Seen before: No
Bought this film recently, after generally positive reviews from critics. What intrigued me is that it's director, Takashi Miike, is infamous for highly explicit violence in all of his films, yet this film seemed, on face value, to be a typical samurai film. Surely it couldn't be as grotesque as Ichi The Killer and Audition, amongst others?
---Plot Summary---
Set in feudal, Shogun-era Japan, an evil lord seems determined to shatter the country's peace and return to an age of all out war. A group of samurai (led by Kôji Yakusho), on order from the Shogun council, set out to kill him. They are up against an army of 200 men, so plot a trap within a local village to increase their chances of success.
---Review---
Whilst something of a departure for it's director, it becomes apparent very early on that this is a Miike film. In the immaculately restrained opening, in which several meetings of the Shogun council take place in order to discuss what to do about the tyrannical Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), we are introduced to the lead samurai, Shinzaemon. His task is described to him by the council leader, but for extra incentive, he is shown a victim of Naritsugu's merciless cruelty. We are then submitted to the distressing sight of a young woman who has had all her limbs severed and her tongue cut out, a symbol of horrific brutality that would fit comfortably into any of the director's other films. However, after this initial shock, Miike fashions a film that is largely dissimilar to most of his previous work (whilst steadily violent, there is nothing in the rest of the film this graphic).
The first half of the film largely focuses on the recruitment of the 'assassins', as friends and associates of Shinzaemon travel to his dojo in order to stake there claims to be part of his expedition to kill Lord Naritsugu. The Lord's personal samurai, Hanbai, even shows up to face up to his foe, without violence. It is a fascinating study of the politics and honour that samurai adhere to, but becomes a little lost, in that it's efforts to inform the viewer of the history of feudal Japan succeeds in drawing us away from the drama occasionally. But this is just a small criticism of what actually turns out to be an extended build up to the second half of the film, in which the samurai reach Ochlai, the stage for their elaborate trap.
Having learned a little more about each of our 13 assassins (one of which turns out to be a hunter the samurai encounter in the forest), they then attempt to create 'a village of death', setting explosives at tactical locations, creating gates that will close upon releasing a lever (trapping whoever is trying to escape), and, perhaps most extravagant of all, flaming bulls (yes that's right).
We know and have know throughout that they are totally outnumbered (13 vs 200+), but you can't help feeling that they might just pull it off, due to their finesse and experience, as Naritsugu's army is largely made up of unskilled, inferior samurai.
So the scene it set for what is perhaps one of the longest and most violent battles of recent cinema. Lord Naritsugu, Hanbei and the army reach Ochlai, completely unaware of the trap that awaits them. By the time Hanbei manages to spot signs of trouble (swords stuck into the roofs, arrows set in the wood at outposts), it is too late, and the army panics and is separated by the gate traps, as the assassins strike with bow and arrow from the rooftops. They also release the bulls to charge down any men in their way. It is a genius plan, if somewhat a little unrealistic/unbelievable. With the numbers of the army severely reduced, the samurai then attempt to strike down all that remain by sword. The fighting is expertly choreographed, so much so I think that the editors decided to leave a lot more scenes in than they should have (it looks like they are fighting and killing double the amount of men).
After the battle, which includes the inevitable deaths of all but two of the assassins. Shinzaemon and Hanbei square up to duel, and Shinzaemon eventually manages to complete his task, at the cost of his own life as well. It's a well scripted confrontation that manages to convince us that Naritsugu needs to die (if we didn't need convincing already). In fact, it is another scene that reminds me that, truthfully, this is another typical 'samurai' film. But it is one that is expertly crafted by it's director, a man who is known for his controversial and cult films, but here is given the license to create a big budget epic.
The film provides a simplistic, appealing setting of the land and surroundings that were likely to be similar to those of the period, which is then destroyed in the climatic battle scene, where the ground is muddy and covered in blood, as rain pours from the sky, yet fires rage on the rooftops.
All the central actors provide credible portrayals, with no one really outshining anyone else (perhaps Gorô Inagaki for being truly believable as a deeply despised warlord), and it is a thoroughly enjoyable and stylish film.
