[troggi]

"13 Assassins"

Saying that Takashi Miike makes good films is like saying that you would get wet if you went swimming!

Long after viewing the film certain scenes keep popping into your mind and demanding your attention. From the opening act of Sepuku to the joyous abandonment of the mountain guide at the end I was gripped. The atrocities of the "noble" lord, committed out of boredom, were all the motivation that Shinzaemon and his followers needed to risk everything to stop him from becoming too powerful a player in the Shogunate.

There are some small niggles, nothing is ever perfect is it? Sometimes the CGI became a little too noticeable detracting from the gritty realism of the movie, especially the running of the burning bulls and one of the explosions where a horse is thrown into the air. Characterisation is maybe a little too polarised in places. The character of the Lord himself was an example of this polarisation, too "nasty" to be true and too "pitiful" when dying at the end. These are but minor flaws in an awesome cinematic experience and are easily ignored. Another thing that struck me was that I could hear the sounds of battle rather too well! I then noticed that the music had receded and only returned in the quieter moments to highlight the brutality that had already gone by.

All in all a film that I shall, I believe, be returning to many times, 19/10 for blood, mud and sheer artistry. A winner by anyone's standards!