A Recommendation for "Samurai Reincarnation"
Samurai Reincarnation
I am by no means recommending that you reincarnate into the demon world.
I suddenly felt an irresistible urge to watch the movie "Samurai Reincarnation", so this time, I would like to "note" about the appeal of "Samurai Reincarnation".
The reason is that "Samurai Reincarnation" is a movie I watched when I was in junior high school, and I found it incredibly entertaining.
It was produced by Haruki Kadokawa, and the movies produced by the pre-Kadokawa Haruki Office era were truly full of interesting films.
Among them, in terms of pure entertainment value, I have yet to find a work that surpasses this "Samurai Reincarnation".
I watched it quite a few times when I was in my teens, but recently I felt like watching it again, so I watched it on a streaming service.
It had been about 30 years, but it was still, as expected, quite entertaining.
The original work is considered the masterpiece among the "Ninpōchō Series" of entertainment novels, which are packed with the wildly imaginative ideas of the late Futaro Yamada.
It is a super-entertaining novel centered on the battle between the Makai-shu, who use secret arts to reincarnate legendary swordsmen like Musashi Miyamoto and Inshun Hozoin to take revenge on the Shogunate, and Jubei Yagyu of the Shogunate side.
Just the idea of swordsmen being resurrected as members of the demon world was enough to get a young boy like me excited.
The movie "Samurai Reincarnation" was released in 1981!
That makes it a movie from 40 years ago.
Since then, a remake was released in 2003, and it has been adapted into various media, including numerous stage plays until recently, V-cinema, manga, and anime.
So, while there are various versions of "Samurai Reincarnation", including the original novel, I still think...
The 1981 version of "Samurai Reincarnation" is the best!
Even after 40 years, my assessment remains unshaken.
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◎ A Magnificent Cast
For the film adaptation, the number of Makai warriors was halved compared to the original work, but they are quite a stellar group.
Amakusa Shiro played by Kenji Sawada Miyamoto Musashi played by
Ken Ogata Hozoin Inshun played by
Hideo Murota Kirimaru of the former Yagyu clan played by Hiroyuki Sanada
and Yagyu Tajima-no-kami (father of Yagyu Jubei), who is reincarnated midway through, played by Tomisaburo Wakayama
After all, casting Kenji Sawada as the mysterious demon Amakusa Shiro was the best choice. Wow, he was perfect for the role!
And for the role of Yagyu Jubei, who stands against the Makai warriors, we have Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba had played Yagyu Jubei several times before, but it really is a role he was born to play. Other actors have played Yagyu Jubei since then, but it is hard to find a Yagyu Jubei who surpasses
Sonny Chiba!
Just this cast alone made my heart race lol
◎ The Powerful Direction of Director Kinji Fukasaku
While there are occult sorcery battles, the core of the film is the sword fighting between master swordsmen like Jubei.
The director is the late Kinji Fukasaku, famous for the "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" series and the "Battle Royale" series. In any case, his direction is powerful.
Yagyu Tajima-no-kami vs Hozoin Inshun Yagyu Jubei vs Miyamoto Musashi Yagyu Jubei vs Yagyu Tajima-no-kami
And so, one highlight follows another.
Perhaps due to time constraints, or perhaps that is just how battles between masters go, the fights do not last very long.
But regardless, they are just so cool.
Especially the climax
The battle between Jubei Yagyu and Tajima-no-kami Yagyu in the burning Edo Castle is one of the scenes I can never forget from when I was in junior high school.
(So cool)
The scene where Jubei Yagyu, with protective Manjushri mantras written all over his body, appears against a backdrop of flames for the final showdown with the Makai-shu is just so cool!!
It's quite thrilling.
While they would normally use burners or similar equipment, this scene was filmed by actually setting the set on fire to achieve realism, making it a dangerous shoot where the performers could have easily been involved in an accident if one thing had gone wrong.
In fact, it is said that Kenji Sawada suffered burns on his hands, and I think it's safe to say that in this day and age, such a scene would absolutely never be realized due to various circumstances.
The scene where Jubei Yagyu, played by Sonny Chiba, fights Tajima-no-kami Yagyu, played by Tomisaburo Wakayama, amidst real flames is overflowing with tension, and I believe it is a sword-fighting scene that will remain in the history of Japanese cinema.
I don't think anyone but Director Kinji Fukasaku, who pursued realism, would try to film a scene like this...
When I think about it that way, it is a fortunate thing that Director Kinji Fukasaku, the original work by Futaro Yamada, and this cast were able to come together.
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It has been 40 years and there have been remakes, so I think it is a film that is rarely seen on terrestrial television, but I want you to see Kenji Sawada's bewitching Amakusa Shiro and Sonny Chiba's perfect role as Yagyu Jubei in action!
Eloim Essaim
I seek...
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