13 Assassins

13 Assassins (15) 126 minutes 2011

The return of the samurai
13 highly trained Samurai warriors against an army of 200. Unacceptable odds? Arrogant folly? Or feudal Japan in 1844 where "to value one’s life was to die like a dog". The latest offering from prolific (80 films in two decades) Japanese Director, Takashi Miike, is a notable addition to the Samurai movie library while also a homage to Akira Kurosawa's memorable masterpiece, Seven Samurai, (1954).

Mid 19th century Japan and a time of extended peace. The Samurai have grown lazy, their hegemony at an end. But one final task awaits them - the destruction of the ignoble, disrespectful and psychotic Lord Naritsugu (Goro Inagaki) the Shogun's younger brother, whose taste for slaughter know no bounds.
The ageing but relentlessly-driven Shinzaemon (Koji Yakusjo) begins to gather together and meticulously train a small band of warriors including his dissolute nephew Shinrouko (Takayuki Yamada), the veteran spear thrower, Sahara who demands payment upfront ("to bury my wife and buy luxuries I've never had") and a manic, forest dwelling creature (Yusuke Iseya) with seemingly supernatural powers. Together, they will restore the glory of the Shogun, do their duty to the people and, only if successful, honour themselves and their families.

The film is of two halves; the first, preparation of the deed and attention to detail. “ My logic was shallow”, Shinzaemon elegantly admits to his friend, having overlooked a minor flaw in their plan. The second is the battle, fast furious and technologically spectacular, the bridge blowing scene oddly reminiscent of Sam Peckinpah’s, The Wild Bunch (1969). The balance of the movie veers dramatically from moments of extreme violence – now cattle deliberately set on fire running amok in the town, now a virgin- white kimono splattered pink with fresh, new blood - to scenes of immense beauty and calm - forest cliffs wreathed in early morning mist, the soldiers’ shimmering shiny helmets bobbing endlessly up and down.

The battle scenes - arguably the longest in cinematic history - are an orgy of violence, although surprisingly lacking in gore. The images are memorable – from enormous street-closing traps woven out of trees to the detonation and collapse of an entire house. Underlying the whole is an unparalleled sense of honour; Naritsugu's samurai will support his master to the end whatever his personal beliefs about his latter's horrific lifestyle; Shinzaemon revels in the opportunity of dying a true warrior's death. Miike weaves these complex and disparate threads carefully together towards a stunning and spectacular climax. A truly worthy addition to the genre. 8/10.

Dick Morgan
May 2011


Dick Morgan