Sukiyaki Western - Django
Sato Koichi Ito Hideaki Iseya Yusuke Ando Masanobu
Sato Koichi Ito Hideaki Iseya Yusuke Ando Masanobu
An English-language remake of Sergio Corbucci's classic 1966 western Django set in historical Japan, starring Japanese actors with questionable grasp of English? If anyone could pull it off, it'd be Miike Takashi! A crazy offering even by Miike standards, the deliriously entertaining Sukiyaki Western - Django had camp cult classic stamped all over it from day one, and the cast and crew deliver with straight-faced, winking exuberance. The film is set amidst a fusion mishmash of dusty hills and painted backdrops, cowboy hats and Japanese period costume, providing an appropriate environment for the looney tunes genius of Miike. Bombastic action and copious, inventive bloodshed are present and accounted for, but the violence is more of the terrifically entertaining variety of Ryo Ga Gotoku than the stomach-turning feats from his Ichi the Killer days.
It helps of course that Sukiyaki Western - Django features a veritable who's who's list of talented actors: Ito Hideaki (Umizaru), Sato Koichi (What the Snow Brings), Iseya Yusuke (Casshern), Ando Masanobu (Big Bang Love, Juvenile A), Oguri Shun (The Neighbor No. 13), and vetarans Ishibashi Renji and Momoi Kaori. There's even a spot for fanboy-cum-director Quentin Tarantino, who gives a surprisingly good performance in his narrating role. Most of the Japanese cast learned their lines phonetically, and drawl them out with fragmented flair, adding to the camp value of the film. Comprehension is not guaranteed, but entertainment is heaped out in big, hearty servings.
After centuries of war, the rival Heike and Genji clans have been reduced to little more than scrappy gangs of ill-kempt stragglers. The Heike led by hot-tempered Kiyomori (Sato Koichi) and the Genji led by criminally cool Yoshitsune (Iseya Yusuke) both catch wind that there's gold to be found in the small, remote town of Yuta. Showdown in little Yuta is inevitable when both clans come rolling into town at the same time. Joining the fray is a mysterious, nameless cowboy (Ito Hideaki) with the fastest guns in the west. Both clans are eager to enlist the ronin into their ranks, but he will only offer his services to the highest bidder. ~from yesasia~
It helps of course that Sukiyaki Western - Django features a veritable who's who's list of talented actors: Ito Hideaki (Umizaru), Sato Koichi (What the Snow Brings), Iseya Yusuke (Casshern), Ando Masanobu (Big Bang Love, Juvenile A), Oguri Shun (The Neighbor No. 13), and vetarans Ishibashi Renji and Momoi Kaori. There's even a spot for fanboy-cum-director Quentin Tarantino, who gives a surprisingly good performance in his narrating role. Most of the Japanese cast learned their lines phonetically, and drawl them out with fragmented flair, adding to the camp value of the film. Comprehension is not guaranteed, but entertainment is heaped out in big, hearty servings.
After centuries of war, the rival Heike and Genji clans have been reduced to little more than scrappy gangs of ill-kempt stragglers. The Heike led by hot-tempered Kiyomori (Sato Koichi) and the Genji led by criminally cool Yoshitsune (Iseya Yusuke) both catch wind that there's gold to be found in the small, remote town of Yuta. Showdown in little Yuta is inevitable when both clans come rolling into town at the same time. Joining the fray is a mysterious, nameless cowboy (Ito Hideaki) with the fastest guns in the west. Both clans are eager to enlist the ronin into their ranks, but he will only offer his services to the highest bidder. ~from yesasia~
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