Cinema Kabuki : Renjishi ('The Father and Son Shishi Lions')
Cinema Kabuki Movie Trailer :Renjishi
Director:Yamada Yoji
Starring:Nakamura Kanzaburo, Nakamura Kantaro and Nakamura Shichinosuke, and others
Three travelling actors with white and red-haired lion heads dance the story for us. We find ourselves at the top of holy Mt. Seiryo, the dwelling place of the Buddhist deity Monju. Among these towering peaks is a natural stone bridge that appears like an arching rainbow. The bridge is a miracle, and on the other side is the Buddhist Paradise. Hereabouts dwell the lion-like creatures known as shishi, and soon we hear of the animals' strict upbringing. Ensuring that only the strongest survive, the parent kicks its sons over the edge of a precipice to test their strength and courage. The parent lion expresses love and anxiety as it peers down into the mist-obscured valley, but it can see nothing, and can hear only the pounding torrent below. At last, the cubs see a reflection of their parent on the river surface and are inspired. With a sudden burst of energy, they scale the rocky cliff. Reunited at the top, all three dance for joy.
After a brief comic interlude featuring an argument between two priests from different Buddhist sects, the true spirits of the three shishi enter with the white-haired parent again taking the lead. Dressed in magnificent brocade costumes, the lions dance to auspicious lyrics, and eventually swing their huge wigs around in great circles in the final exciting climax.