AZUMI

	Review by Howard Anderson © 2004 Howard Anderson

Story

Early in the 17th century, some people thought the ruling power of Tokugawa had not yet firmly established itself, leaving the Shogunate weakened and vulnerable. Tenkai, a priest with considerable influence in Tokugawa's government, was one of them. He believed any seeds of threats to Tokugawa must not be overlooked, and thus he ordered Gessai, a former general in the imperial army, to form a group of warriors to eliminate any possible threats. Azumi, a nine year-old girl who lost her mother in the battles was one of them. She was picked up by Gessai along with nine other orphans, and trained to be the perfect assassin. Ten years later, the orphans have become teenagers, and the time has come for them to descend from the mountains and embark on their mission.

Review

In a carnage of flesh and blood, Ryuhei Kitamura exploded onto both large and small screens the world over with "Versus" a few years back, and after having completed his second film, "Alive", he next set his sights on "Azumi", an Edo Period samurai story adapted from a popular manga created by Yo Koyama. There was no doubt in my mind as to whether or not Kitamura would once again be able to deliver another tour de force of kinetically charged action, but there was, however, a small degree of uncertainty lurking in the back of my skull as to how he would go about in creating an actual period piece set in the rich historical era of feudal Japan.

Fortunately that concern turned out to be completely unfounded, as Kitamura has delivered a film that, at the blink of an eye, will transport you two hundred years back in time to the land of the rising sun. At the same time he has also imbued "Azumi" with a few modern twists and touches, giving the film a bit more edge compared to the more traditional samurai dramas that most are familiar with, as this is more of a throwback to the heydays of the chambara eiga sub-genre that came out during the sixties and seventies, when titles like "Lady Snowblood", "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Zatoichi" were on the lips of every man, woman and child that liked their entertainment with a healthy dose of bad to the bone asskickage, and let me tell you, this new girl can chop off limbs with the best of them.

Making her feature film debut, Aya Ueto has truly managed to breathe life into the character of Azumi. Her performance is solid on both the purely dramatic and the more physically demanding side of things, and believe it or not, but when you see her charging into a raging crowd of a hundred or so attacking killers and thieves, it's really not that hard to believe that she could actually hold her own against them, although some suspension of disbelief is always helpful in such situations, no matter who it is wielding the sword. The presence of Yoshio Harada as Azumi's samurai master also leaves a lasting impression upon the viewer, and provides the film with more emotional resonance than I would have ever expected as we glimpse the struggle between the disiplined warrior and the conflicted father figure that he has now become in the eyes of his students. The main antagonist is played by Joe Odagiri, and the character that he conjures forth is one that you're not likely to forget any time soon. With his flamboyant personality and slightly feminine looks, and not to mention psychotic behavior aplenty, he is best described as the bastard offspring of Ichi the Killer and Lestat de Lioncourt, and how can you not love a guy like that, I ask.

The rapid fire editing and highly inventive camera work that has already become a signature trademark of Ryuhei Kitamura is also present here, together with a pulse-pounding score and a slew of hardcore action sequences guaranteed to get the adrenalin flowing. This time around, though, the violence isn't quite as graphic as in his previous efforts, all though there are a handful of sequences included that definately do serve up a healty amount of gushing blood and viscerated bodies, but in true chambara eiga style, of course. For anyone that's had the pleasure of seeing a film by Ryuhei Kitamura, it becomes obvious from the very first moment that this is a director with a strong flair for the purly visual, but in addition to the gorgeous eye-candy that fills virtually every frame of "Azumi", there is also a really good story to be found here, and that is not something you come across every day, so treasure this film and the no-holds-barred entertainment that it delivers from beginning to end.

Image

The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is so detailed and sharp that it just cuts through you, flesh and bone, like an exquisitely forged katana pulled from its sheath by a seasoned samurai. The colors are also richly rendered, without so much as a hint of bleeding, other than when actual blood is shed, that is, in which case it just looks looks beautiful as it is spilled onto the ground or spattered across the face of our fighting heroine.

Sound

This DVD comes with both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, and although both systems deliver top of the line performances, I still feel the DTS track manages to go that extra mile as far as frequency response and surround usage is concered. The soundfield is constantly active and covers a huge range in the course of the film, from the delicate whispers of a gentle breeze to the earth-shaking bombardment of canon fire, it's all mixed to perfection.

Features

This limited edition double disc set come with an issue of the "Azumi" manga and is housed in a special collectible box that looks quite impressive, and although there are some great features to be found on the second disc, like "Making of Azumi: Fighting on the Edge" and "Battle on the Wild Side", two in-depth documentaries that provide amazing insight into the making of the film, there is really only one extra feature here that matters, and that feature is found on disc one, in the set up section, where you actually have a choise of English subtitles, if you so desire. The fact that only a small number of Japanese films are released on DVD with English subtitles is a real grievance with me, but luckily, in the case of "Azumi" we do get them, so thank your lucky stars for that. There is also a wide selection of trailers, teasers and TV spots included on the second disc, in addition to two childern's show specials, an art gallery and a music video, and although none of the extra features are subtitled, they're still a great deal of fun to watch.

Overall Opinion

Ryuhei Kitamura has crafted something within this highly entertaining and exciting cinematic landscape that just worked for me on all levels, but that's not to say that it's everybody's cup of tea. This is not "Seven Samurai", this is "Lady Snowblood" with a modern makeover and an extra injection of adrenaline, and in my mind one of the best films of last year. The Deluxe Limited Edition DVD is amazing, and well worth the money, but if you're just after the movie itself, then there is no shame in going for the much cheaper regular edition.