Film review: 13 Assassins

[Anonymous]

I watched this film with my husband a few months ago and he was thoroughly engrossed in it. I found myself struggling to stay awake because while the initial storyline was intriguing, I had difficulty watching action upon action with no glue to tie it together. This is what separates me from my students who need constant stimulation of movement and believe dialogue is often superfluous. Perhaps I need to give it another try, however. Maybe I missed something crucial that could have sustained my interest beyond the first half hour or so.

[Anonymous]

I watched this film before taking the course, so prof. Yamashita's info about the historical circumstances was intriguing. I find it most interesting as a window into cultural values and archetypal characters. These are the stories that make and reinforce cultural identity.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

After watching the film 13 Assassins, I am not sure about the historical accuracies of the film I am sure that students would love it strictly for the action sequences. I am not sure that this would work in any setting other than a high school setting. One would have to obtain permission slips from parents ahead of time as well. There is a lot of information that would have to be given to the class ahead of time also. I would certainly have to give a lecture on Japanese history and there is no way I could it justice the way Professor Yamashita did. I would still not screen this until the end of unit on Japanese study. One would have to explain the Tokugawa Order, Warrior society, ritualism, hired guns, etc. It would make for an awesomelecture and I can't see why the class wouldn't enjoy of done properly and with confidence. I would actually like to try and lecture on it even if I didn't scren 13 Assassins.

The movie itself is pretty good. After Lord Naritsugu begins his villainous rampage, Shinzaemon Shimada attempts to stop him as he recruits and plots his downfall. A lot of the lecture from Professor Yamashita were recelled here as I watched. I would like to try to incorporate why this type of action would occur. A writing/research assignment would have to be done here, a "History versus Hollywood" approach. The mocvie breaks down into politicalintrigue and action. I actually enjoy the intrigue/espionage stuff and that might be what you may ahve to show in a class setting. There are some epic action sequences that some kid might find gratuitous, but most will love the action. Use a lot of discretion here. Certainly screen the film ahead of time so that you, your school or district don't get in trouble. You must have permission slips for this. You might get away with showing the whole film, and I might , but I am not sure that you would have to. There is enough details in the first half of the film to get the kids interested that they can watch the conclusion on their own. It's a bit of a tease but good choice for a study of the Shogunate and Togugawa. It reminded me of Ran from Kurosawa but not the same by any means. They both hold their own, but completely different works if art. Give it a try.

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