When Seven Samurai Just Weren’t Enough-Animeigo’s “Eleven Samurai”

 Halloween may be over, but the ‘claret continues to flow’. It’s another dose of in-your-face, bloody group vengeance in Animeigo’s release of “Eleven Samurai” (“Ju-ichinin No Samurai”, Toei 1966) the final film in Kudo Eiichi’s “Samurai Trilogy”. The first two films in the trilogy, the original “13 Assassins” and “The Great Killing”, both featured meticulous plans to ambush the numerically superior enemy. They’re often compared to Kurosawa Akira’s “Seven Samurai” for this reason. “Eleven Samurai” also includes this aspect, but this is after all Japanese film-there’s no guarantee that the third time will be the charm. With an army of samurai retainers forming the opposition rather than the Kurosawa film’s ragtag band of bandits, seven samurai would not be enough. Bring on the Eleven Samurai!

The film wastes no time getting the plot rolling. The time is 1839 and Nariatsu, brother of the Shogun and Lord of Tatebayashi (who is shown in Animeigo’s historical notes to likely be modeled on Matsudaira Nariyoshi, who died under vague circumstances in 1839), is out hunting for sport. Angry over the day’s poor catch and his poor performance with the bow when shooting at a deer, the Lord charges after the fleeing animal and despite warnings from his vassals continues his pursuit across the han boundary into the neighboring fief of Oshi. When an elderly woodcutter climbs onto the side of the road and attempts to help his wife clamber up, Nariatsu’s horse is spooked and stops the pursuit. An enraged Nariatsu instead chases down the peasant and strikes him down to the horror of his vassals. In one of those incredible coincidences that only happens in film, the Lord of Oshi, Abe Bungo-No-Kami Masayori, just happens to be riding nearby and chastises the petulant Nariatsu for entering his fief without permission and setting a poor example by striking down the peasant. You know something bad is going to happen when Nariatsu nervously fingers an arrow on his bow…and sure enough, even though Masayori states he will overlook the infraction because of Nariatsu’s high status, the arrow finds flight and buries itself in Masayori’s eye. Nariatsu retreats back to his own fief, leaving the dead Masayori’s vassals to seek legal redress for the cowardly act. 

However, it’s GOOD being Shogun-or even his brother. Not only does the Bakufu ignore Oshi fief’s request that Nariatsu be punished, but Chief Minister Mizuno Echizen concocts a twisted version of the incident that has Masayori invading Nariatsu’s fief and being killed by a ‘stray arrow’. As punishment for this imagined crime, the Oshi fief is confiscated. Oshi Minister Tatewaki manages to put off the confiscation of the fief for a month by telling Echizen that he needs the time to bring the vassals under control, implying that otherwise there will be ‘rash acts’ of violence against the Bakufu. 

Instead, Tatewaki plans to use his month to have Nariatsu killed, an act which would likely lead to a reversal of Echizen’s decree. You see, much like the earlier two films, the Bakufu would cover up the assassination in order to not appear impotent-and that would necessitate not taking the Oshi lands. Tatewaki enlists his childhood friend, Sengoku Hayato, to put together a team and plan the assassination. Hayato figures he’ll need about 10 good men to pull it off. He takes a unique stance on finding them-he has clan officials notified that no harm must come to Lord Nariatsu and that anyone who does otherwise should be ordered to commit seppuku. When this inevitably happens, Hayato confronts the group and when they proceed to attempt to carry out their sentence, becomes convinced of their courage and recruits them to his cause. The addition of the ‘hotheads’-leader Mitamura, Hoshina, Aragane, Kuga, Adachi, Junnosuke, and Lady Nui (who was fulfilling her dead brother’s promise to join the group)-swells his ranks to eight. Needing money to carry out their plan, they recruit a clan accountant, Ichihashi Yajiro. The nine set out separately for Edo to catch up with Lord Nariatsu. As if he hasn’t already established himself as a Grade A scumbag, he’s traveling to Edo without permission to demand that the confiscated Oshi fief be added to his own! 

Upon arriving in Edo, Nariatsu continues to add to his resume by ducking out of his mansion and visiting the red light district in Yoshiwara, stumbling around in a drunken stupor with half the area courtesans and geisha in tow. Hayato’s group decides to take this opportunity to strike at Nariatsu while he’s undefended. They lay in wait for him at the stairs of the Geisha house he’s staying at. However, when Nariatsu proves to be too drunk to climb the stairs and tumbles down them (earning the title of “Brick McBurly of his Day”), giving him just enough time to be saved by the arrival of his Chamberlain Akiyoshi Gyobu. Gyobu is not convinced by the stories out of Oshi that Hayato’s group was sentenced to seppuku or exiled for stealing clan funds. Despite a constant stream of abuse from Nariatsu (who at one point in the film tells Gyobu he’d rather take the risks than bother with listening to him), Gyobu continues to do his best to protect his Lord-because, y’know, that’s just part of the whole filmatic Bushido thang. 

Gyobu’s not the only one struggling with the contradictions of Bushido. Hayato’s group takes refuge in an old dwelling where the hothead faction clashes with Hayato over how things are being handled. They accuse him of being standoffish, happy to set up shop with Lady Nui and not taking the opportunities presented them. Things seemingly get worse when it’s revealed that a scruffy ronin, Ido Daijyurou, has overheard their conversation and deduces what their objective is, but he proves sent from the gods when a group of Nariatsu’s samurai suddenly attack. With his help, the Oshi ronin make their escape. 

