is a 2010
samurai film directed by
Takashi Miike
is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and surrealism, b ...
, and starring
Koji Yakusho,
Takayuki Yamada,
Sōsuke Takaoka,
Hiroki Matsukata,
Kazuki Namioka and
Gorō Inagaki. A
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of
Eiichi Kudo's 1963
Japanese period drama film ''
13 Assassins'', it is set in 1844 toward the end of the
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
in which a group of thirteen assassins—comprising twelve samurai and a hunter—secretly plot to assassinate Lord
Matsudaira Naritsugu, the murderous leader of the
Akashi clan, to thwart his appointment to the powerful Shogunate Council.
The film marks the third collaboration in which Yamada and Takaoka co-starred, the first two being ''
Crows Zero'' and ''
Crows Zero 2
is a 2009 Cinema of Japan, Japanese action film directed by Takashi Miike, written by Shogo Muto and produced by Mataichiro Yamamoto. It is a sequel to ''Crows Zero'', where Shun Oguri, Kyōsuke Yabe, Meisa Kuroki and Takayuki Yamada reprise the ...
'', both directed by Miike.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
took place over two months, from July to September 2009, in
Tsuruoka, Yamagata, in northern Japan. The film opened in Japan on 25September 2010 and in the United States on 29April 2011. It received critical acclaim from western critics, who compared it favourably to
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
's oeuvre.
Plot
In 1844, during the
Edo Period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
, the
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
is in decline. Lord
Matsudaira Naritsugu of
Akashi sadistically rapes, tortures, mutilates and murders nobles and commoners, but is protected by the
Shōgun
, officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
, his half-brother. With Naritsugu due to ascend to the Shogunate Council, the Shōgun's Justice Minister, Sir
Doi Toshitsura, realizes that this ascendance will cause civil war between the Shōgun and the many
feudal lords Naritsugu has offended. The Mamiya clan's feudal lord publicly commits seppuku as a protest against the Shōgun's refusal to punish Naritsugu, who had personally murdered the feudal lord's entire family. When the Shōgun insists upon Naritsugu's promotion, SirDoi hires a trusted older samurai, Shimada Shinzaemon, to assassinate Naritsugu. However, Naritsugu's loyal retainers led by Hanbei, an old contemporary of Shinzaemon, learn of the plot by spying on Doi.
Shinzaemon gathers ten more samurai, including his nephew, Shinrokurō, plus one
rōnin
In feudal Japan to early modern Japan (1185–1868), a ''rōnin'' ( ; , , 'drifter' or 'wandering man', ) was a samurai who had no lord or master and in some cases, had also severed all links with his family or clan. A samurai became a ''rō ...
, to attack Naritsugu during his
official journey from
Edo to Akashi. Before Naritsugu leaves, Hanbei confronts Shinzaemon over the plot. The assassins decide to ambush Naritsugu at the town of
Ochiai, predicting that he will insist on carrying out his pre-announced visit of
Naegi and thus pass through Ochiai. During the assassins' journey to Ochiai, they stop at a town where they are attacked by rōnin paid off by Hanbei. Fearing more attacks, the assassins leave the roads, instead trekking through the mountains, but lose their way. They rescue a hunter, Kiga Koyata, who guides them to Ochiai and volunteers to become the thirteenth assassin.
The assassins enlist the help of Makino, a feudal lord whose daughter-in-law was raped and son murdered by Naritsugu. Using troops with firearms, Makino blocks the official highway, forcing Naritsugu to take a detour. Makino then commits ''seppuku'' to conceal his involvement in the conspiracy. Sensing a trap, Hanbei advises Naritsugu to avoid Naegi, but Naritsugu refuses as this would publicly embarrass him. Naritsugu acknowledges that visiting Naegi is unsafe, but also exciting. Meanwhile, the assassins, with the legal authority and generous financial assistance of Doi, buy the help of Ochiai to convert the town into an elaborate maze of booby traps and camouflaged fortifications.
Naritsugu and his retinue arrive at Ochiai, with reinforcements arranged by Hanbei, increasing their number from 70 to 200. As Ochiai's civilians escape, the 13 assassins trap Naritsugu's party in Ochiai. A lengthy battle begins, with the assassins first using arrows and explosives, then using swords for melee combat, with the exception of Koyata, who fights with rocks in slings and with sticks. While many of Naritsugu's retainers are killed, Naritsugu is aroused by the bloodshed of the battle and declares that when he ascends to the Shogunate Council, he will start wars reminiscent of the
Sengoku Period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
.
While most of the Akashi forces are defeated, at least 10 of the assassins perish, with several fighting until they collapsed dead from their injuries. Eventually, Shinzaemon and Shinrokurō confront Naritsugu, Hanbei and two remaining retainers. Shinzaemon argues that Naritsugu will ruin the realm, but Hanbei insists on loyalty to his master. Shinzaemon duels Hanbei and decapitates him after kicking mud into Hanbei's eyes, while Shinrokurō slays the last two Akashi retainers. Naritsugu kicks Hanbei's severed head away and announces that the people and the samurai have only one purpose: to serve their lords. Shinzaemon counters that the lords cannot live without the support of the people and that, if a lord abuses his power, the people will rise up against him. Naritsugu and Shinzaemon mortally wound each other. Crying, crawling in the mud, and experiencing rare fear and pain, Naritsugu thanks Shinzaemon for causing the most exciting day of Naritsugu's life. Naritsugu is decapitated by Shinzaemon, who succumbs to his wounds.
