MovieChat Forums > Gohatto (1999) Discussion > Huh, wha, who?

Huh, wha, who?

posted 21 years ago by sagarian01
13 replies | jump to latest

Okay, I saw this movie twice when I had digital cable and it came on the Sundance Channel. I have to admit, I had a hard time following it. It was intense, for sure, but... I enjoyed it, too, but... I keep thinking that I missed some very important underlying meaning. I think I missed the whole point of the movie. It seemed to be trying to say something to me, but I just couldn't understand. And the ending totally left my brain with a big question mark on it, seriously. I saw the movie at my local video store and did a double take. I live in a small North Carolinian town and I just didn't expect them to have it. But, if anyone ever finds the time to explain the movie for me, I would be like, "Yay!"

[–] VoiLevi 20 years ago

I just saw the film yesterday and might as well throw in my own interpretations. (Better late than never, huh?)

To me the film showed how these well-trained and morally strong warriors are also human and can give in to temptation even under very strict rules and honor codes. I think it's a film about human weakness among even the strongest and the most disciplined of warriors. Maybe it hints that there lies inevitable humanity and hunger for love and lust in everyone, no matter how thick their outer side is. These soldiers are ready to bend the rules and even kill because of jealousy, even though their moral codes are hard to match in strictness.

Just a thought.

I'll pick my brain about the ending on another thread so this one remains spoiler-free.

--
Prince Voi Levi @ Helsinki, Finland

[–] deadhead_bjorn 20 years ago

But also the cruelty caused by the insecurity of men.

As Kitanos character says at one point; 'Jealousy between men is a horrible thing.'

Just a thought.

[–] bilbo_bawheed 20 years ago

looking forward to a good samurai sword fighting film all i got was guys wanting to bum this other guy EH!!!! EH!!!! BAWS!

[–] FabuleuxDestin 19 years ago

So you wanted hack-and-slash and just got slash?

[–] Tempestuous_One 19 years ago

I haven't seen Oshima's In the Real of the Senses but my professor used the movie to explain the Japanese views about love and death. The Japanese has this brand of extremeness that you can easily recognize from other cultures, this extremeness is seen in the violence in the midst of love that ahs to result in death. The idea also tells that they view love and death as two sides of the same coin, just as the universal belief that life and death are opposites but each emphasize the other. Love can be seen as life, and to live is to enjoy the senses and to die is to be intensely aware of all of this before your last breath.

I forgot to add this one to my other reply.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] squelcho 19 years ago

Militarism and manliness have always attracted men who prefer the company of men.
All those rippling muscles and hard bodies etc.
Marlon Brando also starred in a film about repressed homosexuality in the military back in the swinging 60s, called Reflections in a Golden Eye.
I'm also led to believe that the gushing awfulness that is Alexander goes some way to explaining the links between fighting, and humping anything within reach, regardless of its gender.
The Marine officer in American Beauty also springs to mind.
Gohatto takes a fairly candid look at the subject.
For the phobe above who thinks it consists of nothing but men humping men, there's only two "sex" scenes in the movie. The rest is merely implied. Maybe said phobe has a lurid imagination?

[–] davmonr 19 years ago

Just as certain gay people have "always" been attracted to machismo, there has always been a large group of people who find sodomy gross. I'm not sure why you felt the need to express this invaluable insight, but I do know that here is no need to toss insults at some poor fool who no doubt rented a samurai movie and found himself watching simulated butt sex, among other things. Give the guy a break.

[–] FabuleuxDestin 19 years ago

Maybe he should have read the box. Or thought about the English title.

[–] john-lancia 19 years ago

No way man, anyone who shoots his keyboard off like that on the internet had better be ready for the replies.

No breaks, no quarter. If you say it and its stupid then someone is going to call you on it.

BTW. People who go 'ew' 'yuck' 'gross' to anything and then feel the need to hook up to the internet and type it there, are usually considered phobic.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] patior_potior 18 years ago

I live in Japan and couldn't read the description on the box when I picked it out, but I saw there was English subtitles, so I gave it a shot.

I'll admit, the sodomy scene was a bit of a shock and certainly not my thing, but in hindsight (ouch!) the scene did seem to establish something important for me. I think it showed his lack of interest in sex. I think it went a long way towards proving an alterior motive such as the "spy" theory.

This was actually one of the better Japanese movies I've seen, although I'll take Toshiro Mifune any day (in a non-Gohatto way, thank you).