This is a well-known tale of honour and revenge in a world built on mistakes. “From the ashes, a new world was born. The surviving nations finally realized that man's unstoppable appetite for destruction must be contained. A ban on all firearms was strictly enforced. And just as the sword gave way to the gun, the gun gave way to the sword; leaving the authorities to carry the hope of their nations on the tip of a spear.”

This incarnation boasts an ensemble cast (Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore, Ron Pearlman, Gackt as Yoshi, and a somewhat fabulous Kevin McKidd), but what makes this film exceptional is the style. As the bartender says when it's suggested pop-up funnies are for children, "No, it's for people... with imagination"

Bunraku, also known as Ningyō jōruri, is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater - literally puppets and storytelling. This simple name not only describes a puppet performance, but also alludes to its predecessors. There was a long tradition of travelling storytellers and puppeteers (not unlike the drifters in this story). When these two art forms were joined is not exactly clear, but the beginning of what is now called Bunraku was 1684, when Takemoto Gidayu set up his own theater in Osaka.

In this form, the Drifter looks for revenge while Yoshi, bound by family honour, seeks to retain his family signet. Each wishes to end the cycle of violence, but to do so they must tread a path painted with bloodshed.

 

Reviewer Rating: 8/10

 

This movie was submitted by Tralfamadorius

 

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