13 Assassins
A remake of a 1963 film by the neglected master Kudô Eiichi, 13 Assassins is on the face of it a traditional story of a group of obsolete samurai going out with a bang, as swordsman Shinzaemon Shimada (Yakusho Kôji) assembles a team of assassins to take out the murderous, sadistic – and thus potentially politically dangerous – Lord Naritsugu (Inagaki Goro).
(…) The prolific Japanese director Miike Takashi is never afraid to shock audiences. But the shock with 13 Assassins is that he has delivered a classical samurai movie worthy of Kurosawa. (...) Miike’s magisterial craftsmanship is beyond doubt as he sets up another complex study of violence and its implications.
(…) Within the classical construction of 13 Assassins, the ambivalence and complexity of Miike’s treatment of violence can be seen more clearly; despite the formal originality and versatility we expect from him, this film is more familiar and traditional in terms of its emotional impact. Of course, you could argue that Miike more than anyone has earned the right to do chambara (the swashbuckler genre) straight – he is, after all, also the man who made Izo (2004), the film that turned the samurai genre inside out for good.
Christoph Huber, Sight & Sound
Original title: Jüsan-Nin No Shikaku
Duration: 120 min
Dialogue: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Age limit: K15
