Respect for the original “Thirteen Assassins” is not enough! Takashi Miike's strong skill brought to life a masterpiece historical drama that remains in the history of film.

A bold challenge unique to remakes that goes beyond respecting the original.

I wrote that Takashi Miike 'Thirteen Assassins is quite faithful to the original , but of course it's not just a rehash. The level of violence is greatly increased, incorporating the brutal depictions that director Miike is known for. Moreover, rather than following the original's ``brutish reality'', one can sense the spirit of trying to imprint the charm of period dramas and sword fights on modern screens.

Particularly memorable was Hiroki Matsukata, who played Saheita Kuranaga, Shinzaemon Shimada's confidant. Hiroki Matsukata is often associated with Toei yakuza films such as `` Battle Without Honor '' (1973), but his father was historical drama star Jushiro Konoe, and he has also starred in many historical dramas. He is an expert in sword fighting inherited from his father, and even showed off his sharp, powerful, and beautiful moves in the TV drama ``Kin-san of Toyama.''

In directing ``Thirteen Assassins'', director Takashi Miike talked about the difficulty of making a full-fledged period drama in modern times, as the know-how of historical dramas, which is a tradition in Japanese cinema, has not been passed down. For that reason, it must have been reassuring to have Hiroki Matsukata, a veteran of period dramas ingrained in his bones, participating. In the scene where Saheita dies while slashing like a demon, Matsukata is so strong that there is no one he can defeat, so instead of being defeated by someone, he reaches the limit of his physical strength and dies. Ta.

Kujuro's final moments, which were tragic in the original, have also been changed. In the remake, Tsuyoshi Ihara plays Kujuro, and when he realizes that one sword is not enough to deal with 300 people, he thrusts many Japanese swords into the ground, slashes the enemy, throws away the sword, and attacks another. Pull out your sword and slash another enemy. He dies a violent death at the end of the lion's courage that follows the legend of Muromachi Shogun Yoshiteru Ashikaga, the great swordsman.

If the original version was ``anti-royal'', denying the heroism of the golden age of period dramas, Miike's version is ``warning the past with newness'', bringing back the best part of period dramas in the modern era. Without forgetting respect for the original, his accomplishment in reviving the cool charm of Chanbara as a modern version with a huge increase in volume should be highly praised.

Another strong character created by Miike's version is Matsudaira Sairo, the lord of the Akashi domain whose head is targeted by assassins. In the original version, he was portrayed as a true "idiot," but director Miike chose Goro Inagaki, who was a member of Johnny's idol SMAP. He has created a complex and bizarre image of Qi Shao, who repeatedly commits atrocities with a neat and cool face and exudes the nihilism of an intellectual.

It is a well-established theory that remakes do not surpass the original, but when it comes to Matsudaira Saisha, the remake version of ``Thirteen Assassins'' has a better impact. It's definitely worth witnessing just for Qi Shao-Gorou's mysterious performance, where he coolly kills others, coolly urinates standing up, and coolly spits out poison. Takashi Miike's remake is a masterpiece of a different kind from the original, exploring what a 21st century historical drama should be like.

Text: Akira Murayama

Born in 1971. Writes articles for magazines, newspapers, movie sites, etc. Representative of “ShortCuts,” a review site for distribution-based works.

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