Takashi Miike is the fearless samurai of filmmaking, releasing his 100th film this week in his adaptation of Hiroaki Samura’s “Blade of the Immortal.” As a rebellious pioneer of cinema, his status may have lessened a bit internationally since the heyday of "Ichi the Killer" and "Audition," but he has lost none of his craftsman’s skill, as evidenced in every frame of this gorgeous, epic tale of endless carnage. “Blade of the Immortal” feels lượt thích a film that could only be made by someone with a long career in film and a lot of life experience to bring khổng lồ it. In a sense, it is about a man going through routine after routine, trudging forward through a life he no longer wants to lớn live. Of course, I’m not suggesting Miike is sick of filmmaking—if anything, the cinematic energy here proves otherwise—but that “Blade of the Immortal” required the hand of an experienced director, và they don’t get much more experienced than Miike.
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“Blade of the Immortal” tells the story of Manji (Takuya Kimura), a samurai who is blessed/cursed with immortality. He has had generations to mourn the loss of the only person he cared about and lament the code of honor he can no longer follow. He is not an immortal in the superhero sense of the word, but an immortal in the way that we often see ghosts represented in fiction—as people forced to stay on Earth & forever regret their sins. Of course, Manji gets a final chance to lớn matter to someone when he’s found by a girl named Rin Asano (Hana Sugisaki) after her parents are killed by group of assassins who are trying to lớn change the way of the samurai.
That final phrase is key lớn the narrative of “Blade of the Immortal.” Kagehisa Anotsu (the nearly movie-stealing Sota Fukushi), the man who leads the assassins who killed Rin’s father, comes from a different school of swordplay and represents a darker, more violent future for the samurai warrior. Forms of combat become a major current in “Blade of the Immortal,” especially as more và more styles come into play và politics between rival schools become important. Manji is a practitioner of a lost art và style, which again feels lượt thích something only a man who has made 100 films could adequately convey.
Of course, “Blade of the Immortal” isn’t all about codes and politics—it’s mostly about blood and guts. This is Miike closer khổng lồ his gonzo violent style of the "90s và "00s than he"s been in a long time. Owing a great giảm giá to the fact that this is based on a manga that ran for 30 volumes, “Blade of the Immortal” is remarkably episodic. It basically breaks down to a series of one-on-one fights between Manji and, for at least the first hour, members of Anotsu’s team of assassins. They are wildly exaggerated affairs, complete with supernatural powers and wire-based combat and geysers of blood. They are often breathtaking fight sequences, as Miike finds ways to make these one-on-one affairs distinctly unforgettable. There’s the man who shares a key trait with Manji; another who cries remorseful tears after she kills; one who looks lượt thích a walking nightmare with human body toàn thân parts strapped to lớn his own—and Miike accelerates the combat in “Blade of the Immortal” khổng lồ the inevitable multi-enemy battle that includes literally rivers of blood. Hundreds of people die in “Blade of the Immortal,” most of them losing a limb or two as they do. For pure samurai action, it"s a must-see.
On the other hand, over the course of two-and-a-half hours, even a fan"s samurai patience can be tested. It doesn’t help that the story of “Blade” gets a little cluttered, introducing new enemies và potential allies at a point when you wish it would be wrapping up instead of starting down another road. & Kimura’s performance starts khổng lồ feel thinner than it should, not merely by repetition but by the actor being outperformed by some of his co-stars. He lacks the true charisma to lớn ground this film in the way it needed to lớn sustain interest for its admittedly overlong running time.
Having said that, there’s still something about the 56-year-old Miike working in this register 100 films into his career. There are enough flashes of brilliance through all 140 minutes of “Blade of the Immortal” that its sins can be easily forgiven. And it’s that balance of Miike’s experience with his retained childlike energy in making a kick-ass samurai movie that keeps this journey engaging. It feels like a film that no one else would have made in quite the same way as Takashi Miike. I hope he makes at least 100 more.
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of Roger
Ebert.com, và also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and đoạn phim games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist,The thủ đô new york Times, and GQ,and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.
Blade of the Immortal highlights Takashi Miike"s flair for balletic violence, making up what it lacks in strict originality with rich characterizations & kinetic thrills. Read critic review
A scene from "Blade of the Immortal." A scene from "Blade of the Immortal." A scene from "Blade of the Immortal." A scene from "Blade of the Immortal." A scene from "Blade of the Immortal." A scene from "Blade of the Immortal."
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Movie Info
Cursed with immortality, a highly skilled samurai in feudal nhật bản promises to help a young woman avenge the death of her parents. Their mission leads them into a bloody battle with a ruthless warrior và his band of master swordsmen. Show More
Rating: R (Bloody Violence và Carnage)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 3, 2017 limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $149.2K
Runtime: 2h 31m
Distributor: Magnet Releasing
Production Co: Warner Bros., Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Oriental Light & Magic
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast và Crew
Takuya Kimura
Manji
Hana Sugisaki
Rin Asano , Machi
Sôta Fukushi
Anotsu Kagehisa
Hayato Ichihara
Shira
Erika Toda
Makie Otono-Tachibana
Kazuki Kitamura
Sabato Kuroi
Chiaki Kuriyama
Hyakurin
Shinnosuke Mitsushima
Taito Magatsu
Yoko Yamamoto
Yaobikuni
Ebizô Ichikawa
Eiku Shizuma
Min Tanaka
Kagimura Habaki
Tsutomu Yamazaki
Kensui Ibane
Takashi Miike
Director
Tetsuya Oishi
Screenwriter
Hiroyoshi Koiwai
Executive Producer
Peter Watson
Executive Producer
Shigeji Maeda
Producer
Misako Saka
Producer
Jeremy Thomas
Producer
Kôji Endô
Original Music
Nobuyasu Kita
Cinematographer
Kenji Yamashita
Film Editing
Toshiyuki Matsumiya
Production design
Hiroshi Kiwanami
phối Decoration
Yûya Maeda
Costume thiết kế
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Critic review for Blade of the Immortal
All Critics (97) | đứng top Critics (32) | Fresh (84) | Rotten (13)
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Audience review for Blade of the Immortal
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