Review by Justin Bateman
Stars Kôji Yakusho, Hikari Mitsushima, Naoto Takenaka, Eita, Kazuki Namioka, Ebizô Ichikawa, Munetaka Aoki, Hirofumi Arai, Baijaku Nakamura, Takashi Sasano
Written by Kikumi Yamagishi
Certification UK 18
Runtime 126 minutes
Directed by Takashi Miike
After 13 Assassins, a swashbuckling, action-packed swordfest, comes an entirely different kind of samurai story from Takashi Miike. Once again it’s a time of peace in 17th century Japan and as a result the samurai, or ronin, are out of work, desperately trying to make a living to feed their families. But times are tough and some samurai are resorting to ‘suicide bluffs’. They approach a samurai house declaring a wish to die like a warrior in a well-regarded place but actually hope to be talked out of it and given some money to leave.
The House of Ii has been conned one time too many and decides to make an example of Motome (Eita) who may or may not be genuinely wishing to commit suicide. The story then goes back in time to show how the young samurai came to be in the situation in which he finds himself.
As the title implies, there are also some (literally) gut-wrenching scenes which are not for the squeamish but are an intrinsic part of the story. But in fact, this isn't the only thing that makes the film a tough watch. Almost unrelentlessly grim, both in tone and look – the 3D is largely pointless and serves only to make a dark film even darker – the poverty and desperation facing the protagonists is palpable and hard to endure. Having said that, it’s also painfully engrossing.
The central theme is honour. Unable to make a living, a warrior believes that honour is kept by dying by his own hand. The members of the House of Ii have strong beliefs of their own about honour and begging for money does not fit into this philosophy. But does ignoring the plight of a fellow samurai strengthen or weaken their beliefs?
This is a slow, thoughtful and emotionally affecting piece of cinema, as ever beautifully shot and presented by Miike. Distressing and depressing as this is, Death of a Samurai won't be for everyone but is undoubtedly powerful and well-made.