Film: Shogun Assassin
Release date: 29th November 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 85 mins
Director: Robert Houston
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Oki, Akiji Kobayashi, Shin Kishida
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Studio: Eureka!
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Japan/USA
After the long running success of the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series, Shogun Assassin marks the cinematic opening chapter of this tale of a samurai warrior and his infant son taking bloody revenge against an evil Shogun. Daddy Day Care this is not.
The old Shogun becomes paranoid about being overthrown by his soldiers, so orders assassins to kill Ogami Itto; one of his best samurai warriors.
Whilst Ogami - and his young son, Deigoro - manages to survive the attack, his wife is killed. Brutally striking down the rest of the assassins who come after him; Ogami vows revenge on the Shogun and sets off on the road to destroy his enemy, bringing little Deigoro with him in a wooden baby cart.
Ogami and Deigoro wander the land, the samurai taking assassination jobs for money along the way, whilst constantly fighting off the Shogun’s ninja...
Whilst a film of this genre trades heavily on its gore and violent content – the film was previously banned – the violence is rather run of the mill. Yes there is blood, guts and people’s limbs flying here and there but it’s all really been done before in Japanese thrillers similar to this – and, crucially, better than this.
Thankfully, the film just about saves itself by having more depth to it than just than being another hack and slash revenge thriller. Instead, the story focuses heavily on the themes of revenge, damnation and the bond between parent and child. Maternity and paternity are some of the strongest themes running throughout this film, and it is from the latter that Ogami gains much of his power. The task of protecting Deigoro creates a focused demeanour for the protagonist, and also a sense of loose purpose, besides seeking revenge on the Shogun. However, maternal instincts are strongly portrayed. A fine example is shown as a master female ninja relinquishes her attack on the duo when Deigoro’s life is placed in danger. Despite facing death for failing to kill Ogami and Deigoro, she cannot bring herself to end the young boy’s life.
Kenji Misumi, the director, also does well to make some of the scenes sublimely atmospheric. This is achieved from interesting directorial tricks, such as framing characters against spectacular background visuals or using close up shots of the characters’ eyes to create insightful gazes into the minds of the key players. Misumi also uses the scenery and the mise-en- scène to create extra emphasis, such as displaying shots of cut bamboo lacerated by Ogami’s sword as he kills one of the shogun’s soldiers.
Whilst the cinematography is well realised, the narrative path suffers from a lack of direction. The story, at times, feels aimless, and seems to have no point to it aside from documenting the torture and betrayal felt by Ogami and his son, as well to show as how they are struggling to survive on a daily basis. Whilst this is interesting, it is not as exciting as the hype surrounding the film would suggest. Additionally, a few sub plots are added on, but ultimately the film doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere until it is long past the midway point. It is possible the pointlessness of the plot symbolises Ogami’s own sense of pointlessness in life, after having his world torn apart. Unfortunately, if true, this doesn’t make for good entertainment.
Some moments do compensate for the brooding gaps in Shogun Assassin’s plot but these, by contrast, are incredibly silly and absurd. Luckily, these don’t detract from the enjoyment of the more serious scenes - Deigoro operating booby traps from his cart, ejecting knives into the enemies attacking him, or when ninja assassins start firing bladed parsnips at Ogami.
Whilst Shogun Assassin is no epic yarn, it is mightily enjoyable. The premise is refreshingly different to other samurai films in that Deigoro actually assists his father, despite his very young age. This film manages to strike a good balance between humour and drama, whilst keeping the action compelling enough to follow. Also the idea that Deigoro and his father are actually damned by their outlaw status adds a sense of tragedy to the proceedings. DJ
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