After returning home, Hayato is confronted by his brother in law, Kyonosuke-and Hayato’s wife Orei. The two can’t believe that Hayato suddenly disappeared and set up shop with another woman. Kyonosuke declares Hayato a disgrace and sets off to kill Lord Nariatsu on his own. However, the Tatebayashi samurai have expected an assault and capture him easily, torturing him before Lord Nariatsu kills him. Hayato has attempted to prevent his assault, knowing it will likely bring about the immediate confiscation of Oshi Han. He fails and returns crestfallen to Orei, who has heard the entire story of what’s going on from Lady Nui. Her faith in her husband restored, they have a touching interlude that ends in unexpected tragedy. Daijyurou reappears and is finally accepted into the group, giving them ten. 

Lord Nariatsu, having gotten a promise that he will be awarded Oshi fief, prepares to return to Tatebayashi. Hayato’s group decides to make their stand in an Imperial forest east of Edo along the steep hillsides flanking the narrow road through. They set up an elaborate ambush, planning to separate and trap Nariatsu’s procession by dropping trees into their path. Using Daijyurou’s knowledge of gunpowder weapons, they make bamboo cannons to shell the assemblage before attacking on foot. It seemingly can’t miss!

But back in Edo, Elder Echizen and Gyobu scheme to ensure Nariatsu’s safety. They infer to Chamberlain Tatewaki that the decision to confiscate the fief will be rescinded, and that if anything were to happen to Lord Nariatsu, the original verdict would instead be allowed to stand. Tatewaki sends his aide Todo to the site of the ambush with the news, ordering the assault to be called off. This brings the group to 11, but also presents them with a huge decision to make. Should they ignore the order and continue with their plan to avenge their lord? Or is the fief’s survival paramount? The film cleverly allows them to ‘try’ both, but you’ll have to see for yourself how that little trick is pulled off. 

The film superficially resembles the previous two ‘Samurai Trilogy’ entries, “13 Assassins” and “The Great Killing”, but in spirit is more akin to a Chushingura/47 Ronin film. Here the samurai are working outside the law to gain revenge for the death of their Lord and the subsequent confiscation of their fief (an insult compounded by having it awarded to the man who killed their Lord in a fit of pique). It’s particularly mirrored in the moral dilemma of whether to work towards revenge or the restoration of their clan. 

Much of the cast for “Eleven Samurai” had appeared in the previous two films-two of them, Satomi Koutaro (playing Mitamura Kenshin, leader of the hotheads) and Nishimura Ko (playing ronin Ido Daijyurou) are probably best known for essaying the title role in the “Mito Komon” TV series. Suga Kantaro is the surly Nariatsu, in effect reprising his role from “13 Assassins”. While at times he goes a bit over the top in acting despicably, he certainly succeeds in making his character come across as an entitled, petulant and sadistic rich boy who takes everything for granted and treats even his vassals as disposable objects. This is one guy you really, REALLY want to see get killed. Otomo Ryutaro played the evil lord’s loyal samurai Akiyoshi Gyobu after being the prime baddie in “The Great Killing”-he also appeared in the first example of ‘samurai group assault’ films, “Seventeen Ninja”. Having a cast that was used to working with the director and each other gave the film solid performances even for the smaller parts. 

One of the more interesting aspects of the film is the portrayal of the relationship between Hayato (Natsuyagi Isao) and Orei (Miyazono Junko). It’s very affectionate and much more up-front than similar relationships in most chanbara films and is given a good chunk of time to play out as a subplot in the film. Shots of Hayato’s hands lovingly caressing Orei’s face and his obvious sense of shame when she believes him to have taken up with another woman give a real sense of two people who care deeply for each other. Someone at Toei obviously thought so, as the two went on to appear together in “Samurai Wolf” and “Samurai Wolf II”. Miyazono later starred in “Quick Draw Okatsu”, one of the best ‘swordswoman’ films to come out of Japan (not to mention costarring the awesome Oshida Reiko as a ninja babe). Natsuyagi is still active in Japanese film, recently appearing in the Azuchi Castle/Nobunaga jidaigeki opus “Castle Under Fiery Skies”. 

Director Kudo seems have to found the perfect balance in his third effort at a ‘group assault’ film. “13 Assassins” was cold and calculating, precise and surgical in its planning and counter-planning. “The Great Killing” was an exercise in chaos, from the opening that drew in a character totally unrelated to the plot to the closing assault that didn’t look at first to have succeeded. “Eleven Samurai” blends these disparate approaches and adds the Hayato/Orei relationship, an aspect that was somewhat missing in the first two films (especially 13 Assassins). There are some excellent shots and composition in the film, particularly in the massive, almost expressionistic Imperial forest that the ambush is to take place in. Light and shadow is used to great effect and there are nice flourishes, such as letting a billowing wave of fog effect a virtual wipe of the screen. Kudo is also smart enough to give his leads a bit of screen time to flesh out their characters, not just the Hayato/Orei/Nui angle but Hayato’s position as an outsider among the ‘hotheads’, Gyobu’s travails as Nariatsu’s Chamberlain, and Daijyourou’s scathing indictments of the samurai lifestyle. 

The music is composed by Ifukube Akira. While it’s striking, powerful, and does a good job underscoring the events onscreen, it sounds far too much like his memorable score for the classic “Godzilla”. While we’re no music expert, many passages sounded as if they were note for note and simply recycled. This has the unfortunate side effect of being a distraction for anyone who’s seen “Godzilla” a few times. 

Extras are light this time around-trailers for the three films in Kudo’s ‘Samurai Trilogy’, a handful of historical notes, short bios of some of the cast and crew, and a small image gallery (only five images). Toei must not have had much archival material on the film since not only is there a lack of stills on the disc but the trailer is one that Animeigo put together themselves. Otherwise, the disc is what we’ve all come to expect from Animeigo-a top rate translation with cultural notes onscreen, the best possible transfer, and solid sound. 

