By Alex Ness
November 27, 2022
THANKS
I'm grateful to those who read my work, share it and comment, thank you for another year of comics, music, books, games, and art. The world is still dealing with war, covid, racism, and economic chaos, but we have the creative media to help us endure.
From the Season of Thanks to the Season of Giving
My wife has covid for the second time. It is brutal. I've said it before, but she gave me my life's greatest gift, a son, and is the reason I am alive today, hopeful, and haven't done something permanently stupid in my periods of darkness and deep depression. I love her, and whatever our life has been, good, bad or indifferent, I'd have had nothing without her. (Update: She is far improved.)
Over the years I've been given many wonderful gifts by people. The greatest gift, my son, was from a source quite unexpected. But my wife was a wonderful gift to me from God. Her name, I believe in Hebrew is "God is abundant" or "God has sworn an oath of abundance" and that captures perfectly who she is.
My friends and my family are wonderfully kind and generous. I've recently made some wonderful connections to and friends with people from across the globe. I love Twitter, and have found so many people with interesting lives and ideas, beautiful character and worth, I've truly been blessed by them.
I've been given many great things over the last decade, so I'm writing this to suggest what a fan of the historical Samurai might like to have. I have many if not all of these.
SAMURAI STUFF
AKIRA KUROSAWA'S SEVEN SAMURAI
There are many movies that feature Samurai, in Japan. The nation of Japan embraces its past, if it also gilds those memories, it has used the memories to guide it regarding their culture. That is, they are not a militaristic people, but the sacrifice and determination of the samurai caste of warriors, can make factory workers greatly productive, can give a solid backbone to the studies of children and college students.
Akira Kurosawa's cinematic eye was brilliant. With that eye and great ability to understand the theme and information needing to be shared, along with the ability to tell the stories, his stories enhanced and amplified the truths of the warriors, reached deep into the cultural soul of that period of Japan, and made the modern viewer understand better what was at stake, what was done, and why it was so very epic.
The Seven Samurai is black and white, it is a movie when viewed by Western audiences requires the use of subtitles, and it deals with a subject matter that is immediate, but is made all the more deep by the non action events, the dialogue, and the characters. Not a second of Seven Samurai has ever felt excessive, and no theme addressed has ever felt unexamined when I watched it. Anyone who is able to devote themselves to a great movie, if also requiring subtitles and a viewer who isn't immediately turned off by black and white versus color, will find a treasure in this film, and most if not all of Kurosawa's film library. He was a treasure and stands still as a great teller of stories.
STEPHEN TURNBULL: SAMURAI HISTORY
I've known other people fascinated by the Samurai period of Japan who openly detest Stephen Turnbull's writing. I say this not to dissuade you from considering it, but to realize there are people who read his prose and respond to the way of its delivery rather than for the facts and the mastery of a body of literature and field of historical study. If Turnbull seems elitist or haughty, in my opinion, he has a right to feel so, because he has examined the Samurai and all of the military period of development in Japan with such depths and clarity, there is little to suggest he isn't the master of all western researchers and writers regarding the subject. The only issue I have, and it is a very small issue, is that the themes covered in various volumes overlap. As such, you might hear numerous times about events or practices that have been covered before. I take it as reinforcement of the subject matter and appreciate it.
SAMURAI
Akira Kurosawa and Stephen Turnbull both offer readers or viewers accurate, informative and moving account of the life of a person or persons in Japan who are a warrior, Jean-Francois Di Giorgio and Frédéric Genêt tell a series of stories that are moving and excellent in quality. However, they don't come from the Samurai culture that Kurosawa came from, and they didn't spend a lifetime learning, as Stephen Turnbull has. What they do is tell some of the best color sequential stories about Samurai that I've read in comic book form. The world of the Samurai as found in the Samurai Legend series is beautiful, violent, unique and Japanese is feel and look. It would make anyone familiar with the Samurai and interested in reading more very satisfied. It is a collection of works that might be expensive in the format and product form you find it in, but in my experience, it is worth it.
MY FIVE FAVORITE FILMS REGARDING SAMURAI
I haven't a clue if these are available or in whatever format you might view, I just wanted to add them to this article to suggest "for further viewing" options. This small list is offered in no order of quality or preference, as I like and recommend them all.
HEAVEN & EARTH Two different warlords are fated to meet, and destiny awaits the victor. My son and I watched the long version, with subtitles/captioning and found it timeless and flawless. I love this film for many reasons. For a war story to feel beautiful without diminishing death and horror, is really an accomplishment.
SEVEN SAMURAI As I've mentioned this above and many times previously, I'll just say, this movie is in my top 5 all time of movies, and will never not be.
YOJIMBO The acting, brilliance of plot, and direction make this more than a samurai tale, it is an exploration of the role of an outsider in the disruption of power and the destruction of the monopolies upon power...
SAMURAI JACK A wonderful concept, and delivery of such. An animated story of a demon, and a samurai who follows it through time. Over time there are fights and quests, and the conclusion leads to more and deeper questions to be answered. I LOVE IT.
THE HIDDEN FORTRESS I confess, that I didn't immediately view this film, in my great and many searches for great samurai tales. And then George Lucas of Star Wars mentioned it as being highly influential to his creation of Star Wars A New Hope. I do like it very much and think it is a wonderfully made work.
About Getting Reviews from Me
I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.
My Creative Blogs:
My 5000 poem Blog AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Cthulhu Alien Horrors CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com
Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com
My Books and Sets for Sale
My Published Work AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
My Amazon Author Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess
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