Joe
Miike Takashi is a prolific director, but his specialism has always been the macabre and left-field cult movies. He loves the outsider, the violent and bloody heroes and even the villains in society. To celebrate his 100th film (you read that right!) he has her taken to adapt a violent period manga comic about a hired hand out to help get revenge for a young girl against the group who killed her parents.What we have is another blood thirsty and violent saga, and despite the old shogun settings, as with all of Miike's work it's really modern in terms of various characters and style. The sword fights are brutal and stylized and unforgiving. As this is a manga adaption, there is more than meets the eye, our lead is immortal with a curious way to keep him as such, and as he keeps on getting chopped, sliced and ripped, it's a good thing for him. The central core really is his pseudo-relationship with the young girl, and it works. Our lead fighter is really in the mould of the old western's man with no name, it's that kind of style. The story and film really are in debt to various others that are recognisable: Leon, Ninja Scroll, Macbeth (yes!), 13 Assassins and OldBoy. Seems quite a lot but it works.The only problem is that it can tire at times on the screen, the story seems to meander after an incredible start, but that is partly as it is trying to put as much of the manga story on the screen as possible. It's clear when you watch it that's it's an adaption, esp with the number of characters and tales thrown in.The acting is great but some of the characters are clearly just manga characters. Our lead villain with his androgynous look is a homage to a lead villain in Ninja Scroll, and really only a modern movie character. Other villains are also super-villains with their style, and what they lack in realism they make up with in action.Anyhow, I enjoyed this, the key is the relationship between the hired hand the girl, and it is wonderful to watch. Like Leon, it is the lasting legacy.I love various of his films and there are greater ones, like Dead or Alive or 13 Assassins, but this is one he can be proud of. Not all will go with it, but those into something different and violent should give it a go, it's worth it. You'll love it for various aspects but especially for the characters whom I hope to see in some format again.
rogerdarlington
Apparently Japanese director Takashi Miikwe has a hundred movies to his credit hut I've only previously seen one of them: "13 Assassins". Like "13 Assassins", "Blade Of The Immortal" is a stylish bloodfest - if that's not an oxymoron - set in the Edo period of Japanese history (1603-1868), but this film tells a much more personal story, namely the relationship between a tormented samurai called Manji (Takuya Kimura) and the girl to whom he becomes bodyguard Rin who reminds him of his dead sister Machi (both played by Hana Sugisaki).The reason for Manji survivability - and also his despair - is that, as explained in a black and white prologue, he has been infected by bloodworms which heal his wounds so that he cannot die. The growing friendship between Manji and Rin reminded me of the film "Leon" but the deathtoll in this tale is many times more with the blade of the title slashing into bodies and cutting off limbs with great speed and fluidity.This is not a film to everyone's taste and at 140 minutes it is somewhat overlong, but for me it was the perfect cinematic escapism between two challenging meetings on a cold December day.
phanthinga
Mark the 100th movie directed by Takashi Miike one of Japan craziest director nowadays Blade of the Immortal based on the manga series with the same name is a entertaining modern samurai bloodbath but not as good as i though judging by Metalscore.Mad credit for the production values when the movie look very slick with beautiful cinematography and good sword fight choreography.The biggest fault in this movie fall in the same category as other live action movies is the characters.Sure the characters look very alike their manga counterpart but the movie decide to skip too much backstory mainly about Anotsu Kagehisa and Makie make their role pretty forgettable.If you never read or hear of the manga this will be one hell of a experience
