Watch Shield of Straw For Free

To me, this movie is perfection.

Overrated

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I don't know who the heck gave this movie such low ratings but their judgments are way off!! This should at least have an 8, so far the best thriller I've seen in a long time. I mean The Avengers has 8.1 and if you have some gray cells left, you'll know how terrible marvel movies can be. This on the other hand amazing acting, suspense, drama, soundtrack, story. I mean sure it had some minor plot holes but no movie is perfect and it definitely didn't take away from the experience of being immersed in the movie. The protagonists are literally thrown into chaos as we witness their struggles and ultimately how they cope to stay moral and survive this crazy mission. Trust me, there will be times where you as a viewer will put your morals to the test and thats what makes this movie so great, it really engages the viewer and makes them wonder what they'd do in their shoes? Overall I really enjoyed watching this movie from start to finish where there's never a dull moment.

After the murder of his seven year old granddaughter, wealthy financial tycoon Takaoki Ninagawa offers a public reward of ¥1 billion to anyone who kills her murderer: convicted child rapist and murderer Kunihide Kiyomaru. After an attempt is made on his life, Kiyomaru turns himself in to the police and a five-person specialist team is assembled to escort him from Fukuoka to the District Attorney's office in Tokyo within the next 48 hours. But with potentially 125 million people after the reward and the temptation of a massive payout staring them in the face, the team are at long odds to successfully complete their mission.I watched this not long after seeing two of director Takashi Miike's more recent efforts ('For Love's Sake' and 'Lesson of the Evil'). Like those, 'Shield of Straw' displays a definite mainstream style in comparison to other films in Miike's oeuvre, and here it lends itself quite well to the tense and thought-provoking material: five people are bound by duty to stand between the most reviled man in the nation and potentially millions of people who will do anything to get their hands on him. But those who are expecting a thrill-a-minute action-fest would do well to remember that this is a work of Miike (and of Japan) - character is definitely king.'Shield of Straw' is very much a character-driven film. The set pieces and exposition push the story along (albeit a bit clumsily at times) but the real drivers are the characters, their motivations (vengeance, hatred, greed, honour, duty) and their subsequent actions after being thrust into an extraordinary set of circumstances. All of these are explored and ably expressed through terrific performances from the cast. Of particular note are the two leads, Takao Osawa as the duty-bound team leader with the unenviable task of protecting the most hated man in the country; and Tatsuya Fujiwara as the killer whose seeming lack of motive makes him all the more chilling (his ambiguous last words are particularly disquieting). Also an honourable mention should be made for the brief but impactful appearance of Tsutomu Yamazaki as the frail billionaire whose wealth means nothing in the face of having lost someone so dear to him.The film also touches on ubiquitous aspects of Japanese culture (honour and duty above all else, the common greater good taking precedence over the needs of the individual) and raises interesting questions as to whether these are 'right or wrong'.Overall (and as long as you aren't expecting a mass of explosions and bloody stand-offs every five minutes) 'Shield of Straw' is a terrific and thought-provoking film that will please Miike fans and those who appreciate great character-driven crime thrillers.

Shield of Straw probably is Miike's most humane and ''deep''-film. After watching it you will think about it for hours. Does it place a mirror in front of our politically-correct pseudo-''good mind'' society and say : ''Look how absurd and self-righteous you are!'' Does it show us a true modern hero -Mirari ? One who stayed true to his principles when other were driven by greed and weakness? Does it examine the psychology of ''our money is everything'' mindset? Almost limitless food for thought. And that s what makes a film excellent. Not to mention the good as always story , acting , cinematography , soundtrack , etc. Some say Miike went mainstream with his film- wrong! Sorry for you-better watch Transformers then. After watching it you will think about it for hours. As always the master filmmaker knows how to grip the viewer and no letting loose. Unique , gripping , provocative...and good. Watching Miike ,known for his bizarre and brutal films, never felt so right. 8/10 Drama Miike-style.

Even though the premise is kind of the same as "S.W.A.T. (2003)" and after watching the final scene of "Drug War" (2012) from China, where I felt that I wasted my time and was cheated; "Shield of Straw" was different. First, it will get the best of your curiosity, then it will become absorbent of your own feelings and moral values. And If you become so involved with the movie (as I do sometimes), you may be wanting to kill "Kiyomaru" even if you don't get the billion, let's make three billion (if the subtitles where accurate). And here is where I see one of the flaws, because we know that one way or another "Kiyomaru" won't live to enjoy his psychotic killer instinct toward innocent lives.A movie critic argued that the billionaire "Ninagawa", "should have been arrested straight away", but that would have been more unsatisfactory than the convoluted ending; besides let's not forget that the money was spinning heads left and right! Cops from all levels were involved, mobs, bystanders, and anyone willing to help in murdering the bad guy.The movie certainly has plot holes but it doesn't intend in any way to be remembered for being smart, and if you disregard logic a little bit, it will get your attention for its acting and pace and because it has the elements that "S.W.A.T" never had even with the frenetic shootings, explosions, and car chases.I understand that opinions will be divided, and I don't believe that anyone will come with the perfect way to end this film, because irony is just a big part of it.Overall,this Japanese film delivers and entertains and I would certainly recommend it, after that is up to you to hate or like my opinion or the film.