Some months back I reviewed the terrific 11 Rebels (2024), which was released courtesy of Well Go USA. Taking the traditional tropes of the Jidaigeki but giving them a modern feel, 11 Rebels was a fine mix of drama and swordplay. Even in the somewhat truncated form which was released Stateside, it’s one release this year which I thought would be hard to beat.
Well, sometimes I love to be proven wrong, with Well Go USA now bringing us an even better Samurai movie with director Yu Irie’s Samurai Fury a.k.a. Muromachi Burai. Similar to 11 Rebels, Irie’s film has a captivating plot that is filled with colorful characters and fantastic action. It also shines a light on an especially dark time in Japanese history.
Based on Ryosuke Kakine’s novel, the film opens in 1461 where the land has been decimated by famine and disease resulting in over 80,000 lying dead in and around Kyoto whilst the Shogun looks on with little in the way of care or compassion.
Disgusted by what he is witnessing, ronin Hasuda Hyoe (Yo Oizumi) decides to form an uprising, bringing together an army of peasants, farmers and the odd bandit to face off against the unjust Sogunate. Amongst his ragtag army is young bandit Saizo (Kento Nagao), filled with rage and untapped potential, who could potentially become Hyoe’s secret weapon.
In historical terms, there isn’t a great deal known about folk hero Hasuda Hyoe other than he was the first ronin to ever stage an uprising. The lack of background details actually allows the filmmakers a great deal of poetic license.
Yu Irie gives Samurai Fury the feel of traditional Chanbara flicks with its set design and costumes. The film was shot mostly within Toei Studios in Kyoto, which has housed many classic Samurai movies, as well as multiple other genres. As classical as the setting appears, Irie brings events up to date with how he approaches the action, with extensive use of Go-Pros allowing him to get in right close to the action and pull off camera moves that would have been nigh on impossible in the past. There is some CGI integrated into the action, and although it is slightly noticeable it is mostly of a high quality.
Whilst it is clear that Irie is inspired by classic Samurai movies, he also pays homage to the Western, not only through how he has chosen to shoot the film but even through the use of costumes, which aren’t what you would call traditional. This is further cemented by Yoshihiro Ike’s score which is heavily influenced by Ennio Morricone and the likes, further distancing the film from typical Samurai fare.
Tonally, Irie’s film is somewhat inconsistent. The plot takes place in a particularly dark time in history, so you would expect the film to take a more serious, dramatic tone. However, much of the film is injected with humor, with the cast’s different acting styles certainly contributing to this. Whilst at certain points Irie treats events with a sombre attitude, later the film slides into fun adventure territory, with characters shouting out wise cracks as they take on an assortment of opponents.
This inconsistency isn’t a complaint. In many ways it is what appealed to me the most, as it is the element that separates Samurai Fury from other swordplay dramas. I also wasn’t surprised, as having watched several of director Yu Irie’s other films, I had an idea of what to expect, at least tonally, as Samurai Fury is unlike anything else in Irie’s filmography to date. What is clear from the films of his I have seen is that Samurai Fury is by far his most accomplished work.
It helps that his film is fronted by a quality leading man in the form of Yo Oizumi. While Oizumi has proven to be an entertaining performer throughout his career, his casting is something of a gamble for the filmmakers. I half expected Oizumi to play the role for laughs but instead he brings a sense of gravitas to the the role of Hyoe, with him being totally believable as a heroic rebel. Obviously he does get some assistance during the action scenes, but even then he continues to convince.
While Oizumi is the lead, a fair amount of the film’s screentime focuses on Kento Nagao, who gives an energetic performance as bandit turned rebel fighter Saizo. Taken under Hyoe’s wing, he begins his training and as his skills increase so does his self respect and courage. The relationship between him and Oizumi’s Hyoe is decidedly old school, with the latter seeing it as totally acceptable to strike Saizo whenever he gets something wrong. What is clear between the two is the admiration between the two.
Nagao is especially impressive during the film’s action scenes. In terms of action, for the first hour the battles are relatively small scale and start to build as the film progresses. The largest scale set piece is reserved for the lengthy finale which almost takes up the last half hour of the film. Nagao’s skill with the staff is fully showcased during the action, with him essentially becoming a one man army at one point, with Nagao fighting his way through a swarm of Samurai until he finds himself taking on more opponents on the city’s rooftops.
Giving the film some complexity is the relationship between Oizumi’s Hyoe and Shinichi Tsutsumi’s Honekawa Doken. Former friends and comrades, they are now at odds as Doken works as Kyoto’s head of security. It is only a matter of time before the two of them will have to face off, with honor overshadowing any fondness the other may have for each other.
There aren’t many female characters involved, and those who are don’t get much to do. Rina Takeda, who martial arts fans may know from High Kick Girl (2009), does at least get involved in some of the films action, but she doesn’t get to do much beyond this. There is also Wakana Matsumoto, who is mostly wasted as a local courtesan who is caught between Hyoe and Doken. More could have been made about this potential love triangle, but it is obvious this wasn’t a plot thread that interested the filmmakers.
I suppose, at least these characters do still make an impression. If I could levy one complaint at the film was that it is guilty of moving too fast, with it being hard to keep track of the surplus of characters being introduced during the second half of the movie. The performers certainly add a lot of energy into their roles, but it is hard to care about them as much as our leads due to how little time we have spent with them. Still, this is a minor complaint, with it being impossible to give each character the same level of focus. If so the plot would probably have to be changed into a series rather than a 135 minute movie.
Some slight imperfections aren’t enough to derail what is a fantastic action movie. With fine action choreography, camerawork, commanding performances and a gripping plot, Samurai Fury is one of the year’s best action movies and another in a long list of quality releases to come from Well Go USA. It is currently available from them digitally and will also be getting a physical release come October 28th with a 4k, Blu-Ray and DVD release being available. Digital is great but I would urge any serious collector to pick themselves up a physical copy as this is definitely one film you will want in your collection.
Plot: 4/5
Acting: 4.5/5
Action: 4/5
Overall: 4.2/5