In the less innocent and more skeptical world of the 1960’s, it wouldn’t be Seven Samurai that would get the job done. It called for Eleven...Eleven Samurai who fought themselves and their clan leadership as much as they did the enemy. But when everything was said and done, they pulled together to attack their common enemy, concluding the Samurai Trilogy with an appropriately brutal and bloody finale. It combines the best of the classic jidaigeki of the 50’s with the increasingly violent large scale chanbara films of the 60’s.You can pick up Eleven Samurai at a discount on the Animeigo website or on Amazon. Speaking of brutal and bloody, while you’re there check out the “Lone Wolf & Cub” Blu-ray set-all six films in one nice package! We’ll be reviewing that in a couple of weeks. 

All Eleven Samurai Photos Courtesy and Copyright 1967 Toei Studios

Blu-blood Comes To Animeigo: Shogun Assassin

While we at the SA prefer our chanbara subbed, not dubbed, there's no denying the influence 'Shogun Assassin' has had on Western audiences. This film (cobbled together from parts of the first two 'Lone Wolf And Cub/Kozure Okami' films and given an English language dub) introduced the ultra violent samurai epics of the 70's to a audience that had previously had only Kurosawa fare to watch for a jidaigeki fix. Interestingly enough, the film has also had a big crossover impact in the horror/splatter film genre, being celebrated in many works devoted to Splatter Cinema. It even made it into the #6 position on the late Goremeister Extraordinaire Chas Balun's 'Dirty Dozen' list! The latter group would surely approve of the tag line Animeigo has given to its new Blu-ray release of this seminal offering-"The film that brought new life to BLOOD-DRENCHED DEATH!" From Samuel L. Jackson to Quentin Tarantino (who paid homage to the film in 'Kill Bill 2'), the film has made its presence felt. You might say that 'Shogun Assassin' is now the Blu-blood of Animeigo's classic film lineup!

This 1980 release saw the film take twelve minutes of footage from the first Baby Cart film, Sword Of Vengeance, and lift the remainder of the footage from Baby Cart At The River Styx (both of which are also available from Animeigo). The original film provides the background to the series-how Shogunate executioner Ogami Itto was stripped of his title, marked for death by the Shogun, and along with his infant son Daigoro became a ronin and began to roam the countryside as an assassin-for-hire. The footage from part two is highlighted by the conflict between Itto and the 'Masters Of Death', three killers who each specialize in an exotic weapon-a tiger claw, spiked club, and spiked knuckles.

If you've only watched the original Lone Wolf And Cub films, noting the different ways in which Shogun Assassin strays from them makes for interesting viewing. The most notable difference is that the Yagyu clan has been stricken from the books, with clan leader Retsudo now being installed as the Shogun. While Daigoro says next to nothing in the Japanese versions, he becomes the chronicler/narrator of Shogun Assassin. Most of the subplots involving the motivations of the Masters Of Death and the Yagyu are eliminated. The American producers did leave in the one thing that mattered-the buckets of blood, flying limbs, and intense sword fighting. From krazed kunoichi karving up a rival shinobi to make a point, to the baby cart tricked out with as many gadgets and weapons as the Batmobile, to the all out assault and showdown between Ogami and the Masters of Death, not a drop of blood has been omitted. One of the more amusing anecdotes given about the film in the commentary (discussed at length in the next paragraph) is how 'The Masters Of Death', while not being up to defeating Ogami Itto, did manage to defeat the evil censors on the MPAA ratings board. The biggest difference is actually in the trailer for the film, which attempts to promote Shogun Assassin as a 'Conan The Barbarian' sword-and-sorcery film. Hearing about how Itto massacres hundreds of enemies 'with one sweep of his mystic blade', the description of himself and Daigoro as the 'greatest team in the history of mass slaughter', and seeing the Shogun described as a wizard-well, to anyone who grew up watching misleading film trailers it's a real treat.

There are not one but two commentary tracks on the disc. The first is a carryover from the boxed set of Shogun Assassin films (it didn't appear on the individual initial release) and is done by 'Film Scholar' Ric Meyers and 'Martial Arts Expert' Steve Watson. Myers dispenses with the self-referential praise and poor grasp of Japanese culture and history that tainted his commentary for Animeigo's 'Shinobi No Mono 2', turning in an excellent examination of the film's history, stars, voice actors, and production staff. Watson doesn't chime in often and generally seems to be there to correct Meyers's poor Japanese pronunciation. The second commentary is by far the most interesting-it's done by 'Shogun Assassin' Producer David Weisman, Graphic Designer Jim Evans (who designed the memorable 'two sword' English language poster), and Gibran Evans (the English language voice actor for Daigoro). This is definitely Weisman's show, and the insight he brings to the acquisition/localization of foreign films for distribution in the US is a treasure trove for Japanese film enthusiasts. If you've wanted to know why they spliced together two films to make one, why these particular films were chosen, had Daigoro narrate the story, why the story was changed to exclude the Yagyu clan, or why it was dubbed in English rather than subtitled-Weisman has an answer for you. From a business standpoint, it's obvious he was dead on-the film was a box office smash despite the fact that an earlier subtitled version of another of the 'Baby Cart' films flopped badly. The dubbing process is examined in depth (including Sandra Bernhard's fabled cacklings) and the level of dedication and pride taken in the process will come as a surprise to many. Weisman also has an interesting theory that the 'Baby Cart' films revolve around the love of father and son and their bonding. While this aspect of the series is seen in the excellent TV version of the series (featuring Nakamura Kinnosuke's superior portrayal of Ogami Itto), we've always found it absent in Wakayama Tomisaburo's Ogami-quite the opposite. His cold and calculating manner seems to relegate his son to the status of nothing more than a convenient tool. Still, Weisman provides enough food for thought to back up his viewpoint.

