A Samurai in Time - Fantasia International Premiere Review
Director: Jun'ichi Yasuda
Starring: Makiya Yamaguchi, Norimasa Fuke, Ichiko Kurenai, Yuno Sakura,
Written by: Jun'ichi Yasuda
Produced by: Jun'ichi Yasuda
Cinematography by: Jun'ichi Yasuda
Synopsis:
A samurai who gets hit by lightning wakes up to find himself on a film set in the present day and starts to work as an extra on samurai films.
Thoughts:
A heartfelt and inspiring time travel film that is more about earning respect and paying respect than about actual time travel, Yasuda has created a wonderfully funny and charming homage to the samurai films of old.
A long time ago in Kyoto, Japan, two samurai clans are at war with each other. A duo of shogunate swordsmen approach a rival house and a challenge with a great warrior ceremonously ensues. One swordsmen is naive and nervous and is taken out of the fight almost immediately. The other, Kosaka Shinzaemon, is built differently and battles the rival warrior. Their skills are almost matched and their fight is balanced like a feather on the tip of one of their blades. And then a thunderstorm hits. Rain pours down and lightning strikes harshly and as quickly as the battle commenced, it is now over. Shinzaemon awakens in almost the same spot, hundreds of years later. And to his growing perplexity he sees a large group of samurai and townsfolk meandering around a familiar looking street, yet something feels off. He has been transported through time to the set of a modern day television show and all of the samurai here are either actors and stuntmen.
'A Samurai in Time' begins like your classic "fish out of water" culture shock type film but as it progresses it becomes more about Shinzaemon's personal journey of self discovery. It's billed as a comedy and while there are certainly some funny scenes, particularly at the beginning when he is first dealing with the transition to modern day, it isn't a laugh out loud affair. The subtlety in the performance from Makiya Yamaguchi will definitely raise a smile as he comes across as a very loyal and likeable person. His character's skills come in useful on set of the jidaigeki and he is able to blend in and even make some sort of living. Yamaguchi plays the role to perfection and is great to watch.
It was hard to see where the film was going to go after the initial phase of Shinzaemon realising he was in a different time and then finding his place. I think it was lingering on just a little longer than it needed to be and then a huge plot point was introduced and the film suddenly became even more interesting. The rival warrior that Shinzaemon was fighting on that rainy, thundery night back in Kyoto has also transported through time but to a slightly different period.
While Shinzaemon begins to settle into his new life as an extra stuntman, with the help of an elderly couple who take him in, his rival has already been in this modern world for some time now. He is older and more experienced and is also working in the television industry now. This was an intriguing direction to take the film because it takes some of the burden away from our lead character and opens up the story even more. And it's the relationship between the two rivals now that really keep the conflict of the film rolling. There's tension there obviously but both seem to agree to let it pass based on the very unique and unprecedented sitatuion that they both find themselves in. But at the heart of their tension still lies the fact that Shinzaemon cannot fathom that his rival has abandoned what he once was.
This is essentially the theme of the film and without giving away any more spoilers, everything comes full circle in a highly suspenseful, gorgeously shot and ferociously gripping finale that is both nailbiting and heartwarming in equal measures. It's emotionally charged and plays out to almost zero musical score with riveting fight choreography. Yasuda can be proud of his tribute.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
-Gavin Logan
'A Samurai in Time' received its International Premiere at Fantasi '24 on July 27th
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