Crazy Samurai Musashi (Fantasia Fest)
**Seen for the 2020 Fantasia International Film Festival**
There are times where you can tell Musashi is conserving energy for the next wave to arrive. Why don’t the attackers, doing so for the honor of the clan he has taken lives from, just attack all at once? Strategy, for one- at times, he has no way of escaping- but also because, they’re not nearly as skilled as he is. Their only hope is to wear him down to the point where he makes a mistake. Their expectations are unmet every time.
“Crazy Samurai Musashi” is a masterclass in action filmmaking. It’s also, essentially, a gimmick movie. That gimmick is, a continuous, 77-minute long fight sequence, all done in a single shot and take. Normally, in this sort of movie, you can tell where “invisible cuts” might take place, such as the frame going dark (a la “1917”) or a close-up, like in Hitchcock’s “Rope.” “Musashi” is not as elegantly shot as either of those films, and that works to its advantage; the cinematography is more akin to the hand-held approach of “Saving Private Ryan,” and it’s great to see the ways in which director Yuji Shimomura creates wide shots, close ups, point-of-view and narrative throughout so that we aren’t just watching the same thing multiple times. Each wave of attack is shot just a bit differently, in different locations, as Musashi (played here by martial artist Tak Sakaguchi) cuts through dozens upon dozens upon hundreds of foes; the count is, allegedly, at 588 when all is said and done, but I have better things to do that just sit there and count the number of people Musashi cuts down. Namely, enjoying the filmmaking craft at work, and narrative put forth.
The film begins with 8 minutes of exposition where members of the Yoshioka clan discussing the duel to come at one of their temples. One of their old masters, Seijuro, has been murdered by Musashi, and now, they have gathered 100 students, and 300 mercenaries, to fight him, and restore honor to the clan. Is this an honorable fight, though? One of Seijuro’s students is not so sure, but by the time Musashi arrives, and the fighting begins, there is no room for discourse. It is all about the battle, and we can see why the clan felt as though it needed the backup; Musashi is merciless, except for one time. But when you understand the context of why, you’ll see that he is not without honor, and, in fact, fighting for his, as well.
This is one of those legendary tales brought to life. You know, the tall tales where a single, mythical fighter battles, and over time, the legend of the battle makes it seem as though the fighter fought an entire army single-handed. Shimomura makes us believe every second with his purpose and vision. This feels like an epic story, even though it takes place over, maybe, a few miles, in an abandoned village, and over the same terrain. The performance by Sakaguchi, and the use of music, is what takes “Crazy Samurai Musashi” beyond its single take “gimmick,” and into the upper realms of modern action cinema. In a movie year starved for cinematic action due to theatrical delays, “Crazy Samurai Musashi” is well worth watching, especially if the single hero taking on armies by himself is a sub-genre of action that appeals to you.
