Movie Review: 13 Assassins (2010) (Jûsan-nin no shikaku)

13 Assassins (2010) (Jûsan-nin no shikaku) a.k.a Thirteen Assassins 

Sedic International, Recorded Picture Company,  Hanway Films, Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, Asahi Shimbun, Dentsu, Higashinippon Broadcasting Co., Hiroshima Home TV, Hokkaido Television Broadcasting Co., Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting Co., Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Shizuoka Asahi Television Co., Shogakukan, TV Asahi, Toho Company, Tsutaya Group, Yahoo Japan, Recorded Picture Company, Hanway Films, 2010, Japan, UK. 

The last task of the 2016 Movie Watching Challenge was to watch a film recommended by staff of a video rental store. Filmtown Piispanristi recommended me the samurai-film by Takashi Miike. Funny thing is that I almost chose this one for the challenge #34: Movie that has a number in the title. However I decided I would save it for later possible samurai-film marathon. What I also learned in the video store was that the original Japanese version is 16 minutes longer than the international version. From the original Japanese film some scenes giving more depth to some characters were cut likewise some comical scenes. The film is a remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film.

In 1844 sadistic lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki) of Akashi clan is causing trouble for Japan. Naritsugu is half-brother of Shogun and his heir, and opposing him means death. The eldest of the Akashi-clan, Zushu Mamiya (Seiyô Uchino) commits harakiri to oppose Naritsugu. As Naritsugu on the throne would make Caligula's Rome look like a kindergarten, Minister Toshitsura Doi (Mikijirô Hira) wants samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (Kôji Yakusho) to kill him. As Doi can not oppose Shogun directly the mission must be kept top secret. 

Naritsugu

Shinzaemon Shimada

The long period of peace has dulled the fighting skills of the samurai. Shinzaemon manages to raise a group of 12 samurai who are mostly inexperienced in battle, including his gambling nephew Shinrokuro (Takayuki Yamada). The mission gives them a chance to die doing something honourable. 

Shinrokuro

Hanbei Kito (Masachika Ichimura) disapproves Naritsugu but as a samurai is has sworn to protect him. Hanbei knows about the assassination plot and soon the roads are filled with enemies.  Takes a route through the forest, the group finds 13th warrior Kiga Koyata (Yûsuke Iseya). He is actually a forest spirit but it is not made very clear in the shorter cut.. The plan is compromised and the 13 Assassins have to face the entire Akashi clan, army with hundreds of men. But a wide selection of traps evens the odds.

Hanbei Kito

Kiga Koyata

Takashi Miike is best known for his extreme films such as "Audition" and "Ichi the Killer", but has directed also films for children and mainstream films based on  video games ("Ace Attorney") and superheroes such as "Yatterman." As to 2016 Miike has directed 99 movies of various genres. "13 Assassins" goes to a more mainstream samurai territory. The first part shows the reasons why Naritsugu must be killed and the samurai planning the ambush. The final battle is bloody but considering Miike's history the gore is kept quite restrained. Still it has disturbing scenes and a scene that is trademark Miike, a scene demonstrating Naritsugu's sadistic tendencies with an amputated girl.

Ambushing

Battling the Akashi clan

This has high-budget action with good cinematography with nice sceneries. Well built and long final battle makes it one of the best battle scenes in samurai films. The ending shows the futility of samurai code of obedience when the leaders are corrupt and the beginning the twilight of the Tokugawa-shogunate. A mixed bunch of samurai and the battle in village and reminds "Seven Samurai." and why not also Kiga, who is similar to Kikuchiyo. Miike shows his skills combining drama about loyalty and personal ethics with high-caliber action making it one of the best samurai films of the 2010s.

The Finnish DVD is lacking the deleted scenes as extras and at least my copy had couple of timing problems with subtitles. 

Final part of The 2016 Movie Watching Challenge (#50. Movie that is recommended by staff of video rental store or streaming service)

Rating: Very good

Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Ikki Sawamura, Arata Furuta, Sôsuke Takaoka, Seiji Rokkaku, Kazuki Namioka, Kôen Kondô, Yûma Ishigaki, Masataka Kubota, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazue Fukiishi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Takumi Saitô, Shin'nosuke Abe, Shôzô Uesugi, Ayumu Saitô, Hajime Inoue, Atsushi Haruta, Yûya Takagawa, Hiroshi Tatsumi, Akemi Sakurai, Sakurako Moteki, Megumi Kagurazaka, Seiyô Uchino, Ken Mitsuishi, Ittoku Kishibe, Mikijirô Hira, Kôshirô Matsumoto, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, Seizô Fukumoto, Nizaemon Kataoka

Director: Takashi Miike