---Rating---
8/10
Tomorrow: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
Bought this film recently, after generally positive reviews from critics. What intrigued me is that it's director, Takashi Miike, is infamous for highly explicit violence in all of his films, yet this film seemed, on face value, to be a typical samurai film. Surely it couldn't be as grotesque as Ichi The Killer and Audition, amongst others?
---Plot Summary---
Set in feudal, Shogun-era Japan, an evil lord seems determined to shatter the country's peace and return to an age of all out war. A group of samurai (led by Kôji Yakusho), on order from the Shogun council, set out to kill him. They are up against an army of 200 men, so plot a trap within a local village to increase their chances of success.
---Review---
Whilst something of a departure for it's director, it becomes apparent very early on that this is a Miike film. In the immaculately restrained opening, in which several meetings of the Shogun council take place in order to discuss what to do about the tyrannical Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), we are introduced to the lead samurai, Shinzaemon. His task is described to him by the council leader, but for extra incentive, he is shown a victim of Naritsugu's merciless cruelty. We are then submitted to the distressing sight of a young woman who has had all her limbs severed and her tongue cut out, a symbol of horrific brutality that would fit comfortably into any of the director's other films. However, after this initial shock, Miike fashions a film that is largely dissimilar to most of his previous work (whilst steadily violent, there is nothing in the rest of the film this graphic).
The first half of the film largely focuses on the recruitment of the 'assassins', as friends and associates of Shinzaemon travel to his dojo in order to stake there claims to be part of his expedition to kill Lord Naritsugu. The Lord's personal samurai, Hanbai, even shows up to face up to his foe, without violence. It is a fascinating study of the politics and honour that samurai adhere to, but becomes a little lost, in that it's efforts to inform the viewer of the history of feudal Japan succeeds in drawing us away from the drama occasionally. But this is just a small criticism of what actually turns out to be an extended build up to the second half of the film, in which the samurai reach Ochlai, the stage for their elaborate trap.
Having learned a little more about each of our 13 assassins (one of which turns out to be a hunter the samurai encounter in the forest), they then attempt to create 'a village of death', setting explosives at tactical locations, creating gates that will close upon releasing a lever (trapping whoever is trying to escape), and, perhaps most extravagant of all, flaming bulls (yes that's right).
We know and have know throughout that they are totally outnumbered (13 vs 200+), but you can't help feeling that they might just pull it off, due to their finesse and experience, as Naritsugu's army is largely made up of unskilled, inferior samurai.
So the scene it set for what is perhaps one of the longest and most violent battles of recent cinema. Lord Naritsugu, Hanbei and the army reach Ochlai, completely unaware of the trap that awaits them. By the time Hanbei manages to spot signs of trouble (swords stuck into the roofs, arrows set in the wood at outposts), it is too late, and the army panics and is separated by the gate traps, as the assassins strike with bow and arrow from the rooftops. They also release the bulls to charge down any men in their way. It is a genius plan, if somewhat a little unrealistic/unbelievable. With the numbers of the army severely reduced, the samurai then attempt to strike down all that remain by sword. The fighting is expertly choreographed, so much so I think that the editors decided to leave a lot more scenes in than they should have (it looks like they are fighting and killing double the amount of men).
After the battle, which includes the inevitable deaths of all but two of the assassins. Shinzaemon and Hanbei square up to duel, and Shinzaemon eventually manages to complete his task, at the cost of his own life as well. It's a well scripted confrontation that manages to convince us that Naritsugu needs to die (if we didn't need convincing already). In fact, it is another scene that reminds me that, truthfully, this is another typical 'samurai' film. But it is one that is expertly crafted by it's director, a man who is known for his controversial and cult films, but here is given the license to create a big budget epic.
The film provides a simplistic, appealing setting of the land and surroundings that were likely to be similar to those of the period, which is then destroyed in the climatic battle scene, where the ground is muddy and covered in blood, as rain pours from the sky, yet fires rage on the rooftops.
All the central actors provide credible portrayals, with no one really outshining anyone else (perhaps Gorô Inagaki for being truly believable as a deeply despised warlord), and it is a thoroughly enjoyable and stylish film.
---Rating---
8/10
Tomorrow: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
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