Shinrokurō wanders through the carnage and Koyata runs up, appearing virtually unharmed despite being impaled through the neck by Naritsugu and slashed in the stomach by Hanbei. Koyata dismisses his previous injuries as trivial. Shinrokurō and Koyata leave separately, with Shinrokurō intending to become a bandit or travel to America, while Koyata vows to elope with his lover.
An
epilogue states that Naritsugu's death was officially attributed to illness, and that 23 years later, the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown during the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
.
Cast
*
Gorō Inagaki as Lord
Matsudaira Naritsugu:
The ruler of the
Akashi Domain. His violent atrocities in his land have gone unpunished since he is protected by the Shōgun, who is his half-brother.
*
Mikijirō Hira as Sir
Doi Toshitsura:
[ The senior advisor to the Shogunate Council. Alarmed that Naritsugu has been considered by the Shōgun for a political position on the council, he hires Shinzaemon to kill Naritsugu beforehand.
* Koji Yakusho as Shimada Shinzaemon:] A war-weary, decorated samurai who believes that there is more to Bushido
is a Samurai moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. Its origins date back to the Kamakura period, but it was formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significantl ...
than blind obedience. Convinced that there was no chance for an honorable death, he is deeply elated when hired to carry out the mission. He assembles a group of eleven samurai to plot an ambush on Naritsugu's annual journey from Edo to his land in Akashi.
* Seiji Rokkaku as Otake Mosuke
* Hiroki Matsukata as Kuranaga Saheita:[ Second-in-command to Shinzaemon, another veteran samurai who volunteers his best and most trusted students for the mission
* Tsuyoshi Ihara as Hirayama Kujūrō:] A masterless samurai of unmatched swordsmanship, who trained under Shinzaemon
* Takayuki Yamada as Shimada Shinrokurō: Shinzaemon's nephew, who has strayed from Bushido to become a gambler and a womanizer. Bored and ashamed, he joins the mission to redeem himself.
* Yusuke Iseya as Kiga Koyata: A hunter who is found suspended in a cage in the forest as a punishment for seducing his boss's wife and aids the assassins in finding a route to Ochiai. He is eventually recruited by Shinzaemon as the thirteenth assassin. Although not explicitly stated, it is heavily implied that he is a supernatural entity.
Production
''13 Assassins'' was produced through Toshiaki Nakazawa's film outfit, Sedic International, and Jeremy Thomass Recorded Picture Company. Nakazawa had previously worked with director Takashi Miike on '' The Bird People in China'' and '' Andromedia'' (both in 1998), '' Yakuza Demon'' (2003), and '' Sukiyaki Western Django'' (2007).[ At the start of production, Thomas said he was pleased to be working again with "wonderful Japanese filmmakers like Toshiaki Nakazawa and Takashi Miike, whose work speaks for itself as being amongst the most successful and innovative coming from Japan". Nakazawa replied that he would like Thomas "to wear a sword also, and with one more assassin, together we will send out the fourteen assassins over there".][ Of his approach in directing the film, Miike said:
Having been a fan of Koji Yakusho's acting, Miike made it a priority that he be cast in the leading role. In addition, he sought younger actors to play the assassins, in particular ]Sousuke Takaoka
is a Japanese former actor, known for his break-out performance in the controversial movie '' Battle Royale''.
Career
His break-out performance was in the controversial movie '' Battle Royale'', in which he played the pacifistic Hiroki Sugimu ...
and Takayuki Yamada, with whom Miike had worked in his two films, '' Crows Zero'' (2007) and its sequel ''Crows Zero 2
is a 2009 Cinema of Japan, Japanese action film directed by Takashi Miike, written by Shogo Muto and produced by Mataichiro Yamamoto. It is a sequel to ''Crows Zero'', where Shun Oguri, Kyōsuke Yabe, Meisa Kuroki and Takayuki Yamada reprise the ...
'' (2009). The film's screenplay
A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...
was written by Daisuke Tengan, who had also written the screenplay for Miike's film ''Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece gi ...
'' (1999).[
The film entered production over a two-month period.] Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began in July 2009 on a large open-air set in Tsuruoka
is a Cities of Japan, city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 125,389 in 49,024 households, and a population density of 95.74 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Tsuruoka is the biggest city in ...
in the Yamagata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It has a population of 1,005,926 (1 February 2025) and an area of 9,325 Square kilometre, km2 (3,600 Square mile, sq mi). Its neighbours are Akita Prefectu ...
in northern Japan.[ The filming of the action scenes took about three weeks and was met with minor weather-related difficulties. Miike had strayed from the use of CGI in the film as well as planning the scenes via storyboarding, insisting on shooting the scenes right away.] In a separate interview, however, Miike said that some CGI were used, albeit minimal.[ Over half of the thirteen actors playing the assassins were reportedly inexperienced in sword fighting and horseback riding,][ and Miike wanted them to be just that, explaining, "If the actors had been skilled from the beginning, and had been in several samurai movies before, the way they approached the action would've been different; they probably would've ended up being something they were doing to look good or be beautiful, or to fall into the trappings of the stereotypical form that they had."][ Filming concluded in early September 2009.]
