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Bookmark this page13 Assassins (2010)
Director: Takashi Miike
Synopsis
A romping Samurai epic in the spirit of Akira Kurosawa.
Movie review
From Time Out London
Likely to tan the high-concept hides of every Hollywood action flick this year, this majestically violent film from ultra-prolific Japanese maestro Takashi Miike is probably the closest modern cinema has come to Akira Kurosawa’s mud-and-blood-caked Samurai showdowns.The first hour is a pure, slowburn tease. One plot strain demonstrates the outlandish barbarism of a feudal lord, while another has a select unit of fighters hatching a grand plan to take him down. The film is built as a long crescendo, opening at a level of considered, Zen-like reflection and ending with a prolonged cacophony of elaborate, town-wide annihilation.
There are occasional dashes of CGI for elements that couldn’t be staged for the camera (cue rampaging herds of burning bulls), but Miike’s film is all the more triumphant for offering elaborate, tangible sets, elegant period attire, hardboiled dialogue and rolling oceans of glorious, rosy red blood. Pure joy.
Author: David Jenkins
Time Out London Issue 2124 - 5-11 May 2011
User reviews of this film
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- Andrew said...
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Posted on Feb 13 2012 14:22
It seems the film has the merit of pleasing some, though I for one definitely did not get its brilliance. The bad guy is simply a maniac, and aside from his lieutenant no one in his army has a character, they are just interchangeable figures who fall silently when mortally wounded (goodies die more slowly, but always bravely). The comic inserts were poor slapstick that didn't fit in. It's like we've made no progress since the westerns of the 1950s.
Perhaps TO should have a committee to OK five star ratings, so you don't collectively make fools of yourselves. - Report as inappropriate
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- To think, I was cnofuesd said...
- Posted on Jan 21 2012 10:27 To think, I was cnofuesd a minute ago.
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- Robert Thornton said...
- Posted on Aug 15 2011 08:21 Same old, same old. 5 * hardly. Last hour was endlessly boring.
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- Rohne hill said...
- Posted on Jul 19 2011 21:06 Has anyone seen the original 1962 (Was it?) film?
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- Rohne Hill said...
- Posted on Jul 19 2011 20:56 But again, good fun.
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- Rohne hill said...
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Posted on Jul 19 2011 20:54
Good fun but nowhere close to the majesty of Seven Samurai, with personally more than just a nod happening there, or the work of Kurosawa in general.
Overall I didn't find it to be well characterised as the material or film structure demanded it to be, look what something like The Dirty Dozen achieved with similar narrative requisites.
The usual, although less of them, Miike Takeshi flourishes really helped here, but as always they're both amusing and disposable.
The political backdrop was effectively conveyed but this isn't a 5 star film or the work of a real Master. - Report as inappropriate
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- Phil Ince said...
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Posted on Jul 04 2011 20:44
>>this list of comments by what seems to be mostly a bunch of illiterate commentators, whose main prejudice seems to be that the film is 'Japanese' <<
Gitface, from nice Phil: I've tidied up your error of grammar here so that you'll look a bit less of a tit. Best. - Report as inappropriate
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- Ghidera said...
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Posted on Jun 01 2011 23:49
Phil Incidental.
Stick to your Guy Richie movies and your Daily Mirror leave the complicated stuff to those that can read. - Report as inappropriate
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- Phil Ince said...
- Posted on Jun 01 2011 22:23 Your day will come, clitslop. Just keep plugging away.
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- Ppl like you get all the said...
- Posted on Jun 01 2011 01:36 Ppl like you get all the barnis. I just get to say thanks for he answer.
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- Phil ince said...
- Posted on Jun 01 2011 01:13 No offence, by the way. (Surely the pointless bastard won't swallow THAT, will he?).
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- Phil Ince said...
- Posted on Jun 01 2011 01:11 Gitface (whatever your name is) you're talking shite. If you can't tell the difference between this bollocks and good Kurosawa you're either dead or mad, have no discrimination or think you've seen Kurosawa when you were really watching Monkey. This is a clumsy, b-movie fantasy and your posts are cock.
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- Tom said...
- Posted on May 31 2011 10:12 I don't think that saying I have seen Seven Samurai is 'spouting off my cinema cv'. It is simply stating that I have seen the classic film from which this one clearly draws a lot of inspiration and many people have commented on the parallels. And if you think the ending of Seven Samurai had the superhuman exploits seen in 13 Assassins, you are mistaken. I do agree that this film was a nod in the direction of Seven Samurai, but just think it was a very disappointing nod and could have been a lot better.
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- ghidera said...
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Posted on May 31 2011 00:30
"The climatic battle scene I felt decended into a farce of individual superhuman samurais single handedly defeating hoards of enemies before eventually being killed in melodramatic ways".
Is that not how most samurai battle scenes end? I did not refer to your review when I mentioned the negativism prevalent on this page. There are people out there who like this film and some of those people have seen the 7 Samurai too! (as well as countless other movies of the same genre) So there's no need to spout off your film cv in order to substantiate your point, is there? In essence, I understand how you feel, but I believe this film is merely a nod in the direction of The Seven Samurai and should be taken as such. - Report as inappropriate
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- Tom said...
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Posted on May 30 2011 15:42
I think that Ghiders should read other people's comments before dismissing them as philistines. It should be clear from my earlier post (8th May), that I enjoy the genre and am familiar with this type of film. Let me be clear - I went to this film thinking I would love it. I went with my brother and we both really enjoy Japanese cinema and culture, particularly samurais. We both really disappointed.
Regarding Ghiders 'subtitles' comment - only two comments actually mentioned them and both were not having a go at subtitles per se, but wondering about the accuracy of the vernacular translations.
Great costumes and sets, but a pale shadow of anything Kurosawa produced. - Report as inappropriate
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