13 Assassins

In mid-19th century Japan, the Shogun/Samurai era was coming to a close. Most samurai were not well trained soldiers, but men who spent their time gambling and drinking as they "protected" their lords. When one particular noble begins to assert his dominance and authority by killing and massacring the common people indiscriminately, some response is needed. A group of samurai gather in secret response to the Shogun's command to carryout an assassination of the insolent noble. This is a violent and bloody combat story that is centered around the samurai culture of service 'til death. While there is an overarching message that even the servants should think for themselves, this ends up being a minor part of the film. Or more realistically, the film is an elaborate and gory saga which shows how ridiculous war and death can be. It is unfortunate that it takes 300 deaths to make a point about life. And I suppose that this lesson is as hard to learn in 19th century Japan as it is today.
3 stars (out of 5)