Teinosuke Kinugasa's Gate of Hell is a majestically beautiful tragedy about uncontrollable desire and the futility of selfishness. When samurai Moritoh Enda saves the life of a lady-in-waiting named Lady Kesa during a failed coup against his lord, he is offered the award of his choosing. He humbly asks to marry Lady Kesa, as he has fallen hopelessly in love with her. There's just one problem: she is already happily married. And yet, Enda refuses to take 'no' for an answer. By the time the film ends, innocent blood will flow forth from his hands. And for what? A fantasy? An impossible dream? An untouchable woman? One wonders if Enda's steadfast pursuit of Lady Kesa might be motivated by more than just romantic feelings. Of course he is fiercely devoted to his lord, so much so that he even fights his own treasonous brother during the failed insurrection. But what draws him to Lady Kesa? Who can say? The answer, if there is one, eludes me. Gate of Hell was the first Japanese color film to be released outside of Japan. And it is striking in its opulence. The costumes radiate bold colors and the sets seem to have leaped straight out of a painter's brush. One sequence in particular left me breathless. In the opening scene we see the imperial court flee from hordes of revolting soldiers. Kinugasa keeps his camera fixed and static, thereby letting the actors and actresses flow through the frame like figures in a painted scroll. The effect is marvelous.
7/10
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