(Welcome to The Movies That Made "Star Wars," a series where we explore the films and television properties that inspired George Lucas' iconic universe. In this edition: The classic jidaigeki film "Three Outlaw Samurai.")
As the first feature film from the legendary Japanese filmmaker Hideo Gosha, "Three Outlaw Samurai," holds a special place in the pantheon of Japanese films. It tells the story of three samurai who battle corruption and balance their honor and obedience to the system that produced them with doing what's actually right — something that feels almost radical in this style of filmmaking. The movie's stars — Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, and Mikijirô Hira as the titular samurai — were reprising their roles from a television show with the same name that had started the year before. According to the essay by Bilge Eberi that accompanies the Criterion Collection's excellent Blu-ray transfer of the film, the original show seems lost to time.
As the first feature film from the legendary Japanese filmmaker Hideo Gosha, "Three Outlaw Samurai," holds a special place in the pantheon of Japanese films. It tells the story of three samurai who battle corruption and balance their honor and obedience to the system that produced them with doing what's actually right — something that feels almost radical in this style of filmmaking. The movie's stars — Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, and Mikijirô Hira as the titular samurai — were reprising their roles from a television show with the same name that had started the year before. According to the essay by Bilge Eberi that accompanies the Criterion Collection's excellent Blu-ray transfer of the film, the original show seems lost to time.
- 12/20/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Hideo Gosha’s Three Outlaw Samurai started as a television serial before Gosha took his chance as a filmmaker and adapted his show into a prequel of sorts. The film features Tetsuro Tanba, Isamu Nagato, and Mikijiro Hira reprising their roles from the show as three samurai who band together. The film reveals their motives for doing so and casts them in varying degrees along the scale of traditional heroism. Tanba, as the story’s main character, is quick to identify the social issue that has led a group of desperate farmers to rebel against the local lord, whereas his two counterparts need a bit more persuading. All of this occurs on land controlled by a dishonest bureaucrat whom, without really thinking of whether what the farmers has done is right or wrong, does whatever he must to rid himself of the problem and revert the matter to the status quo.
- 3/12/2012
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
Chicago – Hideo Gosha’s spectacularly entertaining 1964 feature directorial debut, “Three Outlaw Samurai,” is a samurai film for moviegoers who aren’t necessarily fans of the samurai genre. At a running time of 93 minutes, the picture is briskly paced and packed with suspenseful set-pieces, while centering its narrative on a partnership between three men who could easily be dubbed, “Good,” “Bad” and “Ugly.”
Though the film essentially functions as a prequel to Gosha’s Japanese television show of the same name, moviegoers won’t need any familiarity with the material to get immediately caught up in the action. Tadashi Sakai’s in-your-face cinematography often slants to a diagonal angle while closing in on the agonized faces of foes as they fight to the death. When the sword meets flesh, Gosha doesn’t spare the audience of the blood that follows.
Blu-ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Tetsurô Tamba, a veteran actor memorably featured in Masaki Kobayashi’s classic,...
Though the film essentially functions as a prequel to Gosha’s Japanese television show of the same name, moviegoers won’t need any familiarity with the material to get immediately caught up in the action. Tadashi Sakai’s in-your-face cinematography often slants to a diagonal angle while closing in on the agonized faces of foes as they fight to the death. When the sword meets flesh, Gosha doesn’t spare the audience of the blood that follows.
Blu-ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Tetsurô Tamba, a veteran actor memorably featured in Masaki Kobayashi’s classic,...
- 2/28/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Three Outlaw Samurai Directed by Hideo Gosha Written by Kelichi Abe, Eizaburo Shiba, and Hideo Gosha Starring Tetsuro Tamba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijiro Hira, and Mikyuki Kuwano Hideo Gosha's 'Three Outlaw Samurai' is a competently told samurai story that never really reaches levels of brilliance, but manages to remain consistently intriguing and entertaining. Three samurais become caught up in a microscopic class-war uprising that plays out as part siege film and part revenge film. The film begins as a group of peasant men take the magistrate's daughter hostage in an attempt to force a change in the treatment of local farmers. One of the men has written A wandering Ronin named Sakon Shiba (Tetsuro Tamba) happens upon the disturbance and decides to bunk within the hut of the peasants, curious to see what transpires. The magistrate hires his own samurai to resolve the issue, only to find one of the two,...
- 2/12/2012
- by Jay C.