There's also an original interview done with Samuel L. Jackson on Shogun Assassin and the influence it's had on his film career, including his voice work on 'Afro Samurai'. It's also obvious Jackson is a huge chanbara fan, with hundreds of films in his collection. Other extras include cast and crew bios for the principles, a still gallery, and the film's ungodly misleading trailer. Aniemigo's always excellent program notes are on display as well, giving historical background and cultural explanations for the action in the film. There's also a very cool section that allows you to compare scenes from the bootleg, DVD, and Blu-ray versions of Shogun Assasssin and how the quality of the transfers has improved over the years. Even on our old-school 1992 TV, you can see a big difference in quality from the Animeigo DVD to Blu-ray. It would be even more pronounced on a modern big-screen HD TV! The next step will no doubt be a 3-D version where the blood comes right into your living room-when that happens, it'll be time for us to upgrade our antique TV.

New TV or old, the excellent transfer along with the new commentaries make this a welcome addition to any chanbara film's collection. If you've put off watching the 'American version' of Lone Wolf, now would be the time to indulge yourself. You'll come away with a better understanding of the difficulties involved in marketing foreign films in the US and be treated to one of the iconic splatter/sword releases of the eighties to boot. At $13, how can you go wrong? Just don't sit too close to the screen-regular blood's hard enough to get out, but Blu-blood is a real bitch. The Blu-ray release of Shogun Assassin is available directly from Animeigo or through Amazon at the Samurai Archives Store.

Interview with Patrick Galloway Part 2

This week continues Obenjo Kusanosuke's two-part interview with Patrick Galloway, Author of Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook and Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong & Thailand. Enjoy!


OK: Hi Pat! Welcome back for part two of our interview. We left off part one with you mentioning some fabulous films that were directed by some of Japan’s all-time great jidai geki directors. I know from past discussions that you are fan of Mizoguchi Kenji’s films. Mizoguchi was a master filmmaker in his own right but never found the kind of overseas commercial success that Kurosawa enjoyed. Can you tell us what it is about Mizoguchi’s directorial style that is so appealing to you? Why do you think that Mizuguchi remained relatively unknown in some key overseas markets such as America?

PG: Kenji Mizoguchi is considered one of the Big Three Japanese auteurs, along with Ozu and Kurosawa (a triumvirate demarcated decades ago by film critics here and abroad). His style is fluid, graceful and magnificent. There are three reasons why Mizoguchi's profile in the US has never been as high as Kurosawa's: 1) Kurosawa was at Toho, a studio with distribution deals and a chain of theaters in the US (as opposed to Mizoguchi's studio, Daiei, which had neither); 2) Kurosawa's style is far more influenced by American film (he idolized John Ford), and is thus more accessible to American audiences than Mizoguchi's; and 3) Mizoguchi's choice of subject matter was a bit dark for American audiences -- cruelty and prostitution were two big themes for him, not the kind of topics that are going to sell a lot of popcorn. Mizoguchi was much bigger in Europe, particularly in France. Andre Bazin, François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard lauded him in Cahiers du cinéma during the 50's, considering him greater than Kurosawa. Style-wise, the fundamental difference between Kurosawa and Mizoguchi is that, as Mizoguchi himself famously stated, his films unfurl like a scroll, rather than moving from cut to cut like the turning pages of a book. Mizoguchi's takes are longer, the camera often moving from scene to scene, rather than cutting like Kurosawa.

OK: And it’s a little strange, but while Mizoguchi got the credit he deserved in Japan, Kurosawa was often panned. Why was that?

PG: Ironically, it was due to Kurosawa's early success in Europe and America. Rashomon won the Grand Prix at the Venice International Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1951. Japanese critics, in a stunningly xenophobic turn, assumed that if Western critics liked his films, there must be something wrong with his work, that it couldn't be authentically Japanese (for then, surely it would be incomprehensible to the West). Bear in mind this was just a few short years after Japan's defeat in World War II, and some measure of antipathy towards the West is understandable. Plus his films did exhibit a Western influence. Nevertheless, he was ill-served by these early critiques, and they disturbed him deeply.

OK: Staying on the subject of directors, some have had an incredible ability to make their stars shine brighter than usual on the silver screen resulting in some very special director - actor collaborations. We all know about Kurosawa and Mifune, but take an incredible actor like Nakadai Tatsuya—who possesses an unbelievable range of talent. But is there one director, whom in your opinion made Nakadai’s star burn brighter than it normally does?

PG: Well my first thought is Masaki Kobayashi who gave Nakadai his start, introducing him to the world in profound and disturbing films likeBlack River and the Human Condition trilogy. But Tatsuya Nakadai had already been acting on the stage prior to his screen debut with Kobayashi, and his particular star tends to burn quite brightly no matter which director he's working with. Take a look at his performances in Satsuo Yamamoto's Blood End, Hideo Gosha's Goyokin, Kihachi Okamoto's Sword of Doom, Kurosawa's Ran, Kon Ichikawa's The Key, Kenji Misumi's Zatoichi -- The Festival of Fire, Masahiro Shinoda's Buraikan, Shiro Toyoda's Portrait of Hell, Mikio Naruse's When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, hell, even Tonino Cervi's spaghetti western Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die (Nakadai plays a psychotic Mexican bandit in that one). He's always brilliant, always gives 100% and is, in my opinion, the greatest Japanese actor of the 20th century (and beyond ... ).

OK: Do you think Shinoda Masahiro brought out the best in Iwashita Shima? By the way, I was surprised she didn’t make your list of favorite actresses! But seriously, she has an unnerving beauty and sensuality that when combined with her on-screen intelligence, is enchanting to the point of lethality! I intend to rest my case by mentioning her collaboration with Shinoda, who is also her husband, in his amazing Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees. You wrote a very good piece about this film in your book, Asia Shock. Would you agree that this film is a perfect marriage of the jidai geki and horror genres? The film is violent, sexually charged and downright spooky!

