Fans often sleep on the late films of Hiroshi Teshigahara, the man who directed Woman in the Dunes and The Face of Another. But, as guest Eric reminds us, Teshigahara's late films are equally as powerful. Rikyu and Basara: The Princess Goh represent a magnificent and unexpected late career peak from the master filmmaker. They are the kinds of masterful films one would expect from a Kurosawa and are startling to watch as delivered by a formalist like Teshigahara.
Jason also especially liked the pseudo-documentary Summer Soldiers, a morally ambiguous story about Americans stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War. This obscure film crystallizes everything likes about this director: a constant quest for innovation, a drive for deep moral truths, and an exploration of the transience of ego and identity.
Great films and a great discussion -- as always.