- FilmJunk
13 Assassins
Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Mikijiro Hira, Hiroki Matsukata | Written by Daisuke Tengan & Shoichiro Ikemiya | Directed by Takashi Miike
“In mid-19th Century Japan the era of the samurai is beginning to fade as the feudal nation begins to enjoy a rare period of peace. But the fragile calm is soon threatened by the bloody rise of Lord Naritsugu, the Shogun’s sadistic, psychopathic younger brother, whose position places him above the law and free to rape, mutilate and murder on a whim. Concerned that Naritsugu’s actions will eventually destroy the Shogunate, top Shogun official Sir Doi covertly calls on esteemed and noble samurai warrior Shinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho) to assassinate the evil Lord before it is too late. Shinzaemon willingly agrees and immediately gathers together an elite group of samurai to assist him in the task, knowing that what they are about to embark upon...
Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Mikijiro Hira, Hiroki Matsukata | Written by Daisuke Tengan & Shoichiro Ikemiya | Directed by Takashi Miike
“In mid-19th Century Japan the era of the samurai is beginning to fade as the feudal nation begins to enjoy a rare period of peace. But the fragile calm is soon threatened by the bloody rise of Lord Naritsugu, the Shogun’s sadistic, psychopathic younger brother, whose position places him above the law and free to rape, mutilate and murder on a whim. Concerned that Naritsugu’s actions will eventually destroy the Shogunate, top Shogun official Sir Doi covertly calls on esteemed and noble samurai warrior Shinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho) to assassinate the evil Lord before it is too late. Shinzaemon willingly agrees and immediately gathers together an elite group of samurai to assist him in the task, knowing that what they are about to embark upon...
- 8/30/2011
- by Baron Fornightly
- Nerdly
Chicago – You will see a lot of movies this season that don’t deliver on their set-up. Whether it’s because they’re setting up the audience for another installment in a blockbuster franchise or just the fact that movies made by big studio committees often drop the ball, it’s simply a fact. Whatever one can say about Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” opening this weekend at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago and currently available On Demand, it absolutely, undeniably delivers the goods. And those goods are soaked in blood.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
If you’re unfamiliar with the prolific Miike, he earned a stateside following with a series of ultra-violent films and became a critical darling after releasing the terrifying “Audition.” With the kind of output that matches most entire studios, Takashi Miike has continued to make interesting films but only a handful make an impact in the U.S.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
If you’re unfamiliar with the prolific Miike, he earned a stateside following with a series of ultra-violent films and became a critical darling after releasing the terrifying “Audition.” With the kind of output that matches most entire studios, Takashi Miike has continued to make interesting films but only a handful make an impact in the U.S.
- 5/27/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
13 Assassins
Directed by Takashi Miike
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, and Mikijiro Hira
Release Date: April 29, 2011
The lethal dose of violence in 13 Assassins is heightened to such a degree of ferociousness, and yet never does it come off as an overwhelming force that serves as an impediment to our enjoyment. Rather, it plays out to resemble a macabre, lyrical meditation that we gawk at, despite the many severed limbs and decapitated bodies. Instead of being confined to the suffering grounds of 19th century feudal Japan, where bodies writhe in perpetual anguish in the dirt due to swords piercing into human flesh, 13 Assassins identifies with human elements like integrity, devotion, self-sacrifice, and loyalty that all samurais universally adhere to. This is not to say that the film bypasses all things representing violence. There is a battle scene that lasts the film’s final 50 minutes. It is astoundingly coherent and...
Directed by Takashi Miike
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, and Mikijiro Hira
Release Date: April 29, 2011
The lethal dose of violence in 13 Assassins is heightened to such a degree of ferociousness, and yet never does it come off as an overwhelming force that serves as an impediment to our enjoyment. Rather, it plays out to resemble a macabre, lyrical meditation that we gawk at, despite the many severed limbs and decapitated bodies. Instead of being confined to the suffering grounds of 19th century feudal Japan, where bodies writhe in perpetual anguish in the dirt due to swords piercing into human flesh, 13 Assassins identifies with human elements like integrity, devotion, self-sacrifice, and loyalty that all samurais universally adhere to. This is not to say that the film bypasses all things representing violence. There is a battle scene that lasts the film’s final 50 minutes. It is astoundingly coherent and...