PG: I would put Shima Iwashita in the same class as Nakadai, a consummate professional and transcendently gifted performer who tends to shine no matter who she's working for. I think it's the lesser talents that need a director to "bring out the best" in them (like, say, Brad PItt needs David Fincher -- I've never seen Pitt top his performance in Fight Club). So yes, Iwashita's terrific. Having said that, she's not one of my favorites. You mentioned the term unnerving, and that's what I get from her, an ice queen vibe that makes a performance like that in Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees all the more disturbing. The scene where she suckles a severed head -- not for a minute did I doubt her sincerity, and that's pretty shocking! Incidentally, I give her her props in the new book, Warring Clans, Flashing Blades.

OK: What other jidai geki horror films would you recommend?

PG: Well there's Kobayashi's Kwaidan for starters. That's four films in one, so you definitely get your money's worth there, plus a great cast: Rentaro Mikuni, Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsuro Tamba, and Katsuo Nakamura as Hoichi the Earless! Then there are a number of film versions of the classic The Ghost of Yotsuya to check out; I'd particularly recommend the 1959 version directed by King of Japanese Horror Nobuo Nakagawa. Teruo Ishii's The Joy of Torture is fairly horrendous, cataloging heinous acts of cruelty down through the ages. In the new book I discuss freaky jidai geki films like the bloody revenge thriller Shura, the supernatural, Heian era drama Kuroneko and the gruesome Toei exploitation flick Quick-Draw Okatsu (all highly recommended).

OK: Yes, those are indeed very good films. I do think that one of the great things about jidai geki, is that as period pieces, you can drop any kind of genre into them, such as musicals and comedies and make them work quite well. And regarding comedies, I really think that Okamoto Kihachi was able to bring a very sharp and witty sense of humor to his jidai geki directorial efforts. Which of his films make you laugh?

PG: I think Kill! and Warring Clans are two of his funniest, most uproarious films. But what's amazing about Okamoto is his ability to blend comedy with drama, action and violence, often in the same scene! Okamoto fought in World War II and experienced his share of carnage. The dark absurdities of war instilled in him a gallows humor that shows up in many of his films, particularly the ones in which he had the most creative control. Unfortunately, he was often at odds with the Toho brass, and some of his films clearly show a stifled Okamoto phoning it in (see Battle of Okinawa).

OK: Sadly East Meets West , Okamoto’s 1995 “samurai in the Wild West” comedy, hasn’t been legitimately released on DVD in the US or other overseas markets. It’s a shame as nearly half the movie is in English and I thought Takenaka Naoto was a real treat to watch. He kept me in stitches! Have you managed to see it?

PG: No, that's yet another film on my ever-lengthening wish list.

OK: And what about another samurai western, Red Sun, featuring the fearsome threesome of Mifune Toshiro, Charles Bronson and Alain Deon? What do you think of this movie?

PG: Not bad. But take Mifune out of the equation and it's a pretty routine affair. There are some great set pieces, though, with Mifune and Bronson fighting together against hordes of attackers -- the sword 'n pistol combo is exciting and unique. And as always, Alain Delon is super cool and Ursula Andress is smoking hot!

OK: Ah, yes, I see what you mean. And thanks for bringing up the fact that Ursula Andress starred in that movie as well. It seems that after this film, she went on to star in some not-so-great soft-core Italian exploitation films. And speaking of exploitation movies, this is also a genre that has shown up under the guise of jidai geki to give us some surprisingly entertaining B-style films during the 1970s and early 80s. One such series of films were the Hanzo the Razor movies starring the late and great Katsu Shintaro, of Zatoichi fame. You wrote about this series in Stray Dogs and Lone Wolves and this convinced me to plop down the cash to buy the set, even though I’m not the biggest fan of exploitation jidai geki. I actually really enjoyed these films! What’s your take on the Hanzo the Razor series?

PG: It's all in the book, Obenjo. The fact that I wrote reviews for all three movies, rather than a blanket review of the trilogy, speaks to my enthusiasm for this short-lived, severely twisted, boisterously priapic series. As you may know, the films were based on a manga by Kazuo Koike (of Lone Wolf & Cub fame). I have a particular passion for manga movies, as they tend to occupy most outrageous corner of Japanese cinema.

OK: Yeah, the “enormity” of it all was quite funny! But I do have to say, I thought Brick McBurly, in Samurai Sexecutioner put Katsu’s “Hanzo” to shame in oh so many ways. What did you think of this film? I thought it was another McBurly masterpiece!

PG: Since our last interview, I took it upon myself to screen a film starring this McBurly guy you seem so keen on, the very film you mention in fact. It didn't merit more than a two-word review so I guess I'll go with "pond scum," or better, "shit sandwich."

OK: What’s up with you and Brick? I guess it is fair to say that none of Brick’s films will make your desert isle top ten list! So, if you were on a deserted island all to yourself with a TV, DVD player and a power source, what would be the top 10 samurai movies you’d want with you?

PG: Well Yojimbo and Sanjuro, I couldn't really live without those. Gosha's Hunter In the Dark, that's one you can watch over and over. I'd need a Nemuri Kyoshiro picture, so I'd take my favorite, Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction (no wait, that's only on VHS ... ). A Bloody Spear on Mt. Fuji, now there's a great film! And Kenji Misumi's The Last Samurai is incredible. What are we up to? Six? Hmm. Oh hell, this is ridiculous. There are so many great samurai films, there's no way I can pick ten without it being a random sampling. But to honor your question and round out the list, let's say Harakiri, Lone Wolf & Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, The Ceiling at Utsunomiya and Ran.

OK: Excellent list! I think you and I could talk about samurai films all night—as our wives can attest to! Therefore, why don’t we give some other people here the chance to ask you some questions? How does that sound to you?

