Ibun Sarutobi Sasuke

Samurai Spy was the one film in Criterion's DVD box of four samurai films (called Rebel Samurai) that I had never before seen. While I would slightly recommend the film, it is a slow going motion picture with a lot of talk and intrigue.

I know very little about Japanese history, so some of the film's plot was lost on me, but basically the film is set during a period of cold war between the two groups that control Japan. Sasuke (Koji Takashasi) belongs to a clan that is neutral. Sasuke has been in battle before and the fighting has left him tired and numb. He no longer sees the point in battles. . . this will not stop him from killing a couple dozen people during the film's running time. On the road, Sasuke meets up with an old friend who is planning the defection of a high ranking spy of one of the ruling clans to its rival. This friend only cares about the money he will make, but does offer Sasuke a portion if he helps with defection. Sasuke refuses, yet does come to his friend's rescue during an ambush. Slowly, Sasuke finds himself drawn into the plot somewhat against his will.

Samurai Spy benefits greatly from Koji Takahasi's performance as a weary samurai tired of killing. In addition, the film also has some impressive moments. The deadliest villain dresses as a white ninja and is quick to show off his fighting prowess. The climatic fight between him and Sasuke is quick and startling. Director Masahiro Shinoda places a boy clutching a dead bird in the background of some of the scenes. I have no idea what the boy is supposed to represent, but the distraction is an asset. Finally, the film stages one excellent sustained action set piece where Sasuke has to rescue two prisoners.

In spite of these strengths, I could only get so interested in Samurai Spy. The plot incorporates a lot of elements. There is the initial defection plot, the persecution of Christians, a murder mystery element, a broken family subplot, two love interests, and two masterful swordsman rivals that Sasuke has to face. Shinoda (admittedly not one of my favorite Japanese directors) does only a fair job at balancing all of these elements. The ending should have meant more than it does considering all that happened leading up to it.

Samurai Spy is not a bad film. I certainly can't say I was bored with it, even with the slow pace. I don't think I would watch it a second time though. Others might like the film more than I did.

Samurai Spy, despite the generic title, is a solid piece of ninja/samurai espionage and suspense. The plot changes at a brisk pace, there are no slow moments, and the tale is accompanied by inventive music and gorgeous scenery. The story revolves around Sasuke Sarutobi, an agent for the prominent Sanada clan, one which has not publicly allied with either one of the feuding Toyotomi or Tokugawa families during early 17th century Japan. Through his friendship with a day-dreaming (and careless) fellow agent, he becomes linked to a dangerous conspiracy involving the feuding espionage directors of both feuding families.

I was initially going to downgrade the movie based on some clumsy fighting scenes, but some of the stylized action later in the film makes up for it. My main concern was the ridiculously slow and monotonous movements of the protagonist, Sarutobi Sasuke! So many people are killed by the same "daijodan", overhead sword strike -- and in slow motion! Ha, it's not quite up to par with other films from this period, i.e. Sword of the Beast, Sword of Doom, Sanjuro, Samurai Assassin, Samurai Rebellion, etc.

But don't be mistaken. It makes up for the lack of explosive early action with great espionage scenes, fantastic long-range cinematography and zooms, some serious tension in the final few battles, and -- as I mentioned before -- some good stylized ninja action. And there is a decent amount of action, too. It isn't necessarily dull or unbelievable.

The real meat of this piece comes from the plot twists, character development and social/political commentary. As the summary on the back of the Criterion box says, "no one is who they seem to be". The variety of characters, similarity of syllables among the names and historical setting might make this confusing for some folks who aren't "Otaku" (Japan-o-philes) but this is part of the immersion. As another user mentioned, the viewer is hanging onto the plot twists by a hair, much like the protagonist. But I was never TOO confused and found the plot to be ultimately rewarding. Trust me, it's nowhere near as complicated as Kinji Fukasaku's "Shogun's Samurai" (Yagyu Clan Conspiracy). That one requires some aspirin.

