Samurai Assassin (Samurai, 1965)
Okamoto Kihachi
Japan
123 min, color, Japanese (English subtitles)
The year is 1860 and the Tokugawa shogunate is breathing its last. A group of disgruntled samurai of the Mito clan, assisted by a bunch of ronin, is plotting the assassination of Elder Ii Naosuke (Koshiro Matsumoto). Among the members of the group are Tsuruchiyo Niino (Toshiro Mifune), a skilled swordsman and opportunist, and Kurihara Einosuke (Keiju Kobayashi), a former retainer of the Matsudaira clan, who (through study of Western philosophy... I wonder which) has come to the conclusion that the Shogunate must go. Thus, the Mito samurai want Ii dead because they want to place their own contender as the 14th shogun, Tsuruchiyo wants Ii dead because he hopes to get a cushy sinecure with the victorious clan, and Kurihara wants Ii dead because he thinks this will end the shogunate and the samurai era.
Of the three, only the scholar is right (sight unseen). Ironically, it is precisely because the group does not understand his esoteric motive that they begin to suspect him as a traitor. The leader orders Tsuruchiyo to kill Kurihara, and the latter, despite having become friends with the other, complies. This is where I lost respect for Mifune's character, who, despite being a stray dog, had until that point retained his dignity. The real traitor is uncovered a bit later and the crushed Tsuruchiyo vows to behead Ii for the sake of the friend he murdered. I should note without any reason whatsoever that the beautiful Kaoru Yachigusa, who played the strong and frail Otsu in SAMURAI, plays the unfortunate widow here.
Spurred by his newfound zeal, Tsuruchiyo is enthralled about the opportunity of a life time. Little does he know of the tragic ironic twist: the man he yearns to behead is his own father. The last scene, in which he staggers off with Ii's head impaled on his sword is so sad, even more so because by this time Tsuruchiyo is beyond redemption. Even Okiko (Michiyo Aratama from SWORD OF DOOM, and who passed away two months ago) is unable to stop him. In the end, his devoted strike seems futile for, although the shogunate did crumble, there's little chance that he could have found employment anywhere (seeing that the record of his participation had been expunged on the orders of the chief conspirator).
This is a very well done film, and although it lacks the vigor of other period epics, Okamoto's approach is visually compelling. He seems particularly adept at shooting fights, and one should see the charge in the snow to appreciate his skill. The assassination is protracted, bloody, and devoid of glamor. In the end, one can hardly tell the victors from the vanquished. The traditional Japanese music is also well-placed, along with frequent nodes to Noh theater. The bevy of excellent actors (in addition to the ones already mentioned, long-time Kurosawa favorite Takahashi Shimura makes an appearance, and one should not forget that Koshiro Matsumoto played the indomitable Kuranosuke in Inagaki's CHUSHINGURA). Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable film, in which we get to see Mifune in a rare appearance as a basically shallow and really bad guy.
May 20, 2001. BLS