REVIEW: Cinema Release: 13 Assassins

Film: 13 Assassins
Year of production: 2010
UK Release date: 6th May 2011
Distributor: Artificial Eye
Certificate: 15
Running time: 141 mins
Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura
Genre: Action/Drama
Format: Cinema
Country of Production: Japan/UK
Language: Japanese

Takeshi Miike has become one of Japan’s most notorious directors because of his penchant for excessive violence and taboo imagery. Miike’s recent remake of the little known 1963 film of the same name sees him exploring the vast landscape of the Edo period and the traditional way of the samurai…but some things never change.

Lord Naritsugu, brother of an unnamed shogun, has a preoccupation for violent outbursts of rape and murder as a cure for his boredom. With the shogun in poor health, Naritsugu is next in line for the position. If he gains control, Naritsugu dreams to return the country into war torn anarchy. When questioned, he silences any who oppose him through his trademark excessive violence.

As Nagitsugu and his actions are protected by his family ties, Sir Doi secretly contacts master samurai Shinzaemon. Shinzaemon is given the task of bringing together a group of assassins to exterminate Naritsugu and stop his sadistic actions forcing the state back into violence and war. Shinzaemon enlists a rag-tag bunch of novices, playboys, aging warriors and friends to form the group of thirteen deadly assassins.

As Lord Naritsugu and his army begin their epic journey to join the shogun council, the assassins lay in wait to instrument the attack. The final epic showdown is a rain soaked battle between the assassisns and Lord Naritsugu’s army in which both sides know only one can be victorious...


Due to the historical subject, the themes and the overall narrative of the film, there are obvious comparisons to Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Elements such as the comic rogue character and recruitment of a small band of warriors are two factors that highlight these comparisons. However, these aspects should not overshadow Miike’s feature and the film should be read more as a tribute to the text rather than a remake.

13 Assassins has a very distinctive style which is polished and much glossier than much of Miike’s work. The subdued tones help to submerge the film in its historical setting, shrouding the film in sepia and blue hues. The suicide ritual of hari-kari is also depicted thoughtfully and accurately. Here, we see Miike opting away from an obvious moment of excessive violence, conveying his respect for the tradition and also his evolution as a director with a ‘less is more’ approach.

Honour, the way of the samurai and traditional morals are key. Miike constructs and explores these themes with great sensitivity to their cultural and historical significance. This results in the first half of the film following a historical trajectory, an aspect that is still present, but somewhat muted within the second half of the feature, due to the focus shifting to the epic final battle.

For those looking for Miike’s trademark use of violent extremity, you won’t be disappointed. The bloody and prolonged final battle contains much of Miike’s wicked hyper violence, where blood and appendages fly, caking the screen and the protagonists in litres of blood. The final battle runs for around half the feature - once it begins, it never lets up. The battle takes place in a reinforced and booby-trapped village. This sounds like it will be a logistical nightmare; however, Miike manages to navigate the battlefield with uncharacteristic restraint (surprising when reviewing the blood soaked showdowns in Ichi The Killer and the high octane opening of Dead Or Alive), allowing the plot not to be lost underneath the mounting piles of corpses.

The performances within the film are noteworthy with each character playing their (stereotyped) roles excellently. Miike runs with the stereotypes with standout performances from Gorô Inagaki as the sadistical tyrant Naritsugu and the poor comic rogue Koyata played by Yûsuke Iseya. Koyata provides much of the comic relief during the bloodsoaked finale, and peppers the film with snappy one liners and elements of surreal madness.


Miike’s back catalogue and notoriety in the West means that his films will always draw in a cult crowd. The vast landscape of the film and cultural significance have altered the usually hyper pace of Miike’s more violent fare, showing his evolution as a director and the fact that he is difficult to pigeon hole (see his eclectic back catalogue, featuring a kids film, a superhero caper and many extremely violent features). However, the gruelling battle scene and various shocking scenes peppered throughout provide many sparks of Miike’s violent excesses that fans have come to expect - and love. LBU