13 Assassins

Kôji Yakusho, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, Yûsuke Iseya

Dir. Takashi Miike
Scr. Kaneo Ikegami (based on screenplay by Daisuke Tengan)

There are very few films that come out of Hollywood or Europe that can possibly compete with the relentless fighting awesomeness of a film like 13 Assassins. And that’s really why you’d go to see this film. The samurai mythology is perhaps tiresomely familiar for some. The evil lord, an obvious bad guy. But the raging battleground, my goodness. A better choreographed fight sequence you will not see this year. If that gets your heart racing, see this film. If not, best you stay away.

13 Assassins, the remake of a 1963 film of the same name, is set during the last years of Japan’s feudal era. A group of samurai, with very little else on their plate in this age of peace, are enlisted to kill the evil Lord Naritsugu (Inagaki), half brother of the current Shogun, to prevent him taking power and reigning terror on the people. The 13 samurai lure Naritsugu and his troops to a village they have booby-trapped and fortified, and an epic and bloody battle ensues. I’m really not giving much away to say there are very few men left standing at the end.

The first half of 13 Assassins is a slow and purposeful build up to a frantic and compelling second act. Back stories are established, characters are introduced and all important themes are established – the way of the samurai, the question and conflict of duty and honour, the absolute horror and repercussions of Naritsugu’s actions (he is truly the baddest bad guy you will see on film for quite some time). While it might be too slow a burn for many, I think the ends justify the means and by the time Naritsugu and his men ride into Dodge the audience is more than ready for heads to roll. The first half of the film is also pretty darn serious and, at times, disturbing (for your own sanity, look away when the peasant girl is disrobed). So the injection of humour, in the guise of assassin number 13, Kiga Koyata (Iseya), is a welcome relief by the time the other 12 samurai stumble upon him in the forest. Basically, in this viewer’s opinion, 13 Assassins creeps up on you and then whacks you on the head with a spade. Brilliant.

The performances in this film are a slightly mixed bag. Some of the 13 assassins are somewhat inconsequential and you get a feeling they are making up numbers. Which means some of the performances are rather two-dimensional. But this is a minor quibble. Those performances that do stand out are simply great – the noble head samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (played by Takusho), the chillingly evil Naritsugu (played by Inagaki), the wonderfully strange and possibly immortal Kiga (played by Iseya) are particular favourites.

The true star of this film, however, is the combat; the relentless, violent, epic, cunning, bloody battle to the death. For those who can stomach it, the fighting in 13 Assassins is undeniably and utterly entertaining. And it is here that director Miike is on his finest form.

You’ll know whether you’re the target audience for this film and, if you are, you won’t be disappointed. The goods are delivered and you will lap them up. If you’re squeamish or a pacifist, avoid. And if you don’t like sub-titled movies, well, you’re simply not right in the head.

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Lord Naritsugu: With death comes gratitude for life. If a man has lived in vain, then how trivial his life is.