| As the filmfs main character, Koji Yakusho is awesome and charismatic as ever. Some may recognize the actor from his participation in award winning films such as Babel and Memoirs of a Geisha, but neither of those films were able to utilize the actor the way Dora-Heita does. Yakusho seems to have an unending supply of charm, making the character buffoonish, but very likable. Amazingly, he looks just as adept in the filmfs action sequences and fight-scenes and is able to make the transition so seamless that you believe in him totally whether hefs drunk and dancing or cutting a man down." (Insidepulse. com) "The original script for Dora-Heita dates back to sometime around 1969, when Ichikawa, Kinoshita, Kobayashi, and Kurosawa founded their ill-fated gFour Musketeersh production company. It wasnft until 2000 that this production actually got off the ground. It really is amazing it took so long, as Dora-Heita is one of the smartest, funniest, and most entertaining samurai films Ifve seen in years. A lot of the humor lies in the various dialogs, which often feature characters seemingly caught before the actual scene should begin. One sequence in particular involves the town officials discussing cold remedies, hopelessly lost on a lengthy tangent, before realizing the need to discuss their issues regarding Dora Heitafs character. Many others rely on the misunderstandings and uncertainties of townsfolk when confronted with Dora-Heita in the flesh, but to discuss these would rob the viewer of a bit of their humor. As mentioned before, the performances are exemplary, but the majority of props must be heaped on Koji Yakusho. Even the most green samurai fan would recognize that the Dora-Heita role was most likely written with Toshiro Mifune in mind, but Koji Yakusho does exceedingly well in filling those shoes. Throughout the film hefs alternately charming, funny, dangerous, pitiful, and heroic, and never breaks character. His Dora-Heita is fully realized, and an absolute joy to behold on screen. In fact, I think Yakushofs rebel samurai would make Mifune smile. " (Dreamlogic.net) "I think that Dora-Heita may be one of my favorite movies ever and is definitely my second favorite samurai movie! While the story isnft really any different from most of the samurai movies it does have a few interesting things in it that other films from the genre donft. The first and most notable is the moviefs humor. The title character of Dora-Heita is an honorable samurai with a modern sensibility. When it is required he can be very traditional and austere as his post as magistrate and social standing as a samurai. But he quickly tires of the proper etiquette and literally removes the mantel of office as quickly as his duties allow him to. This also sets up the incredibly witty dialogue between Dora-Heita and the officials from the ruling clan. The lead characters in samurai films are normally mysterious characters with a tortured past that are on some path of redemption. Many times, as in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, they are really seeking out a good honorable death to put them out of their misery. But this movie is different because between the story and dialogue the character of Dora-Heita is more human and well defined than any other samurai character Ifve seen on the big screen. Additionally the actor, Koji Yakusho, who portrays the character, does a wonderful job in the role. He brings a depth to the character that makes it all the more realistic." (Bloodytype Online.com) "Yakusho's performance in Dora-heita is stellar. He is one of the world's greatest acting treasures, and by far the best aspect of the film. He completely embodies the concept of a likeable rogue?not far from how we in American remember Harrison Ford from his Han Solo/Indiana Jones days. Oh, and he's funny in the film too." (Reel.com) Appearing in his first samurai drama, Koji Yakusho acquits himself well enough as the jaded, sarcastic, but coolly competent Mochizuki. He gives the film whatever contemporary edge it possesses, but I couldn't help noticing that the part was written for Toshiro Mifune -- and wondering how much more physical dynamism and emotional voltage Kurosawa's favorite samurai might have brought to the film. Yakusho slices dozens of baddies with commendable panache, but his triumph is also one of skillful editing to disguise his middle-aged moves. (The Japan Times, May 23, 2000) "Though unquestionably one the best of this generation's Japanese film actors, Yakusho (The Eel, Cure, Shall We Dance?) is all wrong for the part of Dora-heita. It's hard watching the film not to imagine what an actor like Toshiro Mifune might have done in the role. Compared to him, Yakusho totally lacks the ability to project the moral ambiguity of the character and simply doesn't have the kind of commanding screen presence to bring it off. Though Yakusho probably is more diversely talented an actor than Mifune, he comes off here too low-key and not at all intimidating when he needs to be." (DVDtalk.com) |
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| Extracts from Reviews on Dora-Heita |
| Created on March 11, 2008 |