Rated: 15 (UK)
Release Date: 5th September 2011
Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada ,Yûsuke Iseya.
Takeshi Miike is a master of all genres. Here he channels his inner Kurosawa and tries his hand at a jidaigeki (period drama). For a while he seems to be succeeding magnificently. However, after an engrossing build up, 13 Assassins ceases to develop and becomes one giant action sequence that doesn’t quite pay off.
The story is simple; 12 Samurai are sent on a not so secret mission to kill a sadistic Lord. The first half shows the group coming together and being joined by a strange man they find in the woods. The second half has the 13 warriors in a 50-minute action sequence where they face the evil Lord and his minions. The first part is marvellous. We get to know each samurai while we hear and see the villain’s heinous actions. There is a sequence of magnificent scenes; mostly intimate and dialogue driven, although some feature some wonderfully inventive violence. The second half is one long action sequence which is far more fictional than the film that proceeds it; belonging more to a Conan film or one of the Lord of the Rings. Having set up believable and therefore very mortal protagonists we then see them kill literally hundreds of people in the heat of the final battle. This is not to say that there aren’t exciting moments in this confrontation; in the 50 minutes it lasts, at least 10 are truly inspired.
Takeshi Miike is one of the best directors working today and one of the most prolific, churning out around two films a year. Many of them are masterpieces, films such as the terrifying Audition, the exciting Dead or Alive or the simply bizarre The Happiness of the Katakuris. 13 Assassins is not amongst his best but still contains some of his great little touches. The scenes involving the villain are particularly memorable and shocking. Lord Naritsugu is a wonderfully sociopathic adversary, one who we want punished. This makes us care more for the 13 Assassins and their mission. The film also looks simply beautiful. The lighting is stunning, completely immersing us in mid 19th Century Japan. The top class costumes and sets complete the process. The action is well choreographed but does go on too long and is at odds with the realistic backdrop. We are meant to mourn when any of our heroes dies, but we are also a little relieved because it’s a signal that at last the action is coming to an end. This is unfair on the actors for they all give brilliant performances; subtle, tough and touching.
13 Assassins is set in a very interesting time, where there has been a long period of peace. The samurai are now people without a reason to exist and so relish the opportunity to fight. Their purpose is noble: to retain peace in the land. The evil Lord wants to return to a time of war because he feels it keeps people in their place and maintains the structure of society. This is therefore a story of the end of the samurai period and as such is a far more interesting take than that of The Last Samurai. It is a shame that the movie turns into nothing more than a tedious bloodbath.
13 Assassins is a film of two halves. One fascinating, the other an overlong action set piece. This is still a very watchable movie with some wonderful touches and fantastic production values. An interesting yet ultimately unbalanced film.
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