A few days ago and thanks to Herr Benshi, a good authority on silent Japanese cinema, this film was screened at the Schloss private cinema. For this German Count, it's another exciting and unknown silent film from that far away and exotic country. So, Herr Benshi lead this German aristocrat by the hand with his expertise in reading intertitles (which is what all good Benshi's do for commoners and aristocrats alike) in order to explain what happens in "Oatsurae Jirokichi Goshi" (literally "Made To Order Cloth"). Herr Daisuke Ito who is a not very well-known screenwriter and film director from the country of the rising sun directs the film.
The film tells the story of Jirokichi, a robber, who during a boat voyage, gets to know Osen, a geisha. The movie has a complete visual display of suspicious people. Osen's brother, Nikichi, is a Japanese criminal (not really very different from our European ones) who is trying to take advantage of a poor wretched girl, Okino, in order to get her father's money. But, fortunately Jirokichi will save Okino from Nikichi's clutches and kill Osen's brother for being such an unscrupulous Japanese man.
With its eastern plot, this picture has had many interesting aspects for this German Count. It shows frantic action fight scenes (Herr Ito's silent films are known for his particular use of violence). It features calculated and thoroughly filmed crowded scenes sequences with elegant camera movements. There's dramatic use of the close-up and especially on the actress who movingly plays Okino. There are enough remarkable aspects of this film to make to this German Count interested in discovering and watching more Herr Daisuke Ito silent films.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count prefers the darkness of the setting, not the rising sun.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
