Koji Yakusho in 13 ASSASSINS, a Magnet Release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
You know what? 13 Assassins is probably the most straightforward film I’ve seen from Takashi Miike. I haven’t seen everything he’s done, so there might be something out there I’m missing that feels 100% like a normal human movie; but based on my limited sample I think this is the one. This is especially true since I know the genre he’s working in so well. It’s still a ridiculously violent, over-the-top exercise in watered steel and bloodshed. It’s just that’s common for the genre. He’s not really pushing any boundaries here in terms of violence.
And you know what? That’s fine.
This is a strong jidaigeki (samurai drama), taking hints and inspiration from many of the genre’s classics and building on it with some humor and creativity.
It’s also a remake, which certainly helps ground solidly in the genre.
Telling the story of (you guessed it) 13 samurai tasked with a secret assassination of a corrupt, sadistic lord, the film is basically broken into three pieces- there’s a recruitment effort where we meet all the members of the crew; there’s a set-up section where our heroes display creativity and ingenuity in setting up their plot; and finally we see the execution of the plan.
Yeah, it’s basically a caper film.
All of this stuff is really well put together. For starters, even with their limited screen time, a good chunk of the 13 assassins actually shine through as individuals. This is always a concern with a sprawling cast like this, but Miike does a really nice job with it here. They might be cartoons, but they’re individual cartoons. That makes a difference. The set-up section in the middle is thankfully brief and watchable.
And then there’s the finale. This whole film is really just an excuse for what seemed like an hour of mayhem at the end. It’s a bloody, wandering mess of a thing. Full of clever traps, bloody swordfights and more rock throwing than I’ve ever seen in a samurai film, the finale of this film is ample payoff for the setup.
Definitely worth your time if you’re a fan of the genre or have a curiosity about Miike’s work.
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