Hola all. Massawyrm here.
Takashi Miike is something of a legend, especially around these parts. While still completely unknown to the average filmgoer, Miike is the directorial equivalent of a pulp writer, churning out film after film with an almost factory-like precision. In the past decade alone he’s worked on over 40 projects. Unfortunately, in true pulp fashion, only a fraction of those have been good enough to receive widespread notice. Those that have received notice have been more than worthy of it; his films ICHI THE KILLER, AUDITION, YATTERMAN, VISITOR Q, SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, ONE MISSED CALL and his addition to THREE EXTREMES are all notable works. Known for his outlandish style, queer sense of humor and the ability to disturb even the most unflappable of viewers, Miike excels at unique filmmaking with a voice completely unlike any other. But if you were to ask a dozen film buffs what the pinnacle of Miike’s career would be, odds are you’d get a dozen different answers. Until now.
13 ASSASSINS is hands down the single best film Miike has ever made. His career casts a wide net, ranging from the serious to the weird to the downright messed-up, and this film is everything he does well put into one, perfectly assembled, absolutely flawless film. Anyone who thought they had Miike figured out has to completely re-examine his career. This is his masterpiece, the CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON of samurai films that not only serves as the best movie he’s ever made, but as one of the best movies ever made in the sub-genre. You might be expecting a Miike samurai film to be good; but transcendent? This isn’t just good; this is best of the year good, easily my favorite film of this year’s Fantastic Fest.
It is the time of the Shogun; a time of peace. The samurai grow fat and lazy, without many chances to sharpen their skills against real opponents. Some are hungry to kill, others are just despondent that they may never be offered the opportunity to live out their purpose and die for their lords. When a particularly diabolical and gleefully psychotic lord is about to move into a position of power that could throw Japan into chaos, a single samurai is charged with assembling a team of assassins to kill him in neutral territory. And while he finds a handful of overeager assassins, how can a team of 13 trained killers bring down a man surrounded by 200? Thus begins the journey of a movie that is part SEVEN SAMURAI, part THE DIRTY DOZEN and pays homage to more samurai films than most people can name.
Everything here is everything Miike does well – this time done with an unexpected level of restraint, class and charm. Are there moments of pure, delicious insanity? Yes. Are there a handful of scenes likely to disturb? Sure. But Miike never goes over the top; he never loses control; he never lets the film get silly or out of hand. This isn’t the SHOGUN ASSASSIN style of samurai film, with gushing gouts of gallons of blood; it is steady, sure and delivers the type of blood-soaked, classic adventure that we would hope to see out of Kurosawa were he still around and making films today.
The difference between theft and homage is the balance of the deficit left at the end of a film. If a film borrows and gives nothing back, it is theft. If it borrows, improves and builds upon the ideas, it is homage. This is the latter. 13 ASSASSINS wears its influences on its sleeve. Rabid film fans will recognize a number of places where Miike draws from. But every time it gives back, it does so in new and different ways. The 13th Assassin is not entirely unlike Kurasawa’s 7th Samurai, and yet his story and character are radically different enough to consider it a strong departure from it and the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN or BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS versions of the character. Likewise, the film involves an elaborate preparation of an ambush that mimics SEVEN SAMURAI quite a bit, but it takes it to a whole new level, achieving heights the likes of which you have never seen in a film like this, and makes Kurasawa’s traps look meager and uninspired by comparison.
Loaded and overflowing with great performances, wonderful characters and rich emotional story, if the film has one thing that will be perceived as a flaw, it is that it takes its time to develop everything slowly in the beginning. Some may be put off by the methodical nature of the set-up. But everything that the film offers up in the beginning pays off big in the end. The third act is one of the craziest, boldest and stunning Shogun-era battle sequences ever set to film. And as everything comes together in a sanguine frenzy, you find yourself completely invested in the lives of these thirteen men as they stare down the odds and offer up the one thing they have to offer their lord.
This is a film that offers decapitations, but doesn’t revel in the gore of them; it offers up comedy, but only to counter the heaviness of its story; it offers up tragedy, but never gets maudlin. It is a truly perfect film, something that blew me away and I can’t wait to see again and again once it hits theaters. Incredibly effective, this is the film that could make Miike a household name here in the states and is the first Asian epic in a long time with a real chance of breaking into the mainstream. I cannot stress how much I love this film. It is everything we love about men-on-a-mission movies, samurai films and Miike, all rolled into one, breathtaking experience. See this early, see this often and delight in one of the greatest films you will see all year.
Until next time friends,
Massawyrm
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