PG: Fine by me, so long as they don't involve someone named "Brick."

OK: Alright, so if you have a question for Pat Galloway, please respond to this post, and I’ll submit them to Pat. Answers will be posted soon after that. Also, don't forget to check out Pat's website at http://www.cyberpat.com



Pat Galloway says: Oh oh, I think I just
saw Brick McBurly...I did!!! They are filming
an episode of "Abarenbo Gaijin" here!

If you have any questions for Pat, please feel free to post them in the comments for this thread!

S-A Interview with Patrick Galloway

Recently, after discussing various things we could do to keep everything fresh and interesting, fellow Samurai Archives blogger Obenjo Kusanosuke came up with the idea of interviewing people preeminent in their respective fields. Obenjo kicks off the first of many interviews with Patrick Galloway, author of two books on Asian cinema.


Recently, I sat down for a fun-filled email interview with Patrick Galloway, author of Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook and Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong & Thailand . We are honored to inaugurate the Samurai Archives’ Author Interview Series with such a distinguished guest and valued forum member. This is the first part of our on-going discussion and once the interview is finished, the thread will be unlocked so people can post comments and a few additional questions for Patrick. So without further ado, let’s get on with the interview!

OK: Tell us, what got you interested in samurai films? What was the first one you saw?

PG: Way back when I first discovered the Criterion Collection -- that's where I found Yojimbo and Seven Samurai. So like many others, I entered the world of the samurai through the doorway of Akira Kurosawa. I had also been a student of Eastern philosophy for many years, and the Zen aesthetic was attractive to me. Later I found Zatoichi and began to develop an awareness of chambara in terms of the different studios (Toho, Daiei, Shochiku, etc.)

OK: What motivated you to write Stray Dogs and Lone Wolves? I thought this was one heck of a book and it was ‘love at first read’. You really take the reader by the hand on a grand tour of samurai cinema in a way that entertains and educates at the same time.

PG: At the time I wrote the book, there was only one other text wholly devoted to the samurai film genre, Alain Silver's then-out-of-print The Samurai Film. While I've gotten much from Silver's book, there's no denying it's written in a dry, academic style. I wanted to create a book that was informative and fun to read, expressing my personal enthusiasm for the genre. In this way I could offer an alternative to Silver and establish my own style.

OK: How did you come up with the idea of Takuan, "the know-it-all priest"? This was quite a clever idea.

PG: This was a Q&A device to help people new to Japanese film/culture get a handle on some of the more bewildering cultural traditions they're bound to encounter watching the films. I appropriated the irascible yet wise Takuan from the Musashi Miyamoto saga, one of the first stops on many a journey through samurai film.

OK: Is there a specific period of Japanese history you have become interested in because of samurai films?

PG: Since the majority of samurai films take place during the Tokugawa period, that was, of course, my initial fascination. But many films are set during the Sengoku, and a few in the Heian, and these periods have definitely caught my interest as well. The Meiji era is technically no longer jidai geki, but there have been great films set then as well, such as Kenji Misumi's The Last Samurai and the Lady Snowblood films. I think the Meiji is of particular interest to Westerners, as it was a period of rapid westernization, a time when, almost overnight, topknots and kimonos gave way to top hats and frock coats.

OK: How did you find the Samurai Archives? What was it that led you here?

PG: Initially it was my own curiosity, inspired by the films. Once the samurai film obsession had taken hold, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the history and real personages portrayed in the pictures I was discovering. Later I came to rely on the SA as a valuable resource for my research, both with SD&LW and my upcoming Warring Clans, Flashing Swords: A Samurai Film Companion (out Fall '09).

OK: Has the study of Japanese history helped give you any additional insights into the samurai films you view?

PG: I'm always interested in distinguishing samurai fact from samurai fiction. A deeper understanding of the history serves to enhance one's enjoyment of the films. You get a kick out of seeing an historical figure or event faithfully represented, but it's also fun to know when things are getting changed around for dramatic effect (which is more often the case).

OK: Who are your favorite jidai geki stars and what is that you specifically like about these actors/actresses?

PG: Good lord, where to begin? Big name stars I particularly like include Tatsuya Nakadai, Raizo Ichikawa, Shintaro Katsu, Kinnosuke Nakamura and Toshiro Mifune. However, I'm also quite fond of a whole range of character actors and second-tier stars like Tomisaburo Wakayama, Tetsuro Tamba, Eijiro Tono, Makoto Sato, Yoshio Harada, Shigeru Amachi, Kamatari Fujiwara, Kunie Tanaka, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Rentaro Mikuni, Etsushi Takahashi, Mikio Narita, Yoshio Inaba -- and that's just the guys. As for the ladies, there's Isuzu Yamada, Yoko Kagawa, Yoshiko Kuga, Machiko Kyo, Nobuko Otowa, Kinuyo Tanaka, Meiko Kaji and of course the girls of Daiei: Masayo Banri, Shiho Fujimura and Miwa Takada.

OK: I noticed Brick McBurly didn’t make your list. Why? I’m struggling to understand this. I thought he was brilliant in his jidai geki debut The Dog Style Shogun. Even though we couldn’t see his face throughout the movie, his portrayal of Hattori Hanzo left me speechless.

PG: Brick who? Is that the white guy who plays a samurai in Kiss makeup? Otherwise I don't know who you're talking about. Why would you bring up some silly-named nobody in an interview like this? You were doing pretty good until this last question...

OK: Umm... that’s me who wears the KABUKI, not KISS makeup! Well, fine. Brick didn’t make your list, but I think he deserves some credit for his portrayal of Hanzo. Speaking of ninjas, there are a lot of folks out there who are fans of ninja films. There are some highly entertaining films out there, but it is really easy to fall into the trap of believing that ninja existed as they are portrayed in so many of the schlockier films. Did you fall into this ninja trap? I know I did!