The story also has some hefty commentary on (or parallels to) the roles of espionage agents during the Cold War and their blatant disregard for human life in the constant quest for political self-profit. The ninjas here are generally depicted as stoic agents, emotionless tools of their superiors' quest for power. Their presence and deaths do leave some kind of poignant statement in being presented this way (or maybe it's just me?). Director Masahiro Shinoda says something related on the DVD interview: there's something poignant and more life-like to seeing a person die in battle. As though the person who lives, splattered by the other's blood, is actually somehow the loser.

Interesting stuff, with deeper thoughts than you might expect behind a political/ninja facade.

Muddled and extremely silly samurai film marred by artsy flourishes, goofy ninja outfits, martial-arts fantasy nonsense, and a stupid ending.

On the plus side, Shinoda has a good eye for composition, the production values are quite good, and it's got a meaty role for Seiji Miyaguchi (Kyuzo from SEVEN SAMURAI).

The most potentially interesting thing about the film is its treatment of the persecution of Christians in Tokugawa Japan. Unfortunately, it treats this aspect with the same superficiality that it treats the conflict between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Toyotomi clan (and the film starts with a basic historical error: the Toyotomi clan did not lose at Sekigahara; they didn't even fight there, although the battle did result in the end of Toyotomi hegemony over Japan).

Samurai Soy was made during the cold war and reflects both the paranoia and uncertainty of the time. It's a tale of spies being caught between sides. Having the appearance of being on one side, whilst fighting for the other, causes a lot of conflict and grief for the warriors. Perhaps the audience was supposed to be as confused as the spies, but it doesn't help so much when telling a story. Unlike the majority of samurai films, we get to see some awesome stealthy ninja action and throwing star carnage. The immense leaps and jumping made for a wealth of excitement. There were also some fantastic long shots which just aren't used for action sequences these days.

Maybe because the bar in 1960's samurai cinema was set in unprecedented highs after the works of Masaki Kobayashi, Kihachi Okamoto and Hideo Gosha among others, maybe because the title is slightly misleading and this is not an out and out chambara, or maybe because it's just not such a good film, Samurai Spy left me with a bitter aftertaste.

Set in 16th century Japan, 14 years after the defining battle of Sekigahara where the Tokugawas solidied their power over the Toyotomis (and the country was about to enter a 400 year period of Tokugawa rule), Samurai Spy attempts to tell a labyrinthine story of espionage and double-crossing. In its centre of political intrigue are two rival spy networks working for the two factions, Tokugawas and Toyotomis. The convoluted plot should come as no surprise to chambara aficionados; it is after all a staple in a good number of genre films. However whereas another very convoluted film like Samurai Assassin at least has a central figure one can relate to (likeable or not, doesn't matter) and thus follow the maze-like plot through his plights and triumphs, Samurai Spy has little concern with character development. Sasuki is a pretty bland character to spend so much time in his company. It's no surprise then that the screen is on fire whenever Tetsuro Tamba appears. As the white-clad rival ninja leader, Tamba treads the ground between baddie, hero and just-another-pawn with charm and conviction. Plus he's badass as hell.

Masahiro Shinoda is one of Japan's great directors and although the story let me down, the movie is very well shot and lit. Solid DP work helped by Criterion's pristine print. His frenzied tracking shots following ninjas are a nice touch as are the several slow-motion shots that are pivotal in many of the action scenes. Speaking of action, this is more of a ninja film than a samurai one. Not that swordfights are completely absent, but they are interspersed with shurikens, flying daggers and other ninja tricks. Fans of 80's cheese looking for Sho Koshugi's forefather might wanna look elsewhere though. This is not played for laughs.

Samurai Spy could be a lot better. It's not without its merits but as it is, I'd recommend it to completists only and chambara fans that would like a different take on their katana action. I hope you like it more than me.