Introduction
The Taira Clan Saga is a film by Kenji Mizoguchi set in the 12 century medieval Japan. The film is about the Heike ( Taira) clan which is ruled under the Buddhist law if impermanence which views that all things, no matter how mighty they appear, are destined to fall and decay in the future. This is related to the fall of the Heike power illustrated in the theme of the film through the Heike- Genji rivalry.
During this time the issue of nobility and priesthood had a lot of influence in the overall nature of the people. They were exempted from taxes even with the harsh economic conditions. According to the film, this clan was accompanied by a lot of chaos in the capital around the country. Other features of this time were riots and banditry which widespread. The film also presents the viewers with the ordinary life of the Fujiwara clan which was meant to assure the residents with security m of the state to enable calm the above troubles. The retired emperor Shirakawa runs the empire. However, there are many tensions between the monk-emperor Shirakawa and the Imperial court which holds the current emperor Toba. Here the director introduces viewers to the nobility known as professional warriors or the samurai, which is meant to oppose the army set by monks. With them are the sacred palanquins which are meant to protect the interest of royal ancestors (Mizoguchi, 1955). During this time of confusion, war, and poverty, the Special Forces commander captain Tadamori returns to Kyoto from the war against the uprising of pirates from the western sea which he successfully defeats.
However, there is a challenge in having career soldiers gain a lot of influence and power; thus the will of the ex-emperor is ignored, and the captain is not rewarded. Also, the reward commander Lord Tokinobu is punished during this time, and the captain sends his son, Kiyomori to the residence occupied by the Lord Tokiko, where he falls with the daughter. During this time, Kiyomori also finds that he is the emperor’s son. Here the film tries to explain the history and the bloodline of the family. As Kiyomori power is increase to becoming the premier to the priest, he starts to appoint his family to prominent positions strategically, he also marries off his daughters to forge alliances with other domains of the Heike power, in the end, more than half of the Japanese province is governed by the Heike. However, one of his son’s Shigemori was not like his father who was violent, harsh and arrogant (Mizoguchi, 1955). Shigemori was a considerate and virtuous person who understood that the actions by his father would eventually affect the leadership of the clan.
In the film, one can see Shigemori reminding his father about all his evil deeds, and warning that they would be repaid by destruction and that he needs to spare the clan from destruction. True to his worlds, a series of bad omens begin to befall the capital. For them, it was a sign that the Heike clan had angered the gods through their violence leadership. The clan is faced with a different uprising, one led by the remnants of the Minamoto clan which forms an alliance with emperors and the fall of the Heike begins to take place when their interest conflicts that of the emperors and here people see a sign of Heike becoming unfit to rule (Mizoguchi, 1955). Go-Shirakawa the cloistered emperor, that was resentful of the rulership in Heike also who was put under house arrest by Kiyomori after he was discovered to have been plotting against Heike, allies himself with the rulership in Genji to bring down Kiyomori leadership.
Throughout the film, the theme of impermanence continues to play through the decay in leadership and greed of different Japanese empire of the 12 century. The end, Heike retreats and capital are formed when Minamoto forces reach the capital, the Taira, highly weakened and outnumbered from the loss of Genji; everyone flees from the capital (Mizoguchi, 1955). The fleeing is very significant as it symbolizes the final fall of the power and influence of one family full of greed, violence, and disrespect for human life. The retreat is also significant as it marks an important turning point in the Genji war. In the beginning, the Heike fought to ensure the dominance and honor, but now they were struggling with the Genji for their lives.
In conclusion, the Tale of the Heike is one of the most memorable films about medieval Japan since the beauty and style express so many motifs. It is a love story, a moral warning, a war epic, a revenge, and a tragedy told in one film. As it describes the Genji- Heiki rivalry, the different characters and the situation about the Confucian and Buddhist values, the film expresses the importance of this practices in the way of life for the Asian people of the time.
References
Mizoguchi, K. (Director). (1955). Shin Heike Monogatari (The Taira Clan Saga) [DVD]. Japan: Daiei Studios.