Poor people praise peace; pampered people praise pain. That's one of my take-aways from 13 Assassins, a new samurai rendition that begs the question facing a lot of us right now, "what will the the armed branch of the government do when the people are threatened by the establishment?" Chopping to pieces the haves and the have-nots and clears the path for the middle way, this throwback to The Seven Samurai halves over 200 screaming men during the last hour alone. 13 Assassins is part gore-fest, part contemplation on the ethical issues facing the armed forces. It's part dramedy and part tragedy. It marries hope to sacrifice and spawns an earnest need for dramatic change.
The set-up for the action is a compelling tale of demonic delusion that would make any viewer tear at his seat for blood. After decades of peace, justice neglects the evil son of a deceased Shogun as he tears through women all along the countryside in a manner all too literal. Sent to stop him from assuming the power to recreate the age of war are 13 volunteer samurai who make a stand together and unleash hell.
13 Assassins calls up themes of loyalty and to whom it is truly owed. It challenges the fundamentals of nationalism and asks that the nation be defined as the nationals themselves. It illustrates how the pampered and powerful are so far removed from the lives of the people that they simply cannot empathize with their plight. 13 Assassins says that there is a level of sociopathology inherent in those arbitrarily placed at the top. Loyalty, in the world of 13 Assassins, is owed only to those who've earned respect, not claimed respect based on title alone. GET THAT SON OF A SHOGUN!! GET HIM!!
Brilliant review. It read like a patriotic call to arms from a revolutionary. I can tell that you liked this epic for the middle class warrior. For this film to take me in it needs to have heart and swordplay. It sounds like the heart makes up the firmament of this film so do swords fly aplenty?
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