In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Monday 12 August 2013

13 Assassins (2010)

I'd seen the film compared to Akira Kurosawa, so I was extra excited to see for myself. Beyond the obvious Seven Samurai (1954) comparison there's also a definite Shakespearean element, which is something Kurosawa was fond of.
It's set during the final decades of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The assassins of the title must remove a bloodthirsty feudal lord from the throne or risk plunging Japan back into an era of war.
The first 75 minutes are some of the most focussed and well-crafted work I've ever seen from Miike. They really were superb, as was the acting.
I got weary during the 30+ minute fight that ends the film. I'd much rather have had the 15 minutes that were removed from the international version reinstated because some of them are crucial to a viewer's interpretation of the post-fight ending.

4 height advantages out of 5

2 comments:

cuckoo said...

I thought I Nutted this already. :confused:

Guess not....no sign of it.

Only saw the international version as well.

Loved the fight scene at the end.

Same score.

Dr Faustus said...

--SPOILER BELOW--

I think it's still supposed to be ambiguous but the deleted scenes shed some light on why that guy strolls up seemingly unharmed at the end. His mini sub plot was removed from the International Cut.