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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fistful of Yen, 17 May 2009
Takashi Miike, one of Japan's most innovative and prolific film directors presents an audacious fusion of spaghetti western and jidai-geki (period film).
The plot will be familiar to anyone who has seen Kurosawa's "Yojimbo." A lone gunslinger arrives in a remote town and is caught between two rival factions, who both vie for his services. Needless to say, much violence, treachery and death ensues.
As you've probably heard, Quentin Tarantino features in a supporting role and his bizarre, incongruous performance is one of the highlights of this highly stylised, willfully cultish film.
The theme of cultural rootlessness that has appeared in so many Miike films (Ley Lines, Rainy Dog and City of Lost Souls spring to mind,) is evident here in the characters of the gunslinger and the widow's young son. Predominantly though, the emphasis is on fast-action and unabashed, escapist entertainment.
A mainly Japanese cast deliver their dialogue in English, which most of them appear to have learnt phonetically (as was the case in Miike's "Imprint" episode for the Masters of Horror series). Personally, I needed to have the optional subtitles switched on.
This is a shorter cut of the film compared to the original Japanese edit, although several reviewers have suggested that this actually has a beneficial effect. Having not seen the longer edit, I can't confirm this, but the running time feels about right for a film of this type.
Admittedly, this is not the director's best work, but it's probably one of his most accessible and polished movies to date. Hopefully, if this is a big enough hit on DVD, more of his recent work will be released here in the UK and elsewhere.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A visual treat, 22 Sep 2008
A return to form for Miike with a film that could only really come from him. Based loosely on two classics, Yojimbo and Django, the colours are amazing, the cinematography outstanding and there's a number of fantasic action set-pieces. Some nice one-liners too. Tarantino's involvement is interesting and shows the admiration he has for Miike as a director.
Pretty much a reinvention of the spaghetti western and it really does pack a powerful punch.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Stylised, shallow and senseless, 28 Sep 2009
Wouldn't it be great if this film lived up to the expectations and hype, delivering a fusion of Sergio Leone Western, Quentin Tarantino movie, and Japanese Samurai movie..? Sadly, instead of finding the best qualities these movies have to offer, this effort plumbs the depths.
Instead of the style and iconic imagery of a Sergio Leone Western, we have only empty violence.
Instead of the electrifying dialogue of a Tarantino movie, we have only an echo of his overindulgence.
Instead of the depth and symbolism of a samurai movie, we have.. well, frankly all this has in common is that the actors are the same nationality.
Clearly set out as a homage to the Leone Western, we get a complete retread of the classic Yojimbo, (previously remade as A Fistful of Dollars, and Last Man Standing), set utterly anachronistically in a Japanese setting, but with Western trappings. There is nothing about the story OR the visuals that make sense, even though you might occasionally gawp at some undeniably original visual motifs. The script - well, if it ever did make sense, it is so butchered by a Japanese cast murdering the English language, it's impossible to tell.
If only they had just had the actors speak in their own language. Or if only they had just made it set in a true Western environment. If only they had Tarantino rework the script instead of give a blink and you'll miss it cameo.
Actually, forget all that. Better to say... If only they had never made the movie in the first place. Unless novel variations of violence and extremely and pointlessly surreal imagery are your thing, avoid.
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