Review of 13 Assassins (2010) by Erno K — 13 Aug 2011

Hollywood would not have made this kind of samurai movie. And I say this as a good thing.

I love films where honor and revenge play a big part, so naturally I like samurai movies. This is one of the better ones I have seen. The intensity and bare bones approach in the conversation scenes had me grooving from the start. Just a few people in a dim room with one candle, discussing what to do next. Awesome.

The mood is grim, as it should be. Everyone expects to die, and most of them do. Fuck your life, the mission comes first. This is the way it should be. But some of the samurai could have been a bit smarter about it. You really don't HAVE to jump among 20 enemies if you have the high ground and some arrows. But fuck it, they are samurai and they must continuously act badass or their membership is revoked.

Of course there are two old rivals, who must do battle in the end to see who is the better swordsman, it would not be a proper movie without this dynamic. The outcome surprised me though, so that was refreshing.

The fights are a bit messy, but I have seen far worse, and they serve their purpose. At least there are lots of them. I think there might be an hour-long battle or something in the end. Some of the dudes are really proficient with their blades as well. After training with a sword myself, I can really see the skill of some of the main samurai. Insanely clean and fast cuts. Good stuff.

This is a genuine samurai flick, with all the pathos and philosophy that goes with it. There is also buckets of blood, which is always nice. Stupid fucking haircuts though.