Gohatto (35mm)

Nagisa Oshima
御法度
1999
Japan
100 min

21 November / 15:20

21 Nov / 15:20

Filmhouse Edinburgh

Filmhouse Edinburgh

25 September / 16:00

25 Sep / 16:00

Genesis Cinema

Genesis Cinema

Gohatto is Nagisa Oshima’s final feature film, a stunning piece of work that was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and screens from a rare 35mm print. The young and handsome Kano Sozaburo is admitted to the Shinsengumi, an elite samurai group that seeks to defend the Tokugawa shogunate against reformist forces. Kano is a skilled swordsman, but his physical beauty leads the members of the strictly male group to compete for his affections, generating tensions that threaten to become lethal. In Gohatto, Oshima explores the ambiguous forms of masculinity that the samurai code concealed, with a terrific cast including Ryuhei Matsuda, Takeshi Kitano and Tadanobu Asano subtly capturing the dangers of repressed homoerotic desire.

Introduction by Christopher Brown, University of Sussex.

Nagisa Oshima

Nagisa Oshima was a Japanese director and screenwriter, widely acclaimed as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He directed over twenty feature films, several of which were highly controversial for their ground-breaking depictions of sexuality and gender.

Additional Information

This screening is organised in partnership with the Japan Foundation, with support from Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Daiwa Foundation and Japan Society.