Samurai Marathon - I sicari dello shōgun

When the credits roll and the show is over, one feels like they have actually run through the beautiful landscapes of the Yamagata Prefecture, thanks to remarkable lights and a superb cinematography. With a balanced mix of humor, action and tragic moments, Bernard Rose has managed to release something personal, beyond the parody and tribute to the genre. The ensemble cast is superb, the young actors and the more experienced ones are all popular stars in Japan.

This was a good movie. And I mean good like the way movies made for people that don't exclusively watch martial arts movies are good, not good as in there was lots of abs and action so I enjoyed it. In fact, not much abs and minimal action, just a good film.

There were interesting characters, it was well shot and directed, the story was interesting. I really enjoyed it. I am a long distance runner though, so maybe that had something to do with my enjoyment.

I'm used to seeing Japanese movies which are way over-the-top and crazy. I'm thinking of Machine Girl, Prison School, Battle Royale, etc. But some of their movies are sort of a documentation of Japanese history and culture. This one was presented with both a sense of drama, and a sense of humor. This movie is high quality. I gave it only six stars; because I rate movies on how much I enjoyed them, not on their perceived quality. Seen on Tubi, the free streaming site.

I pretty much enjoyed this flick. It was a pretty simple story, bunch of ppl wanted to go on a healthy run, they all have their reasons, the local Lord wants everyone to be at peak physical condition after seeing the incoming westerners and their weapons, promises the winner a gift/request of their choice. Then drama. Especially that last half hour when the stakes get high and the direction gets intense. As a film its pretty engaging, as a Samurai film not like Blade of the Immortal level of swordplay, the characters feel pretty tragic and likeable. I give it my 9/10 because 6 is way too low, 8 is more accurate.

Partially based upon historical events, Bernard Rose's Samurai Marathon portrays how a Japanese lord sends his men on an exhausting run to get them prepared for a potential attack by Western forces after centuries of isolation. The movie follows different characters involved in the marathon such as a boy attempting to honour his father, a conflicted spy whose loyalty gets tested and a rebellious princess longing for freedom. The main plot revolves around a misunderstanding as the military dictator misunderstands the marathon as a rebellion and sends his assassins to murder the feudal lord.

The movie convinces on quite a few levels. The settings are chosen with care and bring feudal Japan to life in an authentic way that will please historians despite a few minor inaccuracies. The different characters have depth and make the story diversified. The plot includes a few interesting twists and turns. The final thirty minutes are intense and feature some realistic fighting scenes. The vibrant score is epic and enhances the movie's menacing atmosphere.

However, the film isn't without its flaws. The introduction to the different characters and settings takes half an hour which makes for a somewhat plodding start. There are no noteworthy action scenes until the sixty-sixth minute. Those who are expecting a gripping sword fighting movie might be disappointed. This movie is a surprisingly slow paced drama with some action elements in the final third. Especially the ending should have been more intense as the film rather fades out than ends with a bang.

In the end, Samurai Marathon is recommended to those interested in Japanese culture, history and traditions. The diversified characters and dynamic story make for a convincing drama. The movie however also has its lengths and fails to leave a deeper impression. It certainly disappoints if you have been expecting an action film from the misleading trailers. The movie recalls samurai movies from the fifties and sixties by Kurosawa Akira, Misumi Kenji and Uchida Tomu.