HEAVEN AND EARTH

A film of epic grandeur, HEAVEN AND EARTH depicts the struggle between Samurai warriors in 16th century feudal Japan. Set in 1561, the War Lords, Takeda and Kagetora, battle for supremacy of Takeda’s province which Kagetora needs to feed his people.

Much of HEAVEN AND EARTH is made up on the gloriously arrayed forces of Takeda and Kagetora coming together in various battles. Takeda’s warriors are clothed in red with red banners while Kagetora’s army is arrayed in black and hold black ensigns aloft.

Although the movie does have a story line, the film has a visual language that turns out to be sheer poetry. As the soldiers ride their horses into battle, they appear magnificent, invincible and wonderful. In some shots, the photography lapses into slow motion and catches the horses’ hooves and myriad splashes of water in mid-air.

During the course of the film, in adherence to Japanese tradition, a narrator provides commentary in English aided by English subtitles. For the most part, the narration consists of the battle strategies of Takeda and Kagetora and the outcome of individual battles.

Interspersed in the film, a subtle love story is played out between Kagetora and the Lady Nami. Nami plays a beautiful flute that acts as a musical unifying device. A tender moment comes in the film when a messenger delivers Nami’s flute to Kagetora signifying her death, and he plays her ethereal melody.

HEAVEN AND EARTH is an extremely well-crafted, artistic film without any objectionable language, although it does have a number of violent, bloody battle scenes. However, the honor code and regal bearing among the Samurai does much to compensate for this detraction. Furthermore, the Bible is clear when it states in Matthew 24:6 that until the end of the age “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.”