Wednesday, December 17, 2025

国宝 National Treasure

 国宝

    興行成績トップクラスの映画『国宝』を見て来た。前半は良かったが後半は面白くなく、だらだらと話が続く、何処で終わらせるか、監督も困ったようで、早く終わらないかと思った。

 歌舞伎役者の跡取り(俊介)と血筋のない余所者(喜久雄)の悲劇を扱っている。跡取りは血筋に頼り、芸を磨かない。余所者は芸を磨いて名を上げるしかない。

半二郎を余所者に襲名させるところから話は面白くなる。二人それぞれの葛藤を描いているが、クライマックスがない。

無理に事件を起こしている。花井半二郎が交通事故で舞台に立てなくなる。白虎襲名披露の時に血を吐く。俊介が道成寺で足が動かなくなる。義足で「曽根崎心中」を熱演する。一つ一つのエピソードは引き付けるが、結局、全体として何なのか。盛り上がりとカタルシスがない。

 二人の若い俳優は道成寺や藤娘を踊る。一応、様になっているが、下手である。歌舞伎俳優としての踊りではない。

吉田修一の原作を脚色し過ぎたか。 


National Treasure

I went to see National Treasure, a film that ranks among the top box-office hits. The first half was good, but the second half dragged on without being interesting. The story meandered, and even the director seemed unsure of where to end it—I found myself wishing it would finish sooner.

The film deals with the tragedy of a kabuki heir, Shunsuke, and an outsider without lineage, Kikuo . The heir relies on bloodline and neglects to refine his art, while the outsider has no choice but to polish his craft and earn recognition.

The story becomes engaging once the outsider is given the stage name Hanjiro. It depicts the struggles of both men, but there is no real climax. Events are forced: Hanjiro is injured in a traffic accident and can no longer perform; during the Byakko name-taking ceremony he coughs up blood; Hanjiro’s son loses the use of his legs while performing Dōjōji; he later gives a passionate performance of The Love Suicides at Sonezaki with a prosthetic leg. Each episode is compelling on its own, but taken together, what does it amount to? There is no build-up, no catharsis.

Two young actors dance Dōjōji and Fuji Musume. They manage to look the part, but their dancing is poor—it is not the dance of kabuki actors.

Perhaps the adaptation strayed too far from Shuichi Yoshida’s original novel.


 

No comments:

Post a Comment