Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Two warriors, after a fierce battle engagement where both were nearly killed, arrival at a secluded temple during a midnight thunderstorm. The owner of the temple takes them in. One dies. Two days later, the other (Takao Osawa), despite having been brought in with 13 sword wounds and four arrows in his back, has made a full recovery. During the night, the mysterious owner of the temple (Masaya Kato) informs the samurai that he has been waiting for him for a long time. For the owner is not a man, but Aragami, the Raging God of Battle. His time on Earth has come to an end, and only the chosen samurai can strike him down. The stage is set for a titanic struggle between the two opponents.
Shot in seven days on a single set with only three principle actors, Aragami is the written and directed by relative newcomer Ryuhei Kitamura. It is a simple tale, with the second half of the film being dedicated almost entirely to a series of swordfights between the two men. Although Kitamura opts for simplicity in story and characters, he more than makes up for it with the complex, hyperkinetic duels. Using the “wire-fu” styles popularised by The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he employs it more realistically and purposefully than his forerunners, so rather than have the fighters pointlessly flying around the room, they are skilfully dodging and spinning out of each other’s thrusts.
The greatest problem with the film is that it takes so long to get to the swordfights in the first place. The opening is mysterious and intriguing, but Kitamura drags it out much too long, so that the audience’s interest is sapped by being two steps ahead of the movie. It is clear from the get go what will happen and how this will end, and yet the script seems to think that the why is more important that what is happening. The first half then serves only as a rather protracted set-up for the battles, and is weighed down by clunky, expository dialogue. The camera darts around the performers menacingly during these early scenes, as if Kitamura is either trying to force the pace through his direction, or is simply bored with the material.
The slow opening also highlights the shortcomings of the performers. Although Kato manages to make a somewhat enigmatic Aragami, it is clear that the two men were chosen on their skill with the blade rather than with words. But what skill they have!
The swordfights are staged dynamically and are augmented by a thunderous sound mix that makes you feel every swish and clash of the swords. This is highlighted no better than when the two warriors extinguish the candles illuminating the temple and fight each other in total darkness. The disorientating sound design is exhilarating, and all that we see on screen is the sparks flying as the two swords crash against each other. This scene proves to be the best in the movie, and it’s a testament to the superior cinematography, editing and hyper-real sound design that such a sequence is so mind-blowing.
There are other problems, however, regarding the often out of place techno-punk rock soundtrack, and the single temple location is so obviously a set that it detracts from the audience’s engagement with the early scenes.
However, this film is a must for fans of swordplay and samurais, as the action does not disappoint. Kitamura has shown he has the skills and technical savvy to compete with the big boys of action cinema, it’s just a matter of time now until he gets the right budget and script to work with, and then he’ll show the world what he’s got.
Release Year: 2003
Rating: n/a
Tagline: n/a
Writer: Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Takao Osawa, Masaya Kato, Kanae Uotani
Samurai films have been one of the cornerstones of Japan’s film industry, beginning with Kinugasa’s Gate of Hell, a traditional morality tale about the samurai code that won the first ever Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1955. Kurosawa’s samurai epics helped Japanese filmmakers break into the overseas market, particularly the US, where his film The Seven Samurai was remade as The Magnificent Seven. Aragami is the latest samurai offering from Japan, and though it spices things up by adding a supernatural element, it has many great predecessors to live up to.
(out of five)
