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!!!

Kill! is an economically titled film that provides some great characters, a strong story, lots of well shot fights and some clever humour. I have to confess that most of the samurai films I've seen have put me to sleep - Kurosawa's work or the Zatoichi films being a happy exception. KILL! never once had me in danger of nodding off, keeping me entertained from start to finish.

I was reminded of Kurosawa's SANJURO quite a bit, and read afterwards that both films were based on the same novel. I'm not sure if there were multiple stories within that novel, or if one or both of the films are just very loosely based on it. Tatsuya Nakadai's ronin is certainly a similar character to Mifune's Sanjuro, perhaps a little more world-weary and sly, not so majestic. Nakadai is Mifune's only serious competition for the "God of Samurai Films" crown, having made a bunch over the course of his career. His performance in KILL! is the best I've seen from him.

The film is well lensed, written, directed and performed. The pacing rarely if ever lags, and the story focuses on the characters rather than getting bogged down in trying to accurately describe historical detail or tedious political intrigues. Action is exciting and the comedy is subtle, smart and dark... all making for a pleasing 114 minutes of cinema :) Recommended!

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.

Nothing prepared me for the laughter and all-around entertainment offered by this film. The writer, director and actors manage to have fun with icons of Japanese society (e.g., a card shark priest, an honest bureaucrat who has never visited a brothel, a noble peasant, etc.,) while maintaining a good pace with the swordplay and forward movement of the story line. Nakadai is brilliant as the "been there, done that" samurai, who reveals much of the story's insanity to us through whispered comments and observations. Viewers might need a scorecard to keep track of all the double-crossing and back-firing that takes places, but Kiru is tremendous fun from beginning to end. And it's the only movie I've seen with the ugliest chicken in the world serving as a leitmotiv.

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.