- 5/20/2011
- by Three-D
- Geeks of Doom
Takashi Miike, the director responsible for such uncompromising and unforgettable movies as Audition and Ichi The Killer indelibly stamps his trademark style on the Samurai genre with the ultra-violent, all-action, blood-spattered epic, 13 Assassins.
Miike’s remake of Eichi Kudo’s classic 1963 samurai period action-drama Jusan-nin No Shikaku boasts a heavyweight cast featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary Japanese cinema, including Koji Yakusho (Babel; Memoirs Of A Geisha), Takayuki Yamada (252: Sign Of Life), Yusuke Iseya (Sukiyaki Western Django; Memories Of Matsuko; Casshern), Mikijiro Hira (Goemon) and Hiroki Matsukata (Tajomaru: Avenging Blade; Ichi).
We’ve just been sent the official UK trailer and poster (pictured above) for the film by the good folks at Artifical Eye, who unleash 13 Assassins into UK cinemas on May 6th 2011.
Miike’s remake of Eichi Kudo’s classic 1963 samurai period action-drama Jusan-nin No Shikaku boasts a heavyweight cast featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary Japanese cinema, including Koji Yakusho (Babel; Memoirs Of A Geisha), Takayuki Yamada (252: Sign Of Life), Yusuke Iseya (Sukiyaki Western Django; Memories Of Matsuko; Casshern), Mikijiro Hira (Goemon) and Hiroki Matsukata (Tajomaru: Avenging Blade; Ichi).
We’ve just been sent the official UK trailer and poster (pictured above) for the film by the good folks at Artifical Eye, who unleash 13 Assassins into UK cinemas on May 6th 2011.
- 4/5/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
A samurai doesn't fear death; he welcomes it. What the samurai does fear is obsolescence, and that is precisely the peril that faces the heroes of "13 Assassins." They live in the mid-1800s, a few decades before the end of Japan's Edo period and their way of life. When the leader of the assassins, a samurai named Shinzaemon, is presented with his suicidal assignment, a sort of black op hit for feudal swordsmen, he is pleased. "As a samurai in this era of peace," he tells the governor who orders him to kill, "I've been wishing for a noble death." Like Western gunslingers, particularly the ones from the films of director Sam Peckinpah, are out of place and out of time.
Shinzaemon's mission, based on a historical battle and previously told in the 1966 film of the same name by Kudo Eiichi, is to assassinate the powerful and despicable Lord Naritsugu...
Shinzaemon's mission, based on a historical battle and previously told in the 1966 film of the same name by Kudo Eiichi, is to assassinate the powerful and despicable Lord Naritsugu...
- 4/4/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Here's the trailers and a Featurette for Takeshi Miike's remake of the 1963 Eiichi Kudo film 13 '13 Assassins,' starring Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya Koyata, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura and Mikijiro Hira.
In the era of the Shogun, an evil young lord rapes and kills, assured of immunity by law. But he didn’t count on the Thirteen Assassins. A feared secret force, each with their own deadly skill, the Assassins undertake a suicide mission to wipe out the Lord. As he embarks on a perilous journey, the Assassins close off his escape route and ambush him in a village of death. But little do they know, they are outnumbered four to one by the Lord’s crack team of bodyguards. The streets will run red.
It gets released 6th May for Ireland and the UK.
Trailers:
Featurette:...
In the era of the Shogun, an evil young lord rapes and kills, assured of immunity by law. But he didn’t count on the Thirteen Assassins. A feared secret force, each with their own deadly skill, the Assassins undertake a suicide mission to wipe out the Lord. As he embarks on a perilous journey, the Assassins close off his escape route and ambush him in a village of death. But little do they know, they are outnumbered four to one by the Lord’s crack team of bodyguards. The streets will run red.
It gets released 6th May for Ireland and the UK.
Trailers:
Featurette:...
- 3/29/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Flicks News)
- FlicksNews.net
“The time has come to lay down your lives for a better cause.”
If you’re a fan of legendary Director Takashi Miike’s work or martial arts movies in general, 13 Assassins looks to be one of hottest foreign genre movies of 2011. Check out the trailer, it’s pretty intense and feels like a cross between Braveheart and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
13 Assassins is Directed by Takashi Miike and stars Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya Koyata, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura and Mikijiro Hira.
Story:
Cult director Takeshi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan’s feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future.
