13 Assassins is a Japanese jidaigeki or period drama as well as chanbara or sword fighting action film. Despite a solid reputation in its home country, the film was critically overlooked by international cinephiles and only came back into the spotlight following the critically acclaimed remake of the same name by veteran director Miike Takashi that is surprisingly close to the original film.
The story revolves around ruthless Lord Matsudaira who rapes a young woman who works in an inn and then proceeds to kill her lover. Appalled by his actions, a high-ranking official commits seppuku. Due to his connections to the shogun, Lord Matsudaira is also about to be elected into a Council of Elders which would make him even more influential. Another high-ranking official named Sir Doi understands that such a raise to power by such a ruthless person could lead to revolts and ultimately a civil war. In order to prevent such a worst case scenario, Sir Doi starts to organize a conspiracy and proceeds to hire twelve samurai who are asked to ambush as assassinate Lord Matsudaira during one of his travels. With the help of the inn owner who seeks revenge and blocks the usual route of Lord Matsudaira, the ruthless man and his companions are forced to take a different route and go through a remote village. It's at this precise place that the twelve assassins, now supported by a local swordsman who joins them, set up numerous traps to complete their bloody mission.
This movie convinces on numerous levels. The cinematography is gorgeous with calm camera work, beautiful traditional costumes and stunning landscapes. The movie has a constant gloomy undertone and is quite explicit for its time when showing the lord's brutal actions. Thanks to precise acting performances, the audience empathizes with courageous Sir Doi and feels strongly against selfish Lord Matsudaira. The first half of the movie takes its time to introduce the audience to the different characters, settings and historic circumstances. The second half is quite fast-paced and focuses on intense fights and clever traps during the ambush. The fight choreographies are skillful, intense and entertaining to watch.
The movie has aged rather well. The only differences between this film and the remake are that the remake shows much more blood and is obviously not shot in black and white. If you like atmospheric sword fighting action films, you will certainly like both the original version and the remake. It's great that this critically overlooked old gem finally gets the attention it truly deserves.
