FILM: 13 ASSASSINS – FREELANCE PRIMATE
Review By Con Nats
DIRECTOR: Takashi Mike
CAST: Kôji Yakusho (Shinzaemon Shimada); Takayuki Yamada (Shinrouko); Yûsuke Iseya (Koyata); Gorô Inagaki (Lord Naritsugu); Masachika Ichimura (Hanbei Kitou); Mikijiro Hira (Sir Doi ).
Synopsis: Japan, 1844. Lord Naritsugu Matsuudiara, The Shogun’s illegitimate brother is rising to power – but when his tyranny runs rampant secret plans are laid to end his reign. Veteran samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho) is charged with assassinating Naritsugu and puts together a small band who agree to face the incredible danger and impossible odds to ensure their nation’s future. Takashi Mike (Audition) stamps his trademark style on the classic Samurai genre with this unforgettable remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 movie.
Review: They’re a strange mob, the Japanese. When they feel outrage, they commit Hara Kiri, as one Lord does when he hears Naritsugu got promoted. A father whose son is butchered feels shame in not committing Hari Kiri because of the outrage in doing so. Revenge is disloyalty even if it is loyalty to the dishonourable. But these are peaceful times in Japan although the feudal system is precarious.
At the heart of the discord is Naritsugu, a sadistic ruler who rapes, kills and maims at will and likes to use a family for archery practice. He has to return to his homelands to become second in line to the Shogun throne, but Lord Dio secretly enlists Shinzaemon to put together a team to assassinate him.
In peaceful times there is little for the unemployed samurai to do; they fall into gambling, drinking and being ‘knives for hire’ to survive. There is nothing like peace to destroy their career prospects, so they are ready to fight and lay their lives down. Those who fear death, are destined to die like a dog says Shinza, and there are many such discussions throughout the film. Shinza enlists eleven other samurai to take out Naritsugu one his journey home, and they meet a local bandit Kiga Koyata (Iseya) who makes them thirteen.
This story is part historical, two-parts mythology and is a remake of a classic, so it has a lot cover. When bringing thirteen characters together, it is hard to develop any to fruition, especially when they are all so alike and so they all seem archetypes with little to say, other than being grateful for the opportunity to die for their country. By the time Koyata joins and adds some colour you feel relief from the relentlessly sombre tone. Iseya is the film’s scene stealing stand-out.
Which may make it sound like there is little these characters have to say, whereas director Takashi Mike’s film says a great deal. The colours and lighting is very cool, drab and muted. These are dark days for Japan which is on the verge of plunging back into war. The sword fights are not stylised – no flying, eloquent samurai here; this is gritty hand to hand combat that at 45 minutes goes on a little too long, although there are moments of humour, flaming bulls (I kid you not), techno-trickery and spectacular explosions amongst the carnage.
More telling are the discussions over the role of the samurai – is their role to serve their master or their country? Who is their duty to? One of the best lines in the movie ‘It is a burden to be a samurai. Now, go and live your life’ is the most telling. This feels like ‘The Unforgiven’ of samurai movies, while at the same time providing more thrills and spills than a Michael Bay film.
13 Assassins still lives up to the promises of its genre; great fight scenes, lashings of philosophical discussions and touches of humour. It doesn’t quite develop the characters enough, is confusing at times, but you know who the good guys are and there’s no mistaking the bad guy. There is plenty of grey in between which gives this myth its moral richness.
I liked it. I think the sort of story has been do before and slightly better. It reminded me of 300 a bit too. I agree that the characterisation of each 13 members was difficult to follow as they were not distinctive looking fellows (and no, it’s not a ‘all youse asians look the sam comment either!)
The battle itself was very well constructed but even though I knew all 13 would die (or at least assumed it) there wasn’t really any feeling of sorrow for the lose of each character. having them pronounce that they wanted to die a warriors death meant that, to the audience, their demise seemed to be less significant. i felt sad that each one died and happy that each had their ‘glorious’ final moment.
one criticism i would have was the rapid-fire subtitles. it was hard to get every little bit of information as their was so much going on in the film and the quick subs meant i had to concentrate a lot to get it all in. if only i spoke japanese…
all in all, it was a great experience for me to see something a little more grown up for a change. normally, most of the films i see nowadays have cuddly 3D creatures with names like ‘snowflake’ so see a good old slash and burn flick was a lot of fun.
pity the subject matter was so sombre