Despite his feigning interest in making samurai movies, director Kihachi Okamoto ironically made some of the best pictures jidaigeki cinema offers. While primarily known internationally for “The Sword of Doom,” his film “Samurai Assassin,” known natively as “Samurai,” is not only among the director’s finest features but stands as an essential piece of 1960s Japanese filmmaking. A collaborative production between Toho and Toshiro Mifune‘s Mifune Productions, the feature adapts Jiromasa Gunji’s “Samurai Japan,” with Shinobu Hashimoto writing the screenplay, with a story based on real historical events but with fictionalized elements added. Gunji’s story was previously adapted in 1955 by Yasushi Sasaki in “Japan Samurai: Niiro Tsuruchiyo.”
What many audiences remember best from this picture is its brutal recreation of the major event known as the Sakuradamon Incident that took place on March 24, 1860, where, on a snowy morning, samurai ambushed and assassinated Ii Naosuke, a powerful daimyo who favored opening Japan to foreigners and ordered the Ansei Purge that silenced critics of the Tokugawa shogunate’s policies. While generally well-received, “Samurai Assassin” continues to have limited exposure internationally.
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As the Edo period was soon concluding, Japan was uncertain as Americans entered the secluded country in droves, which historically led closer to the Meiji Restoration. The right hand to the Tokugawa shogunate and lord of Hikone, Ii Naosuke, favors further opening the nation to foreigners for modernization purposes and signs the Harris Treaty with the United States, without the Emperor’s consent while punishing those who opposed this decision. This move proved controversial, especially among the prideful samurai, who feared this decision would endanger Japan’s future, as the warrior class was approaching abolishment.
Revolutionaries made up of ronin from the Mito Domain and Satsuma Domain conspire to assassinate Ii outside the Sakurada Gate, with Hoshino Kenmotsu leading the assault. Yet, when their initial attack is thwarted, Hoshino suspects a traitor is among them. Suspicion primarily falls on one member, Niiro Tsuruchiyo, a social outcast and exceptional swordsman who dreams of remastering his samurai status through some form of redemption. The assassin’s troubling past is gradually revealed through closer examination while the band leader manipulates him to do his bidding. What follows is betrayal, shocking truths, and bloody carnage, culminating in the Sakuradamon Incident that ushered a new era of violence in Japan.
Historical context can enhance aspects, including the political climate of the feudal system, who Ii Naosuke was, and why the Sakuradamon Incident was significant in Japanese history. Yet, it’s again worth highlighting that while the feature is based on a real major historical event, much of the plot and its characters are fictional, intended to create dramatic weight without, though, full-on romanticized revisionism that spits in the face of documented facts. Nonetheless, what viewers have with “Samurai Assassin” is a film that’s not only well-made and showcases some superbly choreographed samurai fights but is also elevated by a tightly constructed script.
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Yes, its pacing is slow, yet deliberately so, playing out as a mystery akin to a film noir that happens to be set within a feudal Japan setting while also functioning as a classical tragedy. There’s plenty to digest, from characters being introduced, significant exposition, jumping back and forth from past to present, to prominent reveals that add additional layers to what unfolds. Yet, it never feels bloated or overtly convoluted. It further helps that the characters and their conflicts keep things interesting. Moreover, once the narrative twists and what they entail are finally disclosed, it’s shocking and emotionally overwhelming.
Fairly noticeable is the more serious tone compared to many of the director’s other jidaigeki works, save for “The Sword of Doom.” Still, one can sense Kihachi Okamoto’s cynicism throughout the drama, especially in how he depicts his characters and tackles the themes. Based on the plot detail of rebellious warriors targeting a magnate that favors opening the nation to foreigners, it would be easy to write off this movie as channeling some xenophobic sentiment that functions merely as postwar nationalistic propaganda of Japan trying to maintain its cultural status quo. Yet, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s no secret that Kihachi Okamoto was overtly critical of Japanese society; his experiences during World War II, when he was drafted, further perpetuated those feelings. Those sentiments also applied to the country’s prosperous years during the Edo period, noticeably reflected in this film. “Samurai Assassin” challenges the pristine image of feudal Japan’s economic and cultural prosperity by highlighting it was also a time of social inequality and extremist mindsets, often culminating in violence. Similar to Masaki Kobayashi‘s masterpiece “Harakiri,” released a few years prior, Okamoto takes a critical approach to samurai values of the Bushido code, showing how eccentric devotion to a set of principles while acting on paranoia can further exacerbate issues, clouding one’s grip on reality.
