Directed by
Tadashi Sawashima
Cast:
Toshirô Mifune … Isami Kondo
Keiju Kobayashi … Toshizo Hijikata
Kinya Kitaoji … Soji Okita
Rentaro Mikuni … Kamo Serizawa
Yôko Tsukasa … Tsune
Yuriko Hoshi … Otaka
Kanemon Nakamura … Yasubo Katsu
Junko Ikeuchi … Oyuki
Kinnosuke Nakamura … Fujita Arima
Umenosuke Nakamura … Keisuke Yamana
Yumiko Nogawa … Oume
Though he was the greatest actor to ever hold a Samurai sword on the big screen, Toshiro Mifune was most adept at playing a lone warrior, a stranger seeking adventure that would always come into town and clean out its trash using his cunning and as much as his sword. Even if he was part of a group, he would still be the outsider, having to prove himself and his intentions before finally being accepted. It is in this particular type of role that Mifune would create his greatest characters, in such films as Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, Samurai Assassin, and The Samurai Trilogy.
This is not to say that Mifune was not able to carry himself in grand Historical Dramas as well. He often played military generals, the Shogun, and even a version of Macbeth, and would nearly always be the best thing on screen. The problem with these types of films is that it would just seem as if we weren’t seeing the real Mifune utilized to his fullest abilities. The man was like a wild beast caged in stuffy costumes, but it was that animal underneath his regality that would provide him with his screen presence at all times.
This is evident in Tadashi Sawashima’s Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor, a tale about a small group of warriors trying to keep order amongst the turbulent backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, the period in which the Emperor of Japan and the Shogun fought over control of the country in the mid-19th Century. Full of bloody battles and philosophical discussions, the film is both thrilling and frustrating, perhaps filled with too much story for its good, keeping it from true greatness. Fortunately, the picture features a fine performance from Toshiro Mifune, with his controlled fury carrying this film for the entirety of its two hours.
Mifune stars as Isami Kondo, a Samurai from a farming region who ends up organizing a band on Ronin (masterless Samurai) into an amazing fighting force called the Shinsengumi; the small army is used as a policing force to protect the Shogun and quell rebellions by any means necessary. Mifune is once again impeccable in this lead role, displaying an amazing strength and yet never giving up his humanity. There’s an incredible scene early on in the film where he puts his will to the test by not moving even though a raging bonfire moves closer and closer to him, showing you just what kind of man you’ll be dealing with the rest of the film.
The scene is also a wonderful showcase for the cinematography of Kazuo Yamada, who flawlessly shoots this picture, giving us amazing images throughout the movie. If nothing else, the film is worth seeing for its main action set piece in the middle of the piece, when Mifune’s Isami Kondo and five of his bravest warriors engage in battle against thirty in a darkened inn. The close quarters combat is expertly staged by director Tadashi Sawashima, with Yamada shooting the sequence brilliantly for maximum impact. Amongst the geysers of blood is a dazzling use of lighting and shadow, making the scene as about as exciting as any Samurai battle I’ve ever seen.
The big problems with Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor come from just trying to tell too big a story. The film is jam-packed with tons of characters, many coming in and out before they can carry any dramatic weight. Even with terrific directing and acting, the movie simply stretches itself too far to keep you completely interested in anyone that isn’t Isami Kondo. Even Kondo has entanglements with women that are merely touched upon in a handful of scenes, making them feel slighter than I’m sure the film makers intended.
Still the movie is heavy on action, thus it is an exciting piece with a lot of bloodletting. Mifune is a force of nature in his swordplay scenes, unstoppable as he faces multiple opponents, all of which are cut down in turn. It’s when the film isn’t engaged in combat that it has its flaws, but this still isn’t enough to not recommend the film.
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor is not a top-tier Samurai film, but it is definitely a good one. With tremendous action and a fine Mifune performance, the movie moves at a lightning pace; both a great asset and its biggest fault. The movie perhaps would have been better served with extra running time to better develop characters, but as is the movie is still a very satisfying experience.
The Video
Of all the Samurai films that AnimEigo offered in the last few years, I’m not sure that I’ve seen a better print. This is fantastic work by AnimEigo, with their restoration working wonders on this film. The colors on this disc are bright, and the movie, which is very reliant on a good picture in order to see its darker scenes, looks amazing. The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1.
The Audio
The Audio track is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and the film sounds great. Even with the bombast of the battle scenes, the dialogue and balance is just fine.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailers, Program Notes, Picture Gallery
Trailers – You get a handful of trailers on the disc, one for this movie, as well as the awesome Samurai Assassin, and the very good Red Lion.
Program Notes
Picture Gallery