13 Assassins comes to theaters on April 29th, 2011.
If you’re a fan of legendary Director Takashi Miike’s work or martial arts movies in general, 13 Assassins looks to be one of hottest foreign genre movies of 2011. Check out the trailer, it’s pretty intense and feels like a cross between Braveheart and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
13 Assassins is Directed by Takashi Miike and stars Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya Koyata, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura and Mikijiro Hira.
Story:
Cult director Takeshi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan’s feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future.
13 Assassins comes to theaters on April 29th, 2011.
- 3/26/2011
- by Bags
- BuzzFocus.com
Magnet Releasing have unveiled a brand new trailer and poster for ultra-violent period-horror film 13 Assassins, a remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 black-and-white Japanese film of the same name.
Directed by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi The Killer) from a screenplay penned by Daisuke Tengan, the film stars Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, and Mikijiro Hira.
Read more on New trailer and poster for Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins...
Directed by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi The Killer) from a screenplay penned by Daisuke Tengan, the film stars Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, and Mikijiro Hira.
Read more on New trailer and poster for Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins...
- 3/26/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- GordonandtheWhale
After garnering strong reviews since its Venice/Toronto premiere last fall, Takashi Miike‘s 13 Assassins is finally hitting theaters here in the Us. Judging from this new trailer, it looks to be an amped-up version of Akira Kurowasa‘s classic masterpiece The Seven Samurai. While it is impossible to touch that film, I can’t wait to see what Miike has up his sleeve. The film stars Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya Koyata, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, Mikijiro Hira and you can see the trailer below via Apple.
Synopsis: Cult director Takeshi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan’s feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future.
Magnet will release the film on...
Synopsis: Cult director Takeshi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan’s feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future.
Magnet will release the film on...
- 3/25/2011
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Very few filmmakers have the ability to shock an audience quite like the master of that emotion, Takashi Miike.
That’s exactly what was given to attendees at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, although in a much different way than viewers of his films are used to. The director has returned to the film world with his latest piece, the shogun action thriller 13 Assassins. Arguably his most action filled film since Ichi The Killer, Miike is not only one of the film world’s most beloved foreign names, but he’s also one that doesn’t like to stick to the same genre multiple times in a row.
And thank heavens he doesn’t, because 13 Assassins is a samurai action-er unlike anything we’ve seen in a very long time.
Seemingly inspired by tales like Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, 13 Assassins follows the story of Shogun official Sir Doi, who...
That’s exactly what was given to attendees at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, although in a much different way than viewers of his films are used to. The director has returned to the film world with his latest piece, the shogun action thriller 13 Assassins. Arguably his most action filled film since Ichi The Killer, Miike is not only one of the film world’s most beloved foreign names, but he’s also one that doesn’t like to stick to the same genre multiple times in a row.
And thank heavens he doesn’t, because 13 Assassins is a samurai action-er unlike anything we’ve seen in a very long time.
Seemingly inspired by tales like Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, 13 Assassins follows the story of Shogun official Sir Doi, who...
- 3/23/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Takashi Miike, the director responsible for such uncompromising and unforgettable movies as Audition and Ichi The Killer indelibly stamps his trademark style on the Samurai genre with the ultra-violent, all-action, blood-spattered epic, 13 Assassins.
Miike’s remake of Eichi Kudo’s classic 1963 samurai period action-drama Jusan-nin No Shikaku boasts a heavyweight cast featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary Japanese cinema, including Koji Yakusho (Babel; Memoirs Of A Geisha), Takayuki Yamada (252: Sign Of Life), Yusuke Iseya (Sukiyaki Western Django; Memories Of Matsuko; Casshern), Mikijiro Hira (Goemon) and Hiroki Matsukata (Tajomaru: Avenging Blade; Ichi).
In mid-19th Century Japan the era of the samurai is beginning to fade as the feudal nation begins to enjoy a rare period of peace. But the fragile calm is soon threatened by the bloody rise of Lord Naritsugu, the Shogun’s sadistic, psychopathic younger brother, whose position places him above the law and free to rape,...
Miike’s remake of Eichi Kudo’s classic 1963 samurai period action-drama Jusan-nin No Shikaku boasts a heavyweight cast featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary Japanese cinema, including Koji Yakusho (Babel; Memoirs Of A Geisha), Takayuki Yamada (252: Sign Of Life), Yusuke Iseya (Sukiyaki Western Django; Memories Of Matsuko; Casshern), Mikijiro Hira (Goemon) and Hiroki Matsukata (Tajomaru: Avenging Blade; Ichi).
