As far as most mainstream western audiences are concerned, Japanese filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku is only known for directing 2000's Battle Royale--a distinctly Japanese take on Lord of the Flies and The Most Dangerous Game wherein a class of students are forced to compete in a fight to the death. And while Battle Royale is certainly a fine film, it is but one entry in the long and inspired career of the late Fukasaku.

Fukasaku is probably best known to serious fans of Asian cinema for his cutting edge yakuza films of the 1970s (a few of which have recently been released domestically on DVD—check them out if you see them). However, in 1978, Fukasaku helmed his very first chambara (swordplay film—a term that eventually came to describe the majority of the Japanese samurai films)--Shogun's Samurai aka The Yagyu Conspiracy.

With an ensemble cast led by none other than the inimitable Sonny Chiba (complete with appearances by fan favorites like Yoshio Harada and Toshiro Mifune), Fukasaku's epic tale of political intrigue and betrayal is one of the most entertaining (if not historically accurate) samurai films of all time. With a tone that vacillates between serious historical drama and Saturday afternoon chop-socky, Shogun's Samurai is all but guaranteed to please audiences at least on some level. It's also a fine example of how gifted a filmmaker Fukasaku was—mixing these diverse aesthetic elements into one film would generally be a recipe for disaster—such is not the case here.

Set in the 1600s, immediately after the death of the second Shogunate, the plot of Shogun's Samurai is labyrinthine in its construction. The late Shogun has two sons—Iemitsu (the stuttering older son who sports a large birthmark on his face) and Tadanaga—the sauve and good looking younger brother. It's no secret that the Shogun and his wife want Tadanaga to inherit the father's position—but Iemitsu's advisors (including the cunning Yagyu Tajima—played brilliantly by Kinnosuke Nakamura) have other plans. Yagyu and his cohorts poison the Shogun and set in motion a plan to ensure that Iemitsu becomes the new warlord. It's not that simple, though, as the minions of Tadanaga smell a rat and the Emperor's advisors play the two brothers against each other in an attempt to eliminate the Shogun position entirely. And believe me, that only scratches the surface of the film—there's a veritable ton of plot and intrigue during the film's two hour and ten minute running time.

It's to Fukasaku's credit that all this plot never bogs the film down. With a huge cast of characters and lots of things happening at once, Shogun's Samurai could easily become a confounding viewing experience. Fukasaku keeps the film under control, though, and while some elements are glossed over in the presentation (such as the potential romance between the flute player and the singer) the major plot points are covered adequately and the film never becomes confusing. This is at least partially attributable to the editing work and the occasionally well-placed bit of narration which helps convey the broader picture of what's happening around the country.

Fans of swordplay shouldn't be put off by the heavy plot. While no one will ever mistake Shogun's Samurai for a Lone Wolf and Cub film, there are some truly great swordfights in the film. In one, Tetsoru Tamba faces off against Kinnosuke Nakamura. In another, Sonny Chiba and one of the Emperor's effeminate advisors square off in a battle to the death. While these fights seem to have more in common with traditional samurai battles than the sword fights in films like Highlander (meaning they're over quickly and without swords clanging together hundreds of times), they're quite fascinating to watch. Fans of samurai cinema will undoubtedly enjoy the swordfights in this film as a nice diversion from the heavy political intrigue.

Fukasaku's unique visual style is well represented in this outing, adding yet another dimension to the production as a whole. The odd angles and incongruous freeze frames for which the director had become well known are present and accounted for in Shogun's Samurai. Couple this with his penchant for capturing sweeping vistas that truly give the viewer an idea of the size and breadth of the cinematic world on display and you wind up with an interesting departure from Fukasaku's traditional yakuza films and one of the finest of the chambara films of this period.

Ultimately, Fukasaku has managed to pull of one of cinema's most difficult balancing acts—retelling a popular bit of history (albeit radically re-imagining it in the process) while making it entertaining to audiences who are either unfamiliar or not particularly interested with the historical aspects of the story. Shogun's Samurai will undoubtedly anger people who're looking for a faithful retelling of the events that colored this period of Japanese history. Conversely, it will entertain anyone who likes a little depth in terms of plot to go along with all of their swordplay action. This is, quite honestly, one of the best of the chambara films and a must see for anyone with even a passing interest in samurai cinema.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening