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Film: Versus
Release date: 30th June 2003
Certificate: 18
Running time: 120 mins
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura
Starring: Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, Kenji Matsuda, Yuichiro Arai
Genre: Action/Comedy/Fantasy/Horror
Studio: Tartan
Format: DVD
Country: USA/Japan
Versus was the film that made the world sit up and take a serious look at Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura. Now over ten years later, having had several re-releases with extra footage and even a US remake supposedly due for a 2010 release, is Versus still the internationally acclaimed gem that it would appear to be?
The opening scrawl explains that there are 666 portals on earth leading to the afterlife, one of which is found in Japan, and is called the ‘forest of resurrection’. The film then jumps to the present day, where Prisoner KSC2–303 and a fellow prisoner meet with a gang of Yakuza mobsters in the forest, after escaping police custody.
Following a disagreement, KSC2-303 flees the Yakuza with a mysterious woman that the mobsters had kidnapped. The gangsters run deep into the forest after the two of them but discover that the dead bodies of people they have killed and buried in the forest are coming back to life as zombies. The gang then furiously fight off the zombified hordes approaching them; losing most of their numbers in the onslaught.
KSC2-303 meanwhile has started to forget details of his life, and begins to experience flashbacks of events he hasn’t knowingly experienced. Matters become clear as he meets face to face with a mysterious man. This man turns out to be an arch rival of KSC2-303 from a past reincarnation, and seeks to use the woman to open the gates of hell and acquire a great power.
Now knowing that his destiny is to stop his nemesis, KSC2-303 vows to protect the girl and settle the age old rivalry once and for all…
Whilst Versus is primarily an action horror flick, there are also occasional comedic turns. These are relatively outrageous and self-conscious scenes that juxtapose the heavy premise and the gory aesthetic. Moreover, these don’t necessarily undermine the flow of the film. Much of the comedy is self-referential and parodying of generic elements in Far Eastern action films.
The gore used by Kitamura for many of the action and zombie scenes go to show he is a man who doesn’t wish to hold back on visceral horror and instead gives the audience the blunt imagery. As a result, there are people having huge holes blown through their body, bits of limbs being cut up, and guts flying ad nausea. Indeed, it is true to say that those who do not like blood will be looking through their fingers for much of the film. It is splatter core at its most visual.
What is probably the most enjoyable factor about Versus is that the plot is simple, but without lacking any narrative depth. The story of resurrection, reincarnation, sibling rivalry and love across spiritual worlds manages to squeeze its way in amongst the gun and swordplay, and this somehow feels right. Not many films manage to strike this balance successfully, however for Versus it just about works. This is also despite the movie being quite minimalist when it comes to dialogue, as, in most cases, actions speak louder than words. Occasionally this makes some scenes more interesting and poignant - this is beautifully displayed during a particular flashback sequence where emotion is created simply by facial expressions.
If there is one thing that comes across most with Versus, it is the overt stylistic comparison with the Matrix. This is probably no accident as the Matrix smashed box office records the year before Versus was released, and that in itself borrowed stylistic elements very heavily from Far Eastern cinema. However, in this case, the Matrix style effects are somewhat sent up. In one particular case, a man attempting to dodge a bullet in the style of Neo fails spectacularly and is blown to smithereens. It is also worth noting how many times KSC2-303 is referred to as ‘the one’ and, most notably, how he wears a very similar jacket to Neo’s.
Despite the fact that he is clearly modelled on Neo, Tak Sakaguichi manages to put in a fine performance as KSC2-303; portraying a character that is not as clear cut a hero as it would seem. Sakaguichi succeeds, despite the character being somewhat of an undesirable, in making the audience root for him and gives KSC2-303 an ice cool edge, as well as a fiery ruthlessness.
Versus is a film with many hidden depths, and is not simply the big loud action film it would appear to be on the surface. The somewhat deep story of rivalry and conflict crossing over many reincarnations successfully compliments the zombie splatter core, and makes for an engaging and entertaining two hours. Versus has ultimately stood the test of time, but it seems hard to imagine what could be improved upon should the US release actually happen. DJ
Film: Samurai Zombie
Release date: 19th July 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 86 mins
Director: Tak Sakaguchi
Starring: Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Issei Ishida, Tak Sakaguchi, Airi Nakajima, Shintarô Matsubara
Genre: Horror/Action/Comedy/Fantasy
Studio: MVM
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
George Santayana, the Spanish-American philosopher, once famously said that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Tak Sakaguchi, martial artist, stuntman, actor and now director, has a high standing for taking every opportunity as it comes. Samurai Zombie, his second film as director, shares the same aphorism as Santayana’s, so why, considering his rapid rise to success, did he deliberately choose an angry reanimated corpse with military nobility as his next step?
A happy family take a trip to the country when their vehicle is apprehended by a pair of bank-robbers intent on escape. Having already seen the criminals dispatch a stranger in front of them with merciless precision, they concede defeat and are lead to an abandoned village, picketed by a defunct samurai who hasn’t lost his talent for killing.
When the father is brutally murdered, the remaining family must join forces with the convicts, overcoming their differences if they are to defeat the zombie and ultimately win through…
Samurai Zombie is a splatter film with more in the way of plot than it has in blood, guts and bloodshed. Sadly, this isn’t a compliment, because it also lacks the former, too. Buoyed by an impressive performance by the young child actor playing Ryota, Samurai Zombie offers little in gore, action or originality. Opening with a bizarre and rather pointless scene in which a man talks to the camera about fate and how the audience will soon know what his is (he gets decapitated), Samurai Zombie is plagued by annoying characters that aren’t given the punishment they rightfully deserve (the guy obsessed with his own demise the only exception).
With all of its horrific, albeit briefly entertaining, activity suffocated by bloated and almost redundant scenes, the film feels like a pretty standard splatter movie for much of its running time with very little to say. Considering the team behind it delivered Versus, whilst providing valuable contributions to movies such as Tokyo Gore Police and Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl, you would expect a lot more, and that’s possibly the biggest criticism. Despite it only being Tak Sakaguchi’s second feature, it still feels like a step back in his career. Yes, a samurai zombie is a very good idea, but after watching the superior Norwegian splatter-fest Dead Snow, involving Nazi zombies, this effort seems rather tame and a missed opportunity.
To be fair, the first act offers an interesting opening. Empathy for the main family is quick in coming; a car journey in which the conversation questions fate and how the mother and father met, with its obvious and delightful consequences (the children), is executed to encourage a pleasant liking for all those sat in the car. Then the tyre explodes.
The vicious thugs that attack them for no reason, taking them hostage, are also welcoming, and the journey onwards to Eight Spears Village in order to swap vehicles adds intrigue and conflict (the male convict’s, played by Sakaguchi, interest in the young daughter a seedy highlight). Sadly, then it all goes terribly wrong. Having said that, the ghostly old hag warning them of their impending doom, the father who kills himself for no reason and the children who suddenly become psychic are thankfully interrupted by bank robber Lisa getting her fingers ripped off.
There’s also a twist ending that never quite works – its arrival is far too late to sustain any kind of interest. Therefore, the two police officers introduced during the second act, supposedly offering humour and back-story, deliver little other than a smirk-inducing scene involving guns and playground hilarity.
Visually, the locations work but the special effects reek of computers. This is fine when a scene focuses on the surreal; the swarm of bats and digit-dropping segment commendable, but relying on technology to supply the film with all of its blood is unforgivable. What’s wrong with pig’s blood or, dare I say it, red paint – is it really better to produce the image on a computer rather than use other traditional, and much more realistic techniques? As for samurai zombies, the only kick the audience gets is from the finale – less is certainly not more.
The leads do offer solid performances, and though the low budget proves obvious, at times, the film does offer moments for most to enjoy. Despairingly, there is maybe about twenty minutes of story (and that’s being generous), whilst even less is dedicated to characterization and plot, but a couple of set-pieces and an intriguing opening sequence keeps the viewer hoping for better things, and the ending at the very least offers something to make the journey worthwhile.
Sadly less than engaging after the opening gambit, Samurai Zombie is likely to be appreciated the most by seasoned splatter-horror buffs, whilst newcomers to the genre will be looking elsewhere for their gratuitous entertainment, wondering what all the fuss is about. DW
