13 Assassins

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Again, I'm super lazy so this is a cut/paste job from my movie journal.

13 Assassins


13 Assassins (2010)
Directed by Takashi Miike

Don’t read anything past this paragraph until you’ve watched the film. 13 Assassins is quite an achievement and, as long as you can stand lots of bloody violence, an extremely satisfying watch for all kinds of film fans. So, if you have access to Netflix streaming, go watch this film now and then continue reading. Go ahead, I can wait. I will talk about the entirety of this film in this blog post, so spoiler alert! You’ve been warned.
13 Assassins is a period film that is truly timeless in its themes and tone. In fact, I would dare to call it a modern classic. The film begins in 1830s Japan, as the time of Samurai was coming to an end. An act of public Hara-kiri sets into motion events that would eventually change the course of Japanese politics. But, make no mistake; this film is not a stuffy political snooze fest. It’s about men taking action.


Lord Naritsugu (Goro Inagaki), son of the former Shogun and younger brother to the current Shogun, is cruel, murderous and completely without empathy. He wreaks havoc on people of lower stature all across Japan, committing murder, rape, and all manner of crime. His political ties make him untouchable by the law, so his transgressions go unpunished. A group of aging samurai, led by Shinzaemon (Koji Yakusho), is hired to assassinate Naritsugu following the suicide at the beginning of the film. Their mission will not be easy because Naritsugu travels with a small army of bodyguards and Samurai of his own.
Shinzaemon gathers eleven willing warriors, including his nephew, Shinrouko (Takayuki Yamada), to take on the task of killing Naritsugu to put an end to his reign of terror. They make their way to a small village ahead of the traveling Lord, picking up a guide along the way who will become the 13th assassin in their group, where they pay off the villagers to set up traps and make the town the perfect place to fight against so many. Shinzaemon and his fellow hit men expect an army of seventy and wind up facing about two-hundred, and bloody battle ensues.

The face of evil.

The first half of 13 Assassins sets up the action of the second half, showing the cruelty of Naritsugu and the conviction of those willing to stop him. There is a simple undertone of good versus evil in the beginning half of the film as the honorable Samurai plan their moves and gather their forces. Naritsugu is the very essence of evil, raping and mutilating for his own amusement. He treats the common people of Japan as objects that exist for his pure amusement. Most of his crimes are committed off screen, but the viewer is left seeing the devastating results. Shinzaemon is very much an honorable man, believing that the Samurai should fight to protect the people that support the governing body. When he meets one of Naritsugu’s victims his conviction to the mission is set.
The second half of 13 Assassins is an hour long bloodbath as the 13 men take on Naritsugu’s army of bodyguards. It’s relentless, brutal and completely amazing. It’s a true spectacle of action film making, rarely relying on CGI. There’s more stunts and action choreography in this film than most made today, and every bit of it is top notch. However, the action isn’t ever played for fun or as “cool”. Its realistic violence, each death feels a tragic part of the violence surrounding Naritsugu’s life, especially the deaths of the 13 assassins.

"Kill the men that get past me."

From a technical stand point, 13 Assassins is one of the best action films I’ve seen in a long time. In a time when CGI stand-ins populate the screen alongside green screen explosions and big budget effects, it’s refreshing to see real people acting out well choreographed fights and stunts. The cinematography is astonishing. There's texture and layers to every frame of the film. You can feel the grit of the dirt and the sharpness of every blade. Every frame of the film is a feast for the eyes.
Naritsugu is a perfect construction of absolute power corrupting a person absolutely. His callous behavior is evil beyond comprehension, but it never feels false because of the life he has lead. No one has ever stood up to him or confronted him for the wicked things he has done. He is surrounded by people who never question him and allow his actions to continue because they are honor bound to protect him. This irony is a palpable subject in the film. Naritsugu’s head bodyguard, Hanbei (Masachika Ichimura), is a man who is completely committed to his position, despite the malevolence of his Lord. He never doubts his duty which makes him a perfect opponent for Shinzaemon.
The dynamic between Shinzaemon and Hanbei is powerful. One bound to his honor and sense of duty, the other to his support of the common people of Japan who are Naritsugu’s most tragic victims. When the pair finally face off the on screen chemistry is amazing. Their duel, while short in length, is simply epic.
When Naritsugu finally meets his fate, it is at once tragic and satisfying. He weeps and crawls and cries out that he doesn’t want to die. Seeing his fear after all the agony and death he has exacted on others is a sharp moment of catharsis, heightened by pity in the life he has lead. He thanks Shinzaemon for giving him the best day of his life, which is a reveal of his deep psychosis but also exposes the tragedy of his life. A life of luxury and privilege, of hearing tales of a time of war and violence that has passed, has made him into a pitiful beast of a man. He is the type of man who would kick the decapitated head of the man who gave his life to protect him, and his life is a very tragic existence.
Director Takashi Miike is one of Japan’s more prolific filmmakers, having made over 80 films in a career spanning about twenty years. Many of his films are made on a low budget and filmed over a short span of time. This is not true of 13 Assassins. It is beautifully shot and constructed and never feels as low budget as some of his other films.
Miike is one of my favorite directors, not because he consistently makes good films, but because he always makes interesting ones. I’ve watch Audition, the Dead or Alive trilogy, Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, Gozu, and Sukiyaki Western Django and I can honestly say that even the bad ones in that lot had interesting things to say. Audition has one of the single most frightening moments of any film I’ve ever seen. Miike is a true artist and 13 Assassins is one of his finest works. I can’t recommend it enough.
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Sit Ubu Sit.... Good Dog
13 Assassins is a great movie, I watched it about a while ago and really enjoyed it, starts slow setting the whole story but then the final battle is excellent and about half the movie.
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13 Assassins is a great movie, I watched it about a while ago and really enjoyed it, starts slow setting the whole story but then the final battle is excellent and about half the movie.
But even the slow set-up is compelling to watch. There's an undeniable tension about it since you know what the final goal could cost the protagonists. I loved every second of it!



If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission
One of the best movies I've seen this year.
Brilliant brilliant amazing badass brilliant.
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"If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion."
- Christopher Nolan



I think I started a thread about this when/before it was released. Anyway, it's good to hear more positives about it. I've still to see it, but it's certainly something I was looking forward to and still am.