is Hiroshi Teshigahara's film about Sen no Rikyū, a 16th-century master of the Japanese tea ceremony. The film was adapted from the novel of Yaeko Nogami. The film was ranked the 7th best film of the year by Kinema Junpo in 1989. It was one of two major biographical drama films directed in 1989 about the life of Sen no Rikyū, the other was Death of a Tea Master by Kei Kumai. It was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards but was not accepted as a nominee.

Synopsis

The film focuses on the late stages of life of Rikyū, during the highly turbulent Sengoku period of feudal Japan. It starts near the end of

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

's reign, with Rikyū serving as tea master to Nobunaga, and continues into the Momoyama Period. Rikyū is portrayed as a man thoroughly dedicated to

aesthetics Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...

and perfection, especially in relation to the art of tea. While serving as tea master to the new ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Rikyū finds himself in a uniquely privileged position, with constant access to the powerful feudal lord and the theoretical ability to influence policy, yet he studiously avoids deep involvement in politics while attempting to focus his full attention to the study and teachings of the way of tea. To the extent that he expresses himself, he does so diplomatically, in a way to avoid disrupting the harmony of his relationship with Hideyoshi. Yet, as society is changed violently and radically around him, also finding himself the focus of jealousy and misdirected suspicions, Rikyū ultimately can not avoid confronting larger social issues. He is compelled to express an opinion on Hideyoshi's military plans. This one breach of his studied isolation from world affairs leads quickly to tragic consequences. The closing scene shows Rikyū, entering a bamboo forest at night alone amid an electrical storm. Subtitles inform the viewer that he committed ritual Seppuku in 1592, presumably on this night.

Background

Director Teshigahara, himself a master and teacher of the Japanese traditional art of '' ikebana'', brings the viewer into appreciation and deep sympathy for Rikyu's aesthetic idealism and his careful diplomatic efforts to avoid excessive entanglement in political affairs. The film itself is very studied in its aestheticism, and very expressive of the shocking force of life intruding into the guarded hermetic space of the artist/idealist.

Cast

* Rentarō Mikuni as Sen no Rikyū * Tsutomu Yamazaki as Toyotomi Hideyoshi * Yoshiko Mita as Riki * Matsumoto Kōshirō IX as

* Nakamura Kichiemon II as Tokugawa Ieyasu * Ryō Tamura as Toyotomi Hidenaga * Kyōko Kishida as Nene * Tanie Kitabayashi as Ōmandokoro * Sayoko Yamaguchi as Cha-cha * Bandō Mitsugorō X as Ishida Mitsunari * Junkichi Orimoto as Imai Sōkyū * Hisashi Igawa as Yamanoue Sōji * Donald Richie as Gaspar Coelho * Kyoko Enami as Chika

Other Credits

* Yoshinobu Nishioka - Art director * Keiji Mitsutomo - Assistant director

Awards

Rentarō Mikuni won the Best Actor Award of the Japanese Academy for his roles in this film and Tsuribaka Nisshi of the same year. He also won four other Japanese acting awards for the role. Tōru Takemitsu won the Japanese Academy award for best musical score. Director Hiroshi Teshigahara won awards from the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

, and the Montréal World Film Festival. The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

References

External links

* *
Rikyu
' at Strictly Film School *

' at the Japanese Movie Database * {{Hiroshi Teshigahara 1989 films 1989 drama films 1980s biographical films Japanese biographical films Jidaigeki films 1980s Japanese-language films Films directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara Films based on Japanese novels Films set in Kyoto Films set in the 16th century Films scored by Toru Takemitsu Cultural depictions of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Cultural depictions of Oda Nobunaga Cultural depictions of Tokugawa Ieyasu 1980s Japanese films 1989 in Japanese cinema