This film actually came out on VOD a little over a couple weeks ago. It’s a smaller film, not particularly high profile, and as much as I wanted to see it, it feel off my radar rather quick. But since not much new is coming out this weekend, I finally checked it out, and it’s one that I think you should try and seek out, either on demand or when it released on home video on July 21st. It’s actually quite surprising how this sort of slipped under everyone’s radar considering what the film is, and who was behind it.
Samurai Marathon is based on a novel by Akihiro Dobashi, which itself is loosely based on a real and rather strange historical event. Taking place in Japan in the year 1855, the course of Japan moving forward is going to change after the arrival of U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry (Danny Huston) and his black ships, putting the once solitary nation on a path to opening itself up to the world. To prepare Japan for not only modernization, but also a potential invasion from these mysterious western forces, the feudal lord, Itakura Katsuakira, decides the best way to prep his samurai troops is by having them take part in a marathon.
The race covers a 36 mile path, and it will involve both the samurais under his command as well as his foot soldiers. The winner of this marathon will be granted one wish. However, it’s not just a bunch of samurai running for 90 minutes. There are several characters we follows throughout, each with concerns that go beyond the race. There’s Jinnai Karasawa (Takeru Satoh), a spy working for the shogun, who initially mistakes the call for the race as an act of upcoming rebellion, and needs to rectify his mistake while assassins are on the way to stop the nonexistent uprising. There’s Princess Yuki (Nana Komatsu), who disguises herself as a man to take part in the race in order to run away from home. And there’s even Mataemon Kurita (Naoto Takenaka), a retired guardsman who wants to prove to himself that he still has what it takes. There are a couple other threads, but they don’t take as much screen time as these.
What’s notable about this is that the film is directed by Bernard Rose, the English filmmaker most known for Candyman, Immortal Beloved, and Paperhouse, who also co-wrote the film with Hiroshi Saitô and Kikumi Yamagishi. The film starts out on a bit of an off note as it not only tries to set the historical context, it also sets up the various character threads that we’ll be following through the course of the film. It is a bit sloppy, and it took a while for me to fully settle in and have firm grasp on who was who and what they were trying to do. Once the race starts, which happens around the 50 minute mark, things ultimately clear up, and it became easier to invest in what was going on.
There is some odd tonal playfulness, which worked well enough for me, but I can see being a bit off-putting for some. The way the film goes from political intrigue to goofy character antics to harsh violence is not as graceful as I would’ve liked, but the film eventually finds a suitable rhythm that it adheres to well enough. It’s also beautifully made, Takuro Ishizaka’s cinematography captures the lush field and damp forests with a crisp and vibrant eye. And I also appreciated how Mako Kamitsuna’s editing was more patient and methodical than the frantic energy you would’ve have expected. It really gives the characters room to breathe.
I don’t know how much of Samurai Marathon is accurate to the events that inspired it, I’m sure most, if not all, of the interpersonal dynamics and conspiracy stuff were dramatic embellishments, but that’s all fine with me. It’s a solid jidaigeki film where Bernard Rose utilizes his western sensibilities to tell a story that is very much about Japanese identity and western influences over traditional values; which makes his position here weirdly appropriate. It features some engaging characters, a great score from Philip Glass (even if some of it is recycled from some earlier work, I recognized a piece from Mishima), and when the bloodshed does finally hit, it is satisfyingly gruesome. I won’t say it will blow your mind, but it delivers the goods, especially if you’re a fan of this genre. If this passed by you, which it likely did, it’s worth checking out.