13 Assassins Make A Killing in Unstable Markets

13 Assassins

There are some action films that wear out their welcome after the first couple of fight scenes, and then there are those films that just get better and better as the battle goes on. Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins falls into the latter category as it, with an epic battle sequence that goes on for what feels like an hour. It consistently raises the bar as the film progresses.

Despite being a widely celebrated director, my experience with Miike’s films are limited to Gozu and Sukiyaki Western Django. While films like Audition and Ichi the Killer are currently on my Netflix Canada queue, I have not had a chance to get around to watching them yet. Needless to say, the two Miike films I have seen did not prepare me for what I was about to encounter with 13 Assassins, Miike’s remake of the 1963 Eiichi Kudo’s film of the same name.

Set in Feudal Japan, the Shogun’s younger brother Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki) is causing havoc with his blatant abuse of power. As no one wants to disrespect the Shogun’s authority, Lord Naritsugu rapes and murders at will with no fear of punishment. Fearing the chaos that would ensue if Lord Naritsugu gained higher political power a senior political advisor secretly commissions an aging samurai, Shinzaemon (Kōji Yakusho), to assassinate the ruthless lord. Assembling a team of 11 other samurai, and picking up a hunter, Koyata (Yūsuke Iseya), along the way, Shinzaemon sets out to kill Lord Naritsugu. Yet this task proves much harder than anticipated as the 13 assassins soon realize that Lord Naritsugu’s armed escorts are not the 30 men they expected but in fact 200 men. One of the 200 includes Hanbei (Masachika Ichimura), an old sparring partner of Shinzaemon who is bound by duty to protect Lord Naritsugu at all costs.

13 Assassins will most likely be compared to Akira Kurosawa’s classic, Seven Samurai, yet it would be silly to dismiss it as a knock off. While Kurosawa’s influence is there, Miike delivers a unique action film that succeeds on its own merits. As mentioned earlier, the film builds up to the centre piece fight scene that goes on for almost an hour. It never feels dull or boring as Miike skillfully keeps his characters at the forefront of the action and the special effects in the background. Miike uses the special effects to aide in the storytelling but not as a crutch

One of the great things about 13 Assassins is how each of the 13 men have distinct personalities that are always present, even when engaging in battle with 200 soldiers. The acting in the film is very strong, especially in regards to Gorô Inagaki’s Lord Naritsugu. Inagaki is menacing in his portrayal of the evil leader, in fact Naritsugu easily makes my list of favourite film villains. What is so disturbing about the character is not the killing and mutilation he inflicts, but his childish glee in committing the various acts. Lord Naritsugu not only willing walks into traps just to see what fiendish things the assassins have planned for him, but he also seems at peace amidst all of the carnage during the major battle. He even remarks that the battle has inspired him to bring back the “age of war” which he believes would be fun.

13 Assassins is a film that delivers both an engaging story and a strong dose of action. It features rich characters that not only help to make the film one of the better action films to be released in some time, but also one of the best films to come out this year.

Movie Marketing Monday

The Three Musketeers

Is it just me? Or is this film trying really hard to cash in on the success of Pirates of the Caribbean. There is something about the look of the film that feels more like Pirates and less like Musketeers.




13 Assassins

Although already on demand in certain markets, Takashi Miike’s latest film hits theatres at the end of April. I tried to get tickets for this at last year’s TIFF, but the film sold out quickly. Needless to say this is high on my list of films to see in 2011

10 Films That Greatly Disturbed Me

10 Films That Greatly Disturbed Me

After watching Dogtooth last week, I got thinking about some of the films that have gotten under my skin over the years. While there are some disturbing films that I can watch over and over (i.e. A Clockwork Orange, etc.) there are some that I just have no desire to ever watch again (i.e. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc). Below is a list of films that have left an impression on me for better or worse.

Kids
I saw this film in my teens and the realism of it really hit me. I have watched this film a few times since then and can appreciate what director Larry Clark does with the film. Still I cannot shake the memory of my first encounter.

Twentynine Palms
I have never walked out of a film, especially one screened at a film festival, but I came very close with this one. After sitting through two-thirds of the film watching the main couple repeatedly have sex and get into arguments, the last act of the film focused on a random act of violence that is beyond words. To this day I still do not understand the significance of the violence in this film.

Straw Dogs
Although I think this film is brilliant, it still unnerves me every time I see it. One of the few films on the list where the violence, depending on your point of view, seem justified. However, this does not make this film easy to watch.

Irreversible
Gaspar Noé’s revenge tale is often talked about in relation to its unflinching nine minute depiction of rape. While that scene is indeed startling, I found the sequence of events that unfold at the gay bar equally hard to forget.

Bully
Similar to Kids, Bully is one of those films that stunned me because of its view on today’s youth. The fact that the story was based on true events made Bully even more unsettling. No surprise, Larry Clark was the director of this one as well.

The Hills Have Eyes
Considering the grotesque levels to which horror films go on an average day, it really takes a lot for a horror flick to bother me. Yet, The Hills Have Eyes remake went that extra mile. The rape scene in the RV was just too extreme in my opinion. There is so much that occurs in that moment that it took me weeks to get the imagery out of my head.

Gozu
This was my first introduction to the films of Takashi Miike. Now I have not seen either Audition or Ichi the Killer, two films that I hear are far more disturbing, yet Gozu makes the list for a birthing scene that is both strange and unsettling. Having only seen one other of his films, Sukiyaki Western Django, Miike is a director whose works I really need to catch up on.

Pink Flamingos
I usually enjoy John Waters’ films but Pink Flamingos is one of those films that you should not watch while eating. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. The film features some disgusting scenes that will cause many to lose their appetites. You will also never look at dog poop the same way again.

The Piano Teacher
Michael Haneke makes films that often get under people’s skin. Yet of all his films, I found The Piano Teacher to be the most disturbing. If you have problems stomaching scenes of self-mutilation than this film is probably not for you.

The Doom Generation
Although billed as a black comedy, the last act of this film is anything but comedic. The ending of the film features Neo-Nazis, multiple rapes, and mutilation. Needless to say this is not a film that one easily forgets.