Gate of Hell

One of the first color films made in Japan, this 1953 samurai tragedy from Teinosuke Kinugasa won the Grand Prix at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Kazuo Hasegawa stars as the loyal Morito, a warrior who falls for the beautiful Kesa (Machiko Kyô), lady-in-waiting to the empress. Undeterred by the fact that Kesa is already happily married, Morito ultimately abandons all virtue and honor in his obsession over her. Gate of Hell begins with the emperor's staff fleeing from an attack by a rival clan, with fighters furiously trying to defend the palace. But the conflict is soon over, and the rest of the film is much more intimate, employing handsome formal shots that reveal Morito's coiled emotions and underscore his defiant behavior, contrasted with the gentle, thoughtful nature of Kesa's honorable husband, Wataru (Isao Yamagata). Although Kinugasa's direction is fairly restrained, the use of color here is striking and dramatic, modulating the mood, while also punctuating the action. After decades of deterioration, this classic of Japanese cinema was restored in 2011 and is presented here with an excellent digital transfer. DVD and Blu-ray extras are limited to a booklet featuring an essay by film historian Stephen Prince. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)