正在同步电影信息
Yosoistrulyalostclassic,setintheNaraEra(710-794),fromKinugasaTeinosukethesamewriter/directorwhogaveustherecognizedclassicGateofHell(Jigokumon,1952)&themilestonesilentsurrealistmasterpieceAPageofMadness(KuruttaIppeji,1926).<br/> Yosomeans"esotericpriest"whichimplies"sorcerer."Forsuchararelyscreenedfilm,itseemstohaveattractedanunwieldynumberofEnglishtitles:TheSorcerer,GhostlyPriest,BronzeMagician,PhantomPriest,&onthesubtitled35mmprinttheonlyfullyapropostitle,Priest&Empress,nottobeconfusedwithanotherRaizoIchikawafilmcalledThePriest&theBeauty(AnchintoKyohima,1960).<br/> JapanoftheNaraErahadasovereignfemaleemperororMikado,Koken-ShotokuTenno,whofellundertheswayofaBuddhistpriestnamedDokyo.HisinfluenceoverherprovedsountowardthatEmpressKoken-ShotokugavehimtitleswhichimpliedtheimperiallinemightactuallypasstohimshouldtheEmpressdie,despitethattheimperiallinehadbeenpreservedasasingledynastybackintoprehistory.<br/> ThecrisisengenderedbyDokyoledtothebanningofwomeneveragainbecomingMikado,adecisionperiodicallyrevisitedincludinginourowngenerationwhentherestoodastrongthreatofnoauthenticmaleheir.<br/> Thefilmtakesthishistoricalreality&makesofitabelievablethoughtough&veryoddlovestory.Dokyo,whohasindeedbeencalled"theJapaneseRasputin,"ishereplayedbyRaizoIchikawa.ThoughDokyoclearlyusestheaffectionsoftheEmpress(playedbytheethereallybeautifulYukikoFuji)forpersonalgain&power,hisintensedevotiontoShotokuisneverthelessnofalsehood.Whenitcomestimeforhisassassination,itisverymuchRasputin-like,asheisdamnablydifficulttokill.It'sportrayedquitehorrificallybutitremainssimultaneouslysorrowfulbecausehisloveofShotokuwasnopose.