PG: Actually, I took this issue to heart in my research and discussions of ninja films in my upcoming book. Although there were real, historical ninja, they were essentially just spies, and operated in much the same way spies do in all eras i.e. gathering intelligence, creating political instability, carrying out assassinations, etc. The black pajamas and super powers are the stuff of kabuki theater.

OK: Can you tell us which ninja movies you’d recommend? Are there any we should avoid?

PG: The ninja films I review in the new book run the gamut from classics like Shinobi no Mono and Samurai Spy to fun stuff like Watari, Ninja Boy. I think the worst thing I ever saw was something called Master Ninja with Lee Van Cleef and Timothy Van Patten.

OK: Yeah, that Lee Van Cleef and Timothy Van Patten thing was actually also a TV show. As a kid, I was surprised to see that ‘Salami’ (Van Patten’s character in the TV show ‘White Shadow’) became a ninja after graduating from Carver High School! I hate to get philosophical on you, but I’ve got to ask this. Do you consider chambara and jidai geki to be distinctly different film categories, or do you consider chambara to be a sub-genre of jidai geki?

PG: I'd say the latter. The term jidai geki, "period drama," covers historical periods up to 1868 (gendai geki picks it up from there to the present). So any film set before 1868 is technically jidai geki. It could be a chambara, an art film or a melodrama -- it's all jidai geki, at least as I understand it.

OK: The reason why I asked the above question is because some people turn their noses up at chambara, thinking that they are too low-brow. But I think it could be said that some chambara films rank as some of the best jidai geki films ever made. Would you agree with this statement? If so, what films come to mind?



PG: My feelings on this can be summed up by two words on page 12 of SD&LW, "chambara rocks!" As you know, chambara is an onomatopoetic term, referring to the sound of clashing swords. So any jidai geki film that has a fair amount of swordplay qualifies, I suppose, although some critics reserve the term for what they consider cheap, forgettable program pictures. Frankly, I've never seen such a picture. Even the most routine chambara film, at least among the ones I've seen, has a certain character, a certain intensity borne of bushido and the giri/ninjo conflict. And, as you mention, there are scores of chambara films that are true masterworks of cinema. Take any of the chambara films of Hideo Gosha, Kihachi Okamoto or Kenji Misumi, filmmakers who are to their genre what John Ford, Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher are to the American western. Even such luminaries as Akira Kurosawa and Masaki Kobayashi have worked in the genre, creating landmark films like Harakiri, Sanjuro, Samurai Rebellion and Seven Samurai. So I think it's safe to say that, far from some derogatory term, chambara encompasses a wide range of fabulous films that continue to enrich and entertain year after year.

END OF PART ONE

Maeda Keiji, Stephen Hayes, and The Last Samurai: Pop Culture’s Impact On Historical Studies

One of the best features of the Samurai Archives Citadel is that it’s designed to be inclusive. Virtually anyone with an interest in pre-20th century Japanese history can fit in comfortably there. There are a lot of sites that take up positions at either end of the spectrum-ranging from hardcore academic lists such as PMJS (Pre-Modern Japanese Studies) to historically bereft video game, martial arts, and movie boards. The Citadel can accommodate the members of both. This lets the members with a greater degree of historical knowledge have a place to enjoy themselves with off-the-wall topics, while allowing ‘entry level historians’ a venue to get a firm grounding in ‘real’ history. The dual nature of the Citadel is reflected by the Samurai Wiki (an online source which is recommended to students by many University professors and high school teachers) and the 10 Common Samurai Misconceptions, a section which all new members are encouraged to read. As might be imagined, occasionally the newer members put forth arguments and positions that they support with baggage from their initial interests-be it video games, manga, anime, chambara, martial arts, or half-baked philosophy books. Usually, these musings fall into one of several pop culture categories:

1. The Modern Sammyrai-would be modern day followers of Bushido and the tenets of the Hagakure, pledging to live their lives by the way of the sword in an honorable manner.
2. Ninjer-see above, but substitute ‘ninja’ for ‘samurai’. These people believe the outrageous claims and false histories given by such ‘masters’ as Ashida Kim and Stephen Hayes.
3. Christian Sammyrai-those who place an inordinately large focus on Christian Samurai, and greatly overestimate the impact they had on Sengoku Japan.
4. Gamers-whether tabletop or video, gamers sometimes display an obsessive need to have everything neatly categorized, and show blind faith in the historical accuracy of their favorite pastimes. This can be seen most readily in the person of Maeda Keiji, a very minor samurai whose major claim to fame was being related to Maeda Toshiie-but a character that is regarded by many gamers as being one of the most significant figures of the age due to being portrayed as such in the ‘Sengoku Musou’ video game series.
5. Manga, Anime, and Other Fiction-much like video gamers, they can get too caught up in fictional worlds and believe that these works truly present things the way they were. The Shinsengumi (a group which is fascinating on its own merits) is a favorite topic for wild enhancement and crazy speculation.
6. Jidai-geki programming-a particularly virulent strain of misinformation-situations, objects, and personages glimpsed in chambara films and period dramas are quoted as facts when discussing historical events. The television miniseries ‘James Clavell’s Shogun’ and the film ‘The Last Samurai’ are likely the most notorious examples of this.

