(AKA Pycal going all Samoan Bob about historical accuracy) For an independent director who works almost entirely on very meager budgets, I admired Fredianelli's decision to tackle a samurai film. While the results aren't perfect, THE DRY BLADE is a decent enough, well shot, and entertaining American samurai flick.
As told by a title card at the beginning, the film takes place in Meiji Era Japan. This was the period from the mid 19th century to the early 20th following the restoration of the Japanese Emperor to power. Such ended the over 200 year period of which Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate who achieved peace, but isolated Japan from most of the world (particularly the west). Under the Emperor's leadership during the Meiji Era, Japan began to rapidly modernize and in 1873, the samurai class was essentially abolished by the Meiji Government. The film centers around some of the last remaining samurai, Kido Masahide (Vint Carmona) and Endo Tadaoki (Henry Lee). Tadaoki is a ronin and thief who operates a brothel and leads a band of black-clad masked warriors. Tadaoki plans to help destroy the Meiji Government and when Masahide refuses to join, he and his wife are murdered. Meanwhile, Masahide's son Ken (Michael Nosé) is urged to join Tadaoki. Ken refuses and takes up the sword to avenge the deaths of his parents meanwhile having to cope with a rare illness which makes his skin allergic to water.
While the plot does not offer much new to the genre (with the exception of the water allergy element), the film makes for an entertaining movie despite a clunky and draggy mid-section. Much of the movie also seems to lack character development and plays a little too much like a video game with the main character simply walking around and encountering enemies. Nevertheless, the film stands out for being well shot, boasting mostly skilled choreographed fight scenes, and some excellent practical special effects and make-up.
Shot entirely in California, THE DRY BLADE makes some good use of exterior locations of which include Japanese style landscapes and architecture. The cast proves to be a set of fairly adept actors and actresses and while many of the Japanese characters are portrayed by non-Japanese Asian actors, they fare quite well. Henry Lee as the main villain Endo Tadaoki stands out in particular in his ability to perform a good Japanese accent. Lee also sports the ability to recite authentic lines of Japanese dialog and is the only actor to do so at length.
Nevertheless, THE DRY BLADE does make quite a bit of errors related to historical accuracy (either due to the budget itself, or just pure negligence). While the exteriors shine, many of the interiors come off as rather lackluster and under-representing the more lavish architecture that stands in for their exteriors. For instance a former samurai (played by Larry Kitagawa) may not live in the most opulent of quarters, but they are good enough looking on the outside for the interior to warrant not looking like some tent someone pitched up. Another one of the sets contains a modern hardwood floor which could have easily looked more authentic if simply covered up with tatami mats (much like the floor of the brothel set). Costuming is for the most part quite good. The only noticeable errors include some Western looking pants worn by Kido Masahide and some seemingly modern day footwear worn by a few cast members. It's also of worth noting that one of the female characters (played by Tjoe Rothenfluh) wears her kimono wrong in one instance (with the lapel like flaps facing the direction only worn by dead bodies!). This is kind of a strange mistake given the writer/director likely knew this given a woman is later laid to rest by one of the characters who appears to show the courtesy to alter her kimono flaps. That said, these are mostly nitpicks from an admitted Japanese history, language, and culture geek. However, the error that appears somewhat un-excusable is when one of the Tadaoki's (very caucasian looking ninja-dressed henchmen) brandishes a knife in order to cut a piece of fruit. However the knife is clearly what appears to be a modern US military issue knife. This caused (at least this reviewer) to laugh unintentionally due to the fact that a butcher knife with a wooden handle would likely be a more historically accurate option.
If there's any major problem with the film besides pacing, it's the film's over-reliance on public domain music. While most of it is nicely realized, it gets rather annoying hearing the song "Sakura" repeated for the umpteenth time.
Regardless of its faults, THE DRY BLADE stands as a decent entry in director Michael Fredianelli's fast growing filmography. Much better than the year's earlier effort COIN.
