinematography is soft and beautiful, I particularly like the way the director has cut certain scenes in a way to tell us something more, so that’s something to look out for. All the characters are lovable, unique and easy to sympathize with despite what you’d think upon hearing the word ‘love triangle’.

I also want to add that the soundtrack is lovely. I believe it is composed by Chris Hou. It further brings out the very bright but soft vibe of the film. I remember that I cried the first time I watched this film and the music was a big part of that.

To point out something negative, the queer theme is not very overpowering and you should probably lower your expectations if you want to watch this film only for that. It’s the main driving force for the story, but it is not explored fully (as i’ve heard other people express, personally I think it shows a very realistic experience). The film is also slow paced, so beware of that.

All in all, Blue Gate Crossing captures teenage behaviour and the complexity of human relationships very well. I think most of us can remember when we first discovered new emotions we didn’t yet know how to handle, and this film captures that. I recommend you to watch it it if you're looking for something with a calm atmosphere that makes you reflect a little about life.

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"In a mad world, only the mad are sane."

The plot is based on Shakespeare's "King Lear" and tells the story of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji, who decides to pass on his power and empire to his oldest son after deciding to retire. The division of power between the sons eventually leads to chaos.

However, the storytelling is far from chaotic. The film has many themes such as of greed, power, hatred, revenge, lust, guilt etc. and yet, Kurosawa manages to create a perfect balance between them. This could have been a messy experience but there is no doubt why Ran is considered a masterpiece. Kurosawa did not only adapt the work of Shakespeare but made it his own.

You cannot watch this film without noticing the cinematography. At times, I think about the fact that Kurosawa spent his filmmaking career making movies in black and white and yet he was able to use color to create such a breathtaking visual experience where color plays an important role in the storytelling, such as differentiating the characters and clans. The long shots and the vast landscapes, everything is carefully planned. The action sequences as well are mind-blowing, well choreographed and just heart pounding. It is incredible to look at, to say the least.

To talk about the acting, the entire cast shows strong performances that are hard to to forget. Especially Nakadai Tatsuya as the elderly warlord Hidetora Ichimonji. He is a great and extremely convincing actor and his portrayal of his character here did not fall short in any way, it was incredible. My personal favorite performance however was by Harada Mieko as Lady Kaede. This character is someone that I think you are supposed to despise but in my personal opinion, her actions are well motivated. The way she is turning a tragedy to her advantage and systematically manipulates, I was in awe.

If I had to point out only ONE thing that could be seen as negative for some, is that it is slow paced, especially in the first act. However, I think everyone should give this film a chance. It is one of the best, if not THE best historical epic ever created.

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