Of course, this doesn’t mean just because a person reads manga, watches samurai movies, practices Japanese martial arts, or plays video games that they can’t also have a solid base in historical knowledge-many of the most well versed Citadel members have a major interest in these fields. However, when some nonsensical thread shows up authored by a person who will defend their position to the death, it usually sprouts from one of the pop culture influences listed above-usually leaving the regular members wondering if having an inclusive site is a such a great idea after all. This begs the question-does pop culture have a valid role in aiding the study of history? Specifically, does popular entertainment bring any value to the field of pre-20th century Japanese history?
There’s a strong precedent of pop culture coloring the world of Japanese history. Many would be surprised to learn that much of what we accept as Japanese history in the West is actually pop culture. Edo period playwrights, novelists, musicians, and artists all produced fanciful works that over time became accepted as the truth. Early Western historians drew heavily on these sources and presented them as fact. Perhaps the best example of this is the story of The 47 Ronin, where virtually everything one can read on the subject in the West is based on a puppet play, kabuki drama, or novel. Only in the last five years or so have Western scholars taken a serious look at the event, disregarding secondary sources and attempting to reconstruct the event with contemporary accounts. The state of modern scholarship in the West is excellent-with copying machines, faxes, and the internet all aiding in making primary sources and rare documents readily available to scholars all over the world. However, general histories and surveys still rely primarily on decades old work. The majority of popular samurai author Stephen Turnbull’s works have been based on secondary Edo period manuscripts that discuss Sengoku and earlier events (to his credit, Turnbull’s research has become increasingly involved as better sources have become more accessible). Even in Japan, works produced for the general public such as the Rekishi Gunzou series rely heavily on Edo and Meiji period works for their information-and that information can be as misleading and false as anything found in the mythical war tales of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Here, it becomes obvious that pop culture was ingrained into Japanese history long before Western historians took an interest in it.
Moving along to modern pop culture, there are rare examples of it that actually do interject a learning element into their presentations. In the yearly NHK Taiga dramas, there are short segments at the beginning and end of the presentations giving historical background to the goings-on. A popular subgenre of video gaming that is beginning to show up in Japan involves historical quiz programs that are presented in the form of a game (there are current efforts touching on the Sengoku and Edo eras and beyond, with an emphasis on the arts, politics, and personalities). Video game publisher Koei (Sengoku Musou, Nobunaga No Yabou, Kessen, etc) is known for including extensive historical dictionaries, factual biographies, period artwork, and other features that are designed to show gamers the historical truth behind the fantasy. The video game Yoshitsune Eiyuden Shura has a huge historical section that would easily be the equal of any introductory college text. Many movie releases on DVD have extras on the discs that delve into the events or time period that the film covers (although many times these are also sensationalized and somewhat inaccurate accounts, such as the extras on The Last Samurai DVD). Animeigo’s Samurai Cinema label included historical liner notes with VHS releases, which now are included on the DVD itself. Some manga and anime releases follow these examples as well. Tabletop gaming (or computer simulations) is perhaps the most serious source of historical information among popular entertainment. Some releases are more along the lines of simulations than actual games. They feature meticulously researched maps, unit counters, and rules that cover practically every facet of period warfare. I t could be argued that playing one of these efforts would teach more about the nature of samurai warfare on a tactical level (including the importance and difficulties of command and supply) than would a book covering the same subject. Note that we’re not talking efforts such as Samurai Swords (Milton Bradley) or Shogun: Total War (Electronic Arts), both of which feature healthy doses of fantasy to make for a more exciting gameplay experience. Rather, we’re talking more about products like GMT’s RAN game, the Takeda series of PC games, and any number of Japanese tabletop simulations such as those published in Game Journal and Command Magazine Japan. One interesting facet of this historical element embedded in pop culture is that many Japanese products that are translated into English ‘lose’ this element. Koei games released in the United States routinely do not include the historical dictionaries. Taiga dramas many times drop the ending historical bumpers. This may be because it is believed that the users of these products overseas are only interested in the entertainment value and will have no real interest in Japanese history, or as a cost cutting/revenue producing measure (not having to pay for someone to translate the dictionary, or using the time gained from cutting the bumpers for extra commercials).
So it seems that there is a minimal learning value imbedded in many sources of ‘samurai pop culture’. However, I believe their real value lies in instilling a desire to learn more about Japanese history and culture. For all the misconceptions, falsehoods, and brutal misuse of the Japanese language in James Clavell’s Shogun (either the novel or miniseries), it has probably been more influential in turning Westerners towards a serious study of Japanese history than any other work. The Last Samurai, an excellent action film which is rife with historical inaccuracies, has had a similar effect. Martial arts, anime, manga, video games-at some point, most every user of these will become curious and want to learn more about the truths that lie behind them. While many don’t like the answers they find and prefer to remain with their dearly held illusions (usually martial artists that can’t believe their dojo doesn’t really have a 1000 year old history, or that the ninja techniques they use have all been invented in the last 20 years), others go on to develop a solid grounding in many areas of Japanese history-be it political, military, cultural, or economic. Films, games, and other works of fiction are also excellent jumping off points, introducing new avenues to explore and questions to be answered. The planned ‘Samurai 101’ forum on the Samurai Archives hopes to help many of the curiosity seekers and newbie historians along as they make the transition from fantasy to serious study.
There is a place for pop culture in the world of academia. Used correctly, these fonts of entertainment can not only impart rudimentary facts and information but also help guide their users to more involved and appropriate sources. Rather than incurring scorn and ridicule, they should be seen as a tool in stimulating an interest in Japanese history. Judging from the fact that there are far, far more people involved in the study of Chinese history than Japanese, this can only serve to bring some much needed fresh blood into the field. While it can be frustrating for long-time forum members to see neophytes extol the virtues of Bushido, haggle over who would win in a fight (samurai vs. ninja/knight/professional wrestler/etc), or claim to be harboring centuries old ninja secrets, just remember: we all had to start somewhere, and it was probably at a point just as ridiculous. Now you’ll have to excuse me-I’m going for Izumo Okuni’s 5th weapon in Sengoku Musou, and that fringed parasol is proving to be tough to get…