Japanese Film: Aragami - The Raging God of Battle

On Thursday night (Friday morning) 18/19 September 2008 from 1 am, SBS is screening Aragami, a 2003 Japanese action film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. It was Kitamura’s contribution to the Duel Project, a challenge issued by producer Shinya Kawai to him and fellow director Yukihiko Tsutsumi to film a feature length movie with only two actors, battling in one setting, in only the time frame of one week. The other movie in the Project was 2LDK, which was on SBS earlier this year.

Two seriously wounded samurai find refuge from a storm at an isolated temple, the home of a swordsman and a mysterious young woman.

One samurai awakes to find that not only has his comrade died, but that his wounds have miraculously healed. He discovers that he has been given the power of immortality by the swordsman, a man once known as the legendary Miyamoto Musashi, who now lives an endless existence as Aragami, a “god of battle”.

Starring Takao Osawa, Masaya Kato and Kanae Uotani.

Japanese with English subtitles – perfect for language learners of either!