Homo in the dojo

>> Taboo explores the queer side of samurai culture

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

"When you have a group of men," states Nagisa Oshima, "there always exists some aspect of homosexuality." Japanese samurai culture was no exception, as Oshima tastefully illustrates with his new film Gohatto (translated into English as Taboo). Despite the absence of repressive Christian morality, allowing for a more flexible sexuality, the Japanese have always had their own set of collective hang-ups, intertwined with social standing and "face."

There's no face prettier, in Kyoto's Shinsen militia, than the new kid Sozaburo Kano, a young but competent swordfighter. His pouty lips, creamy skin and girlish coif are turning heads immediately, although he initially seems fairly passive--stuck in neutral, so to speak. Nonetheless, like a pebble in a pond, he sets off ripples of confusion, defensiveness and jealousy in the camp. Taking a series of lovers, Kano becomes increasingly confident in his role as object of desire, with alternately comedic and violent repercussions.

Despite the title, Taboo is thankfully free of both lurid melodrama and moral judgment. Kano isn't "punished" for his transgression of an unspoken code, though others pay dearly for desiring what they can't keep. Rather, the film displays the way in which various samurai struggle with their own queer tendencies, until that point conveniently locked away.

Moreover, Taboo is something of a requiem for samurai culture. It's set in 1865, the year regarded as the last hurrah for bushido, the samurai code (Japan was on the verge of leaving its self-imposed isolation). Again, Oshima takes no side, preferring a straightforward exposition of the zeitgeist.

With the classics Realm of the Senses and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence to his name, there's no questioning Oshima's competence and grace behind the camera. Taboo unfurls at a calm, comfortable pace without getting bogged down at any point, benefiting further from Ryuichi Sakamoto's exquisite score. Finally, the film sees Oshima reunited with superstar "Beat" Takeshi (Sonatine), who Oshima yanked from the low-rent comedy stage years ago for Merry Christmas. A knowing, disciplined tough-guy sporting touches of both sadness and humour, the leatherfaced Takeshi steals the show from his pretty young rival.

Taboo opens Friday, March 23 at Cinéma du Parc