47 Ronin

47 Ronin, the first full length feature film by director Carl Rinsch was a colorful, beautifully rendered remake of the 1961 film The 47 Ronin. It was an entertaining film though there were some head scratching moments. Thankfully there weren't that many of them, because of that I give 47 Ronin two and a half buckets of Killer Korn.













Like the story of the 300 (or 500 depending on which version of the story you believe) Spartans that stood up against the massive Persian army, the story of the 47 Ronin is very similar. It's a tale of great shame and heroism both at the same time. The story deals with the half breed outcast Kai, played by Keanu Reeves who was raised in the woods by certain creatures that taught him their ways who he then turned his back on. He was instead found in the woods by Lord Asano, played by Min Tanaka and his men. Lord Asano brought Kai into his home and raised him with the help of his daughter Mika, played by the beautiful Mo Shibasaki. Because Kai wasn't full Japanese he couldn't become Samurai and the leader of Lord Asano's Samurai Oishi, played by the very talented Hiroyuki Sanada and his men never let Kai forget what a shame it is that he's even allowed on the property.

This story takes place in feudal Japan, with Lords protecting his people and their lands from other Lords who are seeking to expand their kingdoms. Lord Asano's rival is Lord Kira, played by Tadanobu Asano who has grand designs on Lord Asano's land and his daughter. Lord Kira doesn't play fair  and solicits the help of a very powerful witch, played by the lovely (but creepy in this movie) Rinko Kikuchi to help him get what he wants. After a fateful evening, the Emperor orders Lord Asano to take his own life via seppuku. When a Samurai no longer has a Lord to follow, he becomes a Ronin and Lord Asano's Ronin are ordered by the Emperor to not seek revenge for Lord Asano's fate. That's when the movie truly get's interesting. Lord Asano's men are scattered to the four winds, Oishi is imprisoned for a year, his lands are taken over by Lord Kira and his daughter Mika has been given a year to grieve for her father but after that, she's Lord Kira's wife and will be the mother of his children. The problem with that is Kai and Mika have been in  love with each other since they were children so Kai is enlisted by Oishi, upon his release to help avenge Lord Asano's shame and to prevent the marriage of Lord Kira to Mika.

47 Ronin is a visual feast for the eyes. The colors, the costumes, the makeup, it's all there to titillate that particular sense. And for a movie that was all about feudal Japan to not be shot in Japan, it was a job well done by production designer Jan Roelfs. There should be a nomination for some award coming his way soon for this movie. The sets felt organic, like they were filming in existing locales and not on built stages. The cinematography was gorgeous and again for 47 to not be filmed in Japan the shots were impressive. The score by Ilan Eshkeri was graceful, gentle, and dramatic, and sometimes the music was all those at the same time. 47 Ronin had the potential to be a really bad film but surprisingly it was a job well done all around, well maybe not with the dialogue which at times didn't really connect but that tends to happen in Keanu Reeve's vehicles for some reason. If you want a fantastical romp through feudal Japan and you enjoy tales of Samurai, or if you know about the 47 Ronin already and are interested in it's retelling then check out 47 Ronin, and I'll see you in the theater.