Release
For international exhibition, the 141 minute film was edited to 125 minutes.
Theatrical run
Jeremy Thomass London-based company HanWay Films handled international sales.[ ]Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
had prebought the rights to distribute in Japan, and released it on 25 September 2010. The film competed for the Golden Lion at the 67th Venice International Film Festival on 9 September 2010.
Magnet Releasing, a genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, acquired North American distribution rights. The film streamed video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...
in March 2011, and was released theatrically in the United States on 29April.
At the box office, ''13 Assassins'' grossed $802,778 in the US and Canada. From an estimated $6 million budget,[ it grossed $17,555,141 worldwide.]
Critical reception
''13 Assassins'' drew favorable reviews from critics, many of whom praised its final battle sequence (which runs 45 minutes). Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gives a score of 95%, with an average rating of 7.9/10, based on reviews from 131 critics. The consensus reads, "Takashi Miike's electric remake of Eiichi Kudo's 1963 period action film is a wild spectacle executed with killer, dizzying panache." On Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film received "Universal acclaim" and was awarded its "Must-See" badge, with a weighted average of 84 out of 100 based on 33 reviews.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', who gave the film 3 stars out of 4, praised the film as "terrifically entertaining, an ambitious big-budget epic, directed with great visuals and sound", and compared it favorably with other action films in its subtle use of CGI effects. Ebert also praised the way the film "focuses on story in the midst of violence", as well as incorporating characters and drama with a skill that most blockbuster action films lack. Ebert later included it in his Best Films of 2011 list as an addendum
An addendum or appendix, in general, is an addition required to be made to a document by its author subsequent to its printing or publication. It comes from the gerundive , plural , "that which is to be added", from (, compare with memorandum, ...
to his top 20. Manohla Dargis chose ''13 Assassins'' as her Critic's Pick for ''The New York Times'', describing it as "A stirring, unexpectedly moving story of love and blood".
V.A. Musetto of the ''New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' said the film complements Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
's '' Seven Samurai'' (1954) and '' Ran'' (1985), describing Miike's film as "a pulse-quickening masterpiece that would please the mighty Kurosawa". Mark Schilling of ''The Japan Times'' commended Miike's direction and the performance of the ensemble cast (including Koji Yakusho's). Schilling gave the film 4 stars out of 5, but, notwithstanding other favorable comparisons, he noted that it barely "strike the deeper chords" of ''Seven Samurai''.[ Tom Mes of '']Film Comment
''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film ...
'' said the film "culminates in a riveting, ingeniously plotted, and inventively shot 45-minute battle scene that few contemporary Japanese directors besides Miike could pull off, either logistically or artistically". Leslie Felperin of '' Variety'' praised the film's technical aspects, describing Kenji Yamashita's editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written language, written, Image editing, visual, Audio engineer, audible, or Film editing, cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing p ...
as "gracefully executed", Kazuhiro Sawataishi's costume design as "terrific, character-defining", and Kōji Endō's soundtrack as "rousing, propulsive score".
Home media
The film's DVD and Blu-ray
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
versions were released in the United States on 5July 2011 by Magnet Releasing, and in the United Kingdom on 5September by Artificial Eye. The DVD version was the 12th-bestselling DVD in its first week of availability in the US, selling 41,593 copies. In its second week, it dropped to 30th place, selling 13,922 copies. The Blu-ray version was the third-bestselling Blu-ray, selling 33,142 copies in its first week. In its second week, it dropped to 10,335 copies and was placed 20th. The Blu-ray version garnered positive reviews from IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
, ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'', and ''HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' UK.
Accolades
In Japan, the film won four of its ten nominations at the 34th Japan Academy Prize, and won both of its two nominations at the 32nd Yokohama Film Festival. In 2014 '' Time Out'' polled several film critics, directors, actors, and stunt actors to list their top action films. ''13 Assassins'' was listed at 94th place on the list. Rotten Tomatoes ranked the film at No. 70 on its list of the "140 Essential Action Movies To Watch Now", and was ranked at No. 5 on Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers.
...
's "12 Best Action Movies You've Never Heard Of". ''13 Assassins'' made the British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's list of 10 great samurai films.
References
External links
*
{{Yokohama Film Festival Best Film
2010 films
2010 action films
Films directed by Takashi Miike
Films produced by Jeremy Thomas
Films produced by Minami Ichikawa
Films set in 1844
Japanese action war films
Remakes of Japanese films
2010s action war films
Jidaigeki films
2010s samurai films
Toho films
Curzon Artificial Eye films
Recorded Picture Company films
2010s Japanese films
2010s Japanese-language films
Films about assassinations