The focus this time is on 4 samurai period pieces from the 1960s. Categorically called Jidaigeki – these drama/action films are primarily staged during the Edo era in Japanese history, and is usually about the fight between good (usually ronin) and evil (corrupt government officials). And if you didn’t already know, Jidai is where George Lucas got the inspiration for the Jedi in Star Wars (The Seven Samurai from Akira Kurosawa was easily one of the best jidaigekis ever and was a primary influence on his work).

Anyway, the first 3 that I watched came in a remastered box set called Samurai Revolution. They are from a low profile but a pretty decent director of the genre – Eiichi Kudo.

Thirteen Assassins / Juusan-nin no shikaku (1963)

A senior investigator and respected samurai is given the top secret task to assassinate the chief of a feudal clan who is extraordinarily cruel and lewd (to prevent him from rising to shogun high ranks and cause hardship for Japan). It’s interesting to note that Eiichi Kudo puts a lot of emphasis on character development in his films, and having 13 different samurai being portrayed with individual identities was probably no easy task. Not to mention that it had a fantastic finale when the team of 13 lays a trap by building a massive maze at the ambush location to wipe out the chief’s entire convoy.

I must also add that Eiichi Kudo’s jidaigekis are nothing like the modern samurai movies. There are no ’superhuman’ samurai capable of slaughtering thousands. Everyone is mortal and many of the heroes will die in their task. Also, the constant ’slash, retreat, sudden turn around counterslash, rinse, repeat’ technique employed by all can get a little nerve wrecking as it drags on.

The Great Duel aka The Great Melee / Daisatsujin (1964)

This one is about the repression of the public by an extremely corrupt government. Rebels who dare to voice out are captured, tortured and slaughtered without mercy, and during one such raid, an innocent samurai’s life was torn apart. Wrongly accused, and seeking vengeance, he subsequently joins a small troupe of rebels to avenge his loss.

Again, its interesting to note the relationships in this movie, as members of the rebel troupe have very unique personalities as well. Take for example, the beautiful lady who sacrifices her body to her members to keep morale high, a delusional man who thinks he’s invincible and is destined to deal the final killing blow to the enemy, a cowardly and treacherous troop leader, etc..

Eichii Kudo’s tries a few new camera techniques in his next movie – particularly with shaky camera movements. The final battle takes place on a massive scale, as the fighters chase after their target through the countryside and into the town. It is highly chaotic and disorganized and the director does a pretty good job of keeping you riveted in your seat throughout.. Keep your eyes open for a few twists though.

Eleven Samurai / Ju-ichinin no samurai (1966)

Similar in context to the 13 Assassins, these 11 samurai embark on a quest of vengeance to take out the chief of a neighboring clan who murdered their chief in cold blood (and gets away as he has close ties to an unfair and corrupt government). The plot might seem simple enough, but there are plenty of political intrigue & manueverings to keep anyone hooked. Watch and moan as all of their carefully laid out ambushes are thwarted by fate, and they have to forego everything in a last ditch messy slaughterhouse attempt.

By now, it’s become very apparent about Eiichi Kudo’s directing styles – all 3 of his films had the following traits:

• The good guys always consists of a large group of characters with very distinct and unique personalities.
• The first half of the film is used to recruit and flesh these characters out.
• This will be followed by an intricate laying down of the ‘master plan’.
• Culminates in massive battle scenes near the end.
• Loves to provide plot twists and unexpected surprises to keep viewers hooked throughout.
• The heroes die.

The River Fuefuki / Fuefukigawa (1960)

I was surprised to find out that this wasn’t a jidaigeki film (the cover was kinda misleading). Instead, it’s a deep drama piece detailing the tragic story of a family as its caught up in the pointless throes of war over the course of 5 generations (over 70 years). It’s got a strong moral message behind it, as it makes you question the logic and reasoning behind the Japanese history of bloody warfare, and the blind samurai loyalty to their feudal clans.

The River Fuefuki is a very slow moving movie to anyone who expects a samurai film (which is almost everyone). Furthermore, this black and white movie has splashes of colors painted over some of its scenes, and it was generally distracting and childish most of the time. The acting however is top notch (I instantly recognized Hideko Takamine from ‘When A Woman Ascends The Stairs’), plus the old age makeup was utterly convincing and deserves high praise. It’s an ambitious film that unfortunately falls a little short, plus I’m unable to think of anyone who might actually appreciate a film like that (in other words – this is for hardcore moviephiles only).