Three Outlaw Samurai
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DVD: Region Code 0Movie Reviews of Three Outlaw Samurai
Movie Review: There can be no winner in this bleak battle
Summary: 4 Stars
"Three Outlaw Samurai" ("Sanbiki no samurai") is a fascinating film, a blend of genres familiar to any fan of Japanese film. I can only think of it as "What if Mizoguchi Kenji directed a Kurosawa Akira film?" All of the grand Samurai drama of Kurosawa blended artfully with the beautiful melancholy of Mizoguchi.
The story is a classic. Three peasants, oppressed by their local governor, kidnap the governor's daughter and hold her ransom until their needs are listened too. They are brave but foolish, entirely unschooled in the art of negotiation or battle, knowing only desperation and hope. Into this mix comes Sakon Shiba, a wandering samurai who holds honor to be greater than wealth. He instantly allies himself with the peasants against the landlord, helping them to secure their ransom. Soon, he is joined by Kyojuro Sakura, a poor samurai who knows what it means to be hungry. On the opposing team is Einosuke Kikyo, a fence-sitting samurai who takes neither side, but slowly finds himself being won over by Sakon's shinning display of warrior spirit and honor.
Now, if this were a Kurosawa film, the three warriors would band together in a show of cynical strength, and teach the peasants how to defend themselves and gain self-reliance and respect. But it is not a Kurosawa film, and director Gosha Hideo taps deep into the Japanese psyche to unveil the ultimate misery of he who fights for the underdog, and how unique people must ever stand alone, excluded from the protective comfort of society. Things do not turn out well. Happiness is not in the cards for a single human being in "Three Outlaw Samurai."
Not to give it too much praise! While highly entertaining, the film is still at its heart a chambara flick, and Hideo is no Kurosawa nor Mizogushi. The acting and plot are overly dramatic, and every tear wrenched from a woman's face is an ocean of sadness. But fans of samurai movie will find "Three Outlaw Samurai" an entertaining entry in the genre, and a great DVD to have in their collection.