Rating: 5/5
What is it about the Samurai that fascinates America? People buy samurai swords, have film festivals, and hell, the Oscar for best Foreign Film was created FOR a samurai movie (Musashi Miyamoto, 1956). Personally, I love samurai movies. The Japanese historical film, or Jigadeki, is my favorite genre. I am so glad Takashi Miike added 13 Assassins to this genre, it is really worth it.
The Shogun has adopted Naritsugu (Goro Inagaki) as his little brother, and plans to put him on his high council. As it turns out, Naritsugu is a depraved sadist who tortures and rapes on a whim. Rather than wait to see what would happen if Naritsugu was put on the high council, Lord Doi (Mikijo Hira) asks Shinzaemon (Koji Yakusho), an aging samurai, to gather 13 men and assassinate Naritsugu.
Everything about this movie is great. The acting is great, the cinematography is great, the writing and directing are great, and you bet the action is great. Takashi Miike proves that he can show restraint and make things violent, but tasteful, and every character is fleshed out wonderfully. The action choreography is some of the best and most realistic I've ever seen, and it all culminates in a completely mind-blowing 45 minute battle at the end.
13 Assassins really has the feeling of a classic samurai film. Everything about the way it's shot and composed is reminiscent of a Kurosawa or Ichikawa movie. I was really dragged into it, and I didn't want to leave, even after the movie was over. 13 Assassins is probably the best movie I've seen this year so far, and will definitely end up on my top 10. It's beautiful, engaging, disturbing, inspiring, and just wonderful in every way. I highly, HIGHLY recommend renting it on iTunes, or trying to find it in the theateres.
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