Samouraï Réincarnation

Maybe I'm strange, but I thought this was the best movie I have ever seen. It seems long, but short too, as you watch it. And maybe, to us Americans, the kabuki style make-up is slightly KISS-like. Still, it was beautiful and thoughtful. I can't even begin to describe the plot. Think Charles Dickens crossed with H.P. Lovecraft. Anyway, here's what I think may have happened... an extremely good-looking Japanese Christian denounces his faith in the beginning, bitter about the whole Shogan clan system and all his friends being killed. He becomes an eternal satanic warlock, who is able to raise other disgruntled spirits from the dead. Over time they get up a group of undead who plan to topple the government. (Not, perhaps without some justification, but remember, they are evil.)

On the other side, a one-eyed, fabulously talented swordsman. He's more of a Buddhist, not so interested in eternal vengeance and all. He goes to the most evil swordsman in Japan, and asks him to make him a sword, because only a creature of evil can create a sword that can kill evil ghosts, (or gods). There are many wonderful scenes besides the sword making one. (The swordmaker gives his all and dies.) The Shogun lord is enamoured of one of the undead group, (she's very lovely). I think this may have been his ex-wife whom he had murdered. When the royal court goes out hunting (with beaters dressed in black and white french prisoner costumes???), as the villagers flee before them she says "Oh look, there's a nice deer to shoot", (or something to that effect, and all the courtiers and eventually the prince, begin shooting the villagers with arrows, sort of a mass hallucination). They tie them up on stakes, still thinking they are deer. It was all very surreal. If you like excellent sword fights, good mob scenes, nice nature scenery, and theological conflict, this movie has it all and more. You MUST see it. Oh, and it all ends in flames. Lots and lots of flames. A must see for pyromaniacs as well.

While Makai Tensho cannot be mistaken for masterpiece film-making, it is definitely a fun-ride for those in love with Samurai movies. The cast is filled with a veritable who's-who of Japanese cinema, including such luminaries as Ken Ogata, Soony Chiba, Tetsuro Tamba. It is also very gratifying to see the venerable Tomisaburo Wakayama (star of the 70's epic Lone Wolf and Cub series), still slicing and dicing with the best of them.

The film has some incredible action set pieces, including a stunning showdown in a burning castle. Some of the effects and costumes are a little over-the-top, but the actors seem to be having so much fun, and the direction is so fast paced, that you just can't help but be swept up into the pulp fantasy. Makai Tensho is a gem in modern samurai films.

I recently viewed a subtitled version of Makai Tensho: Samurai Reincarnation from my video store. I had previously viewed the dubbed version a few times throughout the years and found the movie to be strangely appealing but also confusing and the dubbed dialog rather silly. Characters would suddenly disappear or appear without any explanation and the plot seemed somewhat incoherent. The subtitled version appears to have more footage, which helps explain the story much more clearly and the movie appears much more sophisticated. In the subtitled version, the subtlety of the acting is quite good. For example, the acting of Kenji Sawada as the Christian Shiro appeared almost ridiculous and over the top in the dubbed version, but hearing it in Japanese with subtitles, it had much more subtlety and created a much more complex character. There are many good and familiar actors (to those familiar with this genre)who give good performances from Sonny Chiba as Jubei Yagyu to Tomisaburo Wakayama as the elder Yagyu, who is famed for his character in the Lone Wolf and Cub series. Don't judge this movie, until you have the opportunity to view the subtitled version!

I thought at first this was filmed for the asian TV market because of the obvious set design and film quality at the beginning(reminiscent of Dark Shadows). However, the film slowly builds in pace and scope until it's climax: a duel in an inferno, the burning remains of the mansion of the shogun. It is easily up to the par of the low budget asian action movies of the period. The mythology of the film is quite interesting, both in the time period it is placed and the characters that are included. The samurai that Toshiro Mifune brought to western audiences, Musashi Miyamoto, plays a key part. The only significant flaw to this film is the previously mentioned dub. Not only are the voices not timed properly but almost all the voice actors are VERY poorly chosen and seemingly refuse to emote with their characters. There are some moments with dramatic overacting but anyone seeking information on a film titled Samurai Reincarnation shouldn't be seeking subtlety. Also of note, many of the key players of this film including Sonny Chiba and the Director himself were involved in the film The Legend of the Eight Samurai, a film much like this one with similar qualities and flaws(including the dub).

SAMURAI REINCARNATION is a visual tour de force from action master Kinji Fukasaku. From the very first scene in which 37,000 people are massacred and the camera pans over a wasteland populated by severed heads, you know you're going to be in for a real treat with this one. I've found Japanese period films made around the late '70s and early '80s to be real masterpieces in terms of set design and cinematography and SAMURAI REINCARNATION carries on that trend.

The plot is slow moving but this is a film that rewards close viewing so it doesn't matter. After his people are massacred by a cruel Shogun, a Christian is reincarnated as a devil and goes around collecting famous dead people, bringing them back to life so that they can slaughter the living. Only one man can stop them: Jubei Yagyu, a one-eyed pirate-looking dude played by genre star player Sonny Chiba at the top of his game.

As a samurai film, this has plenty of dramatic action scenes to recommend it, and they're all of the classic variety; a duel on a beach is a highlight, but the real wowzer is an extensive fight in a burning building. You've never seen fire burning like this before and the fight scene is incredible, as well as looking incredibly dangerous for the actors involved. Alongside Chiba, we get a supporting turn from Hiroyuki Sanada, playing a role that's a bit different to his usual heroic stuff, and there's even a pivotal part for LONE WOLF & CUB star Tomisaburo Wakayama. SAMURAI REINCARNATION is a film possessed of a dark and brooding atmosphere throughout; it's a grim, haunting, and visceral tale, and completely oppressive too. In fact, it might well be one of the moodiest Japanese films of the 1980s.