Being back home means catching up with old friends, and I did so the other day by seeing a movie. My friend suggested 13 Assassins, and after quickly skimming a synopsis and seeing Rotten Tomatoes had overwhelmingly positive reviews of the movie, I agreed and off we went to the local art-house theater to see this imported Japanese samurai movie.
The plot is relatively straightforward and obviously owes a lot to its heritage, notably Seven Samurai. It's apparently a remake of a 1960s film of the same name, which itself is based loosely off of actual events.
As Japan's feudal age is waning, the country has experienced a long period of peace, and true warrior samurai are rare. However, this peace is threatened as the Shogun's bastard brother suddenly becomes next in line to the seat of power. Infamous for his brutality and barbarity, his actions are known to the Shogun's chief official, as he hears the horror stories of citizens murdered, women raped, and similar violent acts. He fears for the realm, but given the lord's status, cannot touch the man. In desperation, he calls upon his chief samurai, a veteran loyal to the core, and burdens him with the task of assassination.
Due to the sensitive nature, the group must be small, and the samurai assembles a crack team of veteran, true samurai, who pledge their lives to take out the rogue lord. The catch, of course, is that he is heavily protected, and even in his weakest state (traveling) he is protected by a fierce cadre of hundreds of warriors.
I'm sure you can naturally see where this is heading, but what's more important here isn't the story itself, but the execution. The phrase I would use to describe this film overall is "realistically brutal." The movie itself opens with a close-up, dramatic depiction of a samurai committing seppuku, and continues on as you learn about the situation in a very dark, gritty atmosphere perfectly suited to the highly sensitive treason that is being plotted. The film progresses and the movie gets gradually brighter as the soldiers prepare for their duty and make their plans.
All of this is a perfectly timed, well-executed build-up to the final moment, and it does not disappoint in the slightest. The entire last 40 minutes of a movie are a continuous fight scene, but it never drags nor feels long, and is a series of jumps from one-action packed moment to the next. If more Hollywood action scenes were as well-thought out and as clever as this one, I would probably invest in seeing more action movies. The fights is frantic, realistic, and extremely well-shot.
Despite the overall tone of the film, it doesn't limit itself in any way. There are depressing scenes, to be sure, alongside the violent scenes, but the film also manages to sprinkle in some surprisingly genuine humor in a few different ways. It also has a very Japanese flavor, as would be expected, and brings up some interesting philosophical questions, such as when the leader of the Assassins speaks to his old friend who now leads the lord's bodyguard, and they debate whether loyalty to the realm is more important that absolute obedience and loyalty to your lord. Naturally quite a few conversations hinge around the acceptance of the samurai's impending death, in keeping to the tradition and expectation of those warriors. It also features one of the most compelling villains I've recently seen in a film, as the psychotic lord truly is unhinged. It's not a kind of calculated insanity found in many films (only crazy when it suits the plot), or a kind of tamed crazy (like Hannibal Lecter in many films, for example) but a honest craziness-- the guy acts insane in a realistic manner, and behaves like a true psychopath would, making him stand out well.
Overall, 13 Assassins felt like a magnificent homage to the samurai film genre, and does a perfect job of modernizing an older tale and making it outshine some of its predecessors. It's a great combination of characters, action, humor, philosophy, and cinematography. It's not only the best foreign film I've seen in quite some time, but easily one of the best films I've seen in the past year or so. If any theater in your area is playing it, I highly recommend you take the time to view this excellent example of Japanese cinema.
-HTMC
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