A Review on Japanese Film 'Kingdom' Set in Qin Before Its Conquering Whole China

choi

Ben Kenigsberg, Kingdom. New York Times, Aug 16, 2018 (in the column "Film Reviews" of the section "WeekendArts I" that appears every Friday, which of course has II section also).
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/15/movies/kingdom-review.html
(a review on the film called kingdom)

Note:
(a) In print, the photo (credit: Funimation Films; a group of male warriors on horse -- not the one appearing online) has the caption: "The director of [2019; Japanese title is katakana from English: キングダム (pronunciation: Kin-gudamu)] 'Kingdom,' Shin[-]suke SATŌ 佐藤 信介, shows that he has an eye for the geometry of action scenes."

(b) "A Japanese-language epic set in ancient China and based on a manga series [原泰久, キングダム (漫画), 集英社, 2009-presently (連載中); which is a fiction], 'Kingdom' draws on the best of several traditions. There are touches of Akira Kurosawa's 黒沢 明 [1958] 'The Hidden Fortress' — and perhaps of [1977] 'Star Wars,' for which George Lucas plundered 'Fortress' freely — and also of the wuxia spectacles of King Hu 胡 金銓. The film acquits itself honorably, even if its ultimate message is disquieting. "
(i) The Hidden Fortress  隠し砦の三悪人
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hidden_Fortress
(Tahei 太平 [Chinese pronunciation in Japanese can be either "ta-i" or "ta"] and Matashichi 又七 ["mata" is Japanese pronunciation for 又 which has the same meaning in China: again; "shichi" is Chinese pronunciation for 七]; fighting between Yamana and Akizuki 山名と秋月の戦い; Hayakawa 早川; MAKABE Roku-rō-ta 真壁 六郎太 [the prefix "ma" and the noun "kabe" are Japanese pronunciation of 真 and 壁]; Hyō-e TADOKORO 田所 兵衛; Princess Yuki 雪姫 [yuki is Japanese pronunciation of 雪])
(A) In the Kurosawa's film, 早川領 was ally 同盟国 of Akizuki clan 秋月家, whose territory was 秋月領.
(B) 田所 兵衛: The "tokoro" (whose first consonant is softened to "d" when combining with another word) is a place. One of two Chinese pronunciations for 兵 is "yō." 衛's Chinese pronunciation can be either "e-i" (Japanese does not have diphthongs) or "w."
(C) Japanese-English dictionary:
* kakushi 隠し 【かくし】 (n): "hiding; concealing; being hidden; being concealed" (which is a modifier for 砦 in Kurosawa's film)
* toride 砦; 塁; 寨 【とりで】 (n): "fort; fortress; stronghold; fortification"
* ryō 領 【りょう】: (suf[fix]) territory of (country)"
(ii) acquit (vt): "to conduct (oneself) usually satisfactorily especially under stress  <The recruits acquitted themselves like veterans>"https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquit

(c)  "Piao 漂 [Japanese Wiki spells "Hyō"] (Ryō YOSHIZAWA 吉沢 亮) is taken to serve the king, while Xin 信 [Japanese Wiki spells "shin" because Japanese does not have x, which is pinyin] (Kento YAMAZAKI 山崎 賢人 ["to" for  人 appears in (human) names only]) stays home -- until Paio returns, mortally wounded. The king's brother has moved on the throne, and Paio sends Xin to protect the deposed king [named 瓜, who is (秦国 大王) 政], for whom Paio had been [grammatically should be "was"] serving as a double. * * * The king (also played by Yoshizawa) * * * Zhang Yimou's hit [2002] 'Hero' 英雄"
(d) Kingdom the film's trailers.
https://kingdom-the-movie.jp