Additionally, viewers see just how hypocritical followers of Bushido could be against those they deemed dishonorable. Despite his move for foreign trade, public perception of Ii Naosuke was generally mixed due to his often controversial political strategies. Yet, the actions of the ronin who targeted him were merely just another form of extremism that only led to more violence and political chaos in the years to follow. It becomes abundantly clear as the audience follows Hoshino and his men that these aren’t admirable warriors fighting for a noble cause but psychopaths operating like a cult and acting out on paranoia over their nationalistic fears for Japan’s future, trying to preserve an established status quo.
The overarching themes of “Samurai Assassin” prominently hit hard through the troubling journey of the film’s compelling lead, Niiro Tsuchichiya, played by Toshiro Mifune. In contrast to many roles the renowned actor was playing around this time, being strong and quick-thinking, Niiro is depicted as a pathetic, pitiful human being, frequently abusing alcohol and getting into all sorts of trouble. He also happens to be a skilled swordsman and is so eager for fortune and glory that he will devote himself to extreme measures to obtain it. It’s when viewers learn of his backstory that this character has a tragic side, including that he’s the illegitimate son of a powerful nobleman and was denied a chance to marry a beautiful woman solely due to his low-ranking status. Now, in the lower depths of society, he finds that joining this band of assassins plotting against Ii Naosuke is his chance for redemption, which the group leader, Hoshino, uses to manipulate him. Okamoto and Hashimoto effectively depict a man who was failed by society and is now included into a group of madmen who will only accentuate his self-destructive behavior, an experience made even more engaging by Mifune’s excellent performance.
Of course, Toshiro Mifune is not the only actor who is giving his all here. There’s also Keiju Kobayashi as Kurihara Einosuke, the lead’s friend, who ironically reflects what he could have been. The scenes of Mifune and Kobayashi playing off one another are incredibly entertaining, made even sadder by a certain event later in the movie. Equally good here are Michiyo Aratama and Eijiro Tono, with Aratama portraying Okiku, who bears a striking resemblance to the protagonist’s past lover, and Tono as Masagoro Kisoya, an aging merchant who raised Niiro and keeps his father’s identity a secret from him. For the main antagonist, Hoshino Kenmotsu, Yunosuke Ito sinisterly plays up the part while skillfully manipulating Mifune’s character, making for a memorable villain. Despite sparing screentime, kabuki performer Matsumoto Hakuo I is convincing in the role of Ii Naosuke.
The production values are stellar, from the set pieces to the costumes. Particularly praiseworthy is Hiroshi Murai’s lavish cinematography. The decision to shoot in black-and-white allows for some striking imagery, coupled with some spectacular editing. Masaru Sato’s music score is poignant and can be quite intense. Then there’s the fight scenes, which are superbly staged. Yet, the action sequence that stands out the most is the breathtaking climax in the snow outside the Sakurada Gate. This scene manages to be spectacular and brutal yet also haunting for what it dramatically entails. It truly is an unforgettable way to end the movie.
Despite being overshadowed by many of its contenders, “Samurai Assassin” is a great film. Beyond a spectacular finale, Kihachi Okamoto offers a compelling nihilistic tale of a pitiful misfit trying to make a difference during a turbulent period of Japanese history. By the end, viewers will feel like helpless spectators to an impending tragedy unfolding, and the only thing they can do is watch in horror.