In mid-19th Century Japan the era of the samurai is beginning to fade as the feudal nation begins to enjoy a rare period of peace. But the fragile calm is soon threatened by the bloody rise of Lord Naritsugu, the Shogun’s sadistic, psychopathic younger brother, whose position places him above the law and free to rape,...
- 3/11/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
...Or we should say "Cheat Sheets" since this year's SXSW Film Festival boasts over 140 films, requiring more than just one page to cover every single one of the narrative and documentary features that will be playing in Austin from March 11th through 19th. While the festival has already provided a very helpful schedule to flip through and Pdf of the screening grid online, consider this your quick hit guide to all the features at the festival - every title leads to its corresponding festival page in addition to links to trailers, official sites, filmmakers' Facebook pages and Twitter accounts so you can follow the action from the festival or from home.
Meanwhile, there will be plenty of action during these next two weeks on IFC.com where, in addition to our live video page, Matt Singer (@mattsinger) and I (@mfrushmore) will be filing reviews and interviews throughout the film festival.
Meanwhile, there will be plenty of action during these next two weeks on IFC.com where, in addition to our live video page, Matt Singer (@mattsinger) and I (@mfrushmore) will be filing reviews and interviews throughout the film festival.
- 3/9/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
A new teaser for Takashi Miike's upcoming live-action adaptation of Nintama Rantaro has been uploaded to the Warner Bros. channel on Yahoo! Japan.
Based on a long-running gag manga by Sobee Amako, the film revolves around an 8-year-old boy named Rantaro who attends a school for young ninjas.
The new footage seems to be geared toward showcasing the film's main cast, including newly announced cast members Mikijiro Hira and Hiroki Matsukata in full special effects makeup.
Here's the current cast list in the order shown in the teaser:
Seishiro Kato as Nintama
Roi Hayashi as Kirimaru
Fuuta Kimura as Shinbe
Shido Nakamura as Dad
Rei Dan as Mom
Susumu Terajima as Yamada-sensei
Takahiro Miura as Doi-sensei
Hiroki Matsukata as Happosai
Mikijiro Hira as Ookawa
"Nintama Rantaro" will be released in Japan on July 23, 2011.
Watch »...
Based on a long-running gag manga by Sobee Amako, the film revolves around an 8-year-old boy named Rantaro who attends a school for young ninjas.
The new footage seems to be geared toward showcasing the film's main cast, including newly announced cast members Mikijiro Hira and Hiroki Matsukata in full special effects makeup.
Here's the current cast list in the order shown in the teaser:
Seishiro Kato as Nintama
Roi Hayashi as Kirimaru
Fuuta Kimura as Shinbe
Shido Nakamura as Dad
Rei Dan as Mom
Susumu Terajima as Yamada-sensei
Takahiro Miura as Doi-sensei
Hiroki Matsukata as Happosai
Mikijiro Hira as Ookawa
"Nintama Rantaro" will be released in Japan on July 23, 2011.
Watch »...
- 3/3/2011
- Nippon Cinema
It was only out of dedication to Slackerwood that I decided to brave the Fantastic Fest 2010 closing-night film, 13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku). I had a very understandable reluctance to see anything directed by Takashi Miike, having once heard my brother describe the "awesomeness" of Audition to me in intense detail. I know he's made family films, but I was still justifiably wary of a Miike movie with the word "assassins" in the title. Let's face it, I am squeamish about certain kinds of violence in movies.
Fortunately, 13 Assassins had no more violence and gore than a Sam Peckinpah movie. In fact, if Peckinpah had decided to remake The Seven Samurai, this might have been the result. "No more gore than Peckinpah" doesn't exactly mean we're in G-rated territory, but I can deal with limbs and heads being sliced off, as long as it's done relatively quickly and not as lingering scenes of torture.
Fortunately, 13 Assassins had no more violence and gore than a Sam Peckinpah movie. In fact, if Peckinpah had decided to remake The Seven Samurai, this might have been the result. "No more gore than Peckinpah" doesn't exactly mean we're in G-rated territory, but I can deal with limbs and heads being sliced off, as long as it's done relatively quickly and not as lingering scenes of torture.
- 10/5/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.