Kiru

Before watching Kiru "Kill!" see SEven SAmurai, Hidden Fortress, Sanjuro, Yojimbo and the awesome SWORD OF DOOM then you will catch all of the inside jokes and truly appreciate this masterful parody. The humor in this movie is conveyed elegantly. For example the director of "Kiru," Okamoto, who also directed Sword of Doom, included a stone Buddha atop of the hill overlooking the desolate town setting of the movie in reference to "Daibosatsu Toge" which means "Great Buddha Pass" (the Japanese title for Sword of Doom). Okay that wasn't the best example, but can you imagine henchmen screaming EXTRA loud when they are butchered? Or how about a grimy farmer turning away a cute girl he calls a "powdered monster!" Amidst the exaggerated dust storms, references to the value of rice, mountain treks and the trouble 7 "children" or samurai cause when planning a conspiracy is a trio of heroes: a farmer who yearns to be a samurai, the last henchmen of an annihilated gang, and a vagabond (rather than a dashing ronin) played by Tatsuya Nakadai. Yes, there are staring duels, flying daggers, great fight scenes with wooden swords but lastly a showdown that is NOT in the middle of a ghost town or rolling field but in a tiny room. This film is for the fans!!!

As films like 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' serve as anti-Westerns because of their morally ambivalent characters who fly in the face of traditional good guy/bad guy roles, it seems to me that 'Kill!' serves as an anti-samurai film of sorts. There are few signs of a code of honor to be found here, and the samurai (or would-be samurai) fight instead out of some personal motivation, like hunger or ego. One of them (Tatsuya Nakadai) is actually an ex-samurai, and he regularly cautions another man (Etsushi Takahashi) against taking up the profession.

I liked that aspect of it, but what stopped me from liking it as a whole was how messy and confusing the story was. That may have been the point, that it's all helter-skelter and you have different clans killing one another for reasons they (and the viewer) aren't completely sure of, with powerful men in the background quietly pulling the strings, but I think that could have been illustrated in a more satisfying way. The film blends together so many elements, parodying famous samurai films like Sanjuro and Yojimbo, getting in battle scenes of its own, and including some comedy, the more humorous moments of which take place in a brothel. I would have liked it more if it had been a fully comedy or a full revisionist samurai film with a better plot, but as it was, it ended up in a weird middle ground for me. Anyway, it's a wild ride and I'm sure more suitable for connoisseurs of the genre, but it was a little too messy for me, and I probably missed some of its references.

Seven young samurai kill a corrupt local magistrate on the orders of their clan's chamberlain, Ayuzawa, believing that doing their duty for the honor of their clan. But when they discover that Ayuzawa was only using them, and that now he's set on cleaning house, their only hope my lie with enigmatic drifter Genta and strong bodied, thick headed ex-farmer Tabata. Assuming they don't get killed first. Thus begins Kihachi Okamoto's Kill! Based on the same novel as Kurosawa's Sanjuro, Kill! weaves a tale filled with twists, betrayals, and death that is steeped in the samurai ethos of honor and duty. But this is no brooding drama or tragedy; it's a slick action comedy.

The central story is a compelling one, pitting the courage and youthful idealism of the seven against the callous deceptions of Ayuzawa. These are men who despite their inexperience and naiveté are committed to their cause and fully prepared to die for it if need be. But although they may not be fools or cowards, neither are they hardened warriors, accustomed to a life on the run. When things are down, they fight, they get scared, they make mistakes, but they manage to pull it together. And although I couldn't keep their names strait, each of them have been developed with their own personalities and character traits.

The most interesting character by far though is Genta He's an outsider, a vagrant. He's got no connection to the seven, no reason to get involved. Yet from the moment he meets them commits himself to their cause and repeatedly risks his life to aid them. And believe me, there is no better man to have on your side. In battle, he possesses the power of a raging storm and the grace of a dancer, easily cutting down half a dozen opponents. Even more formidable is his cunning and charisma, which allow him to pit enemies against each other and undermine them from within.

Genta remains something of an enigma for most of the film. We learn early on that he used to be a samurai, and that he had a falling out with his former master. But almost until the end we receive only oblique hints as to what lies in his past, and what motivates his actions now. It's clear however that he holds no regard for his former profession. For him, it's not the title or rank that matters, but the kind of man you are.

His sometimes ally Tabata is the main source of comic relief. His stubbornness, earnestness and all around cluelessness are worth more than a few chuckles, and remind me just a bit of the peasants from The Hidden Fortress. His early fight scenes are among the funniest parts, as he tries his hardest to strike down a foe who nonchalantly comments on his technique while dodging his clumsy blows. I also enjoyed the bit involving the chicken, but the part that evoked the most laughs would have to be the frantic brothel scene, which is not nearly as risqué as it sounds.

Kill! is not only a lot of fun and quite funny, but also surprisingly deep, sometimes poignant, and possesses a clear message about what it truly means to be honorable. It is a credit to its genre, and one hell of an action flick.

Both the strength and the major weakness of Kiru! is that it refuses to take itself too serious. Although there are some notable moments where Okamoto goes for the dramatic angle (the squad leader whose wife works in the brothel facing off with Tatsuya Nakadai's character for one) and does it well, he keeps sabotaging his own movie. In that aspect, Kiru is definitely not a formal jidai-geki but more of a light-hearted samurai action film.

Kihachi Okamoto might not be well known outside chambara circles, but he's one of the best in the genre and definitely at the top of his game directing action. Fresh from the devastating Sword of Doom (his magnum opus and one of Japanese cinema's finest moments), he brings a fresh, wild approach to his action. Less stylized and formal but more energetic. In terms of samurai cinema, the movie opens in a rundown little village and with the dust and winds blowing the whole setup is eerily reminiscent of Yojimbo setting. The plot is a crossover of sorts between Kurosawa's Sanjuro movies and the themes Eiichi Kudo explored in his Samurai Revolution trilogy (samurais ambushing and assassinating a daimyo for the honour of their clan etc). It may seem a bit convoluted and off-putting to the uninitiated, but that's typical in films of this kind.

With regards to the comedy angle, while Kiru is a light-hearted fare, it's definitely not laugh-out-loud funny. A lot is lost in the translation I guess, but sometimes the comedic timing of Tatsuya Nakadai as the cunning, sly yakuza (a welcome change from the tortured soul characters he played in the 60's) and Etsushi Takahashi as the overzealous farmer with samurai ambitions shine through.

This is an excellent Japanese action picture just chock full for fighting, killing and samurai stuff. That's fine with me, as I like that sort of film a lot. However, I don't particularly remember the film being THAT funny and it is certainly not a comedy. I am writing this because based on some of the other reviews, I person might assume that to be the case. Action--YES. Comedy--NOPE.

However, I could see the parallel between this movie and the Zatoichi series. Our hero, Ichi, is always looking to help the little guy in trouble and he, too, did bad early in life and is always striving to undo this through good works (like the lead in KILL).