Kill! (1968) User Reviews (15)

You'll never look at Sergio Leone -- or samurai flicks -- the same way again

[Terrell-4 · 7/10 · 27 January 2008]

Take a piece of Akira Kurosawa, blend in a big portion of Sergio Leone, then add a little of Mel Brooks on Xanax and you'll have an idea of one of the oddest and most amusing examples of chanbara satire. The "sword-fighting movies" from Japan nearly collapsed under the weight of clichés, just as American "gun-fighting" westerns nearly bit the dust in the U.S. Kihachi Okamoto piles on the clichés in this tale taken from the same source material as Sanjuro. While elements of the plot are described, it's not the plot that's too important, but what Okamoto does with it. You might have a hard time afterwards watching some of those popular Italian westerns with a straight face (or even some of Kurosawa's eastern westerns).

Two ragged men, one a former samurai, Genta (Tatsuya Nakadai), who is disillusioned and has become a wandering yakuza, and the other, Hanji (Etsushi Takahashi), a farmer who wants to become a samurai, meet by chance in a dusty, decaying village. The two suddenly find themselves in the midst of corruption, betrayal and assassination. They wind up fighting rival gangs and, sometimes, each other. Along the way we encounter the loving clichés of samurai flicks as well as the loving clichés from Italian westerns...all that running back and forth, noble love, beatings, the really evil villain...as well as pratfalls, a monk who seems to be channeling William Hickey, a flying finger that lands on the ground right in front of the camera and probably the scrawniest chicken ever to have a major role in the movies.

The year is 1833 when Japan's rigid class system was decaying. Tatsuya Nakadai as Genta is marvelous as the quizzical and disillusioned ex-samurai who long ago had enough of the posturing and false honor of his class. He has no intention of being a hero, yet he finds himself against his better judgment being drawn into a clan battle between corruption on one side and naivety on the other. He also is a realist. "Kill or be killed," he says at one point, "either would leave an unpleasant aftertaste." Almost as good is Etsushi Takahashi as Hanji. He may only be a farmer, but Hanji is tired of that back-breaking work. He sold his land and bought a samurai's outfit with the two swords. If he can become a samurai, he knows honor will be close behind. Hanji is energetic and impressed with titles. When the two meet, they make an odd-couple team, even if at a various times Hanji is determined to stick a sword through Genta's chest.

Two-thirds of the way through the movie, however, Okamoto lets the clichés regain their rightful power. The laughs are few and far between as battles are fought between muskets and swords (the swords lose), a good man dies and a fight to the death takes place between Genta and an evil usurper. We're left with the carnage of dead samurai, caused by betrayal and suspicion..and with Genta's comment to Hanji, "Now do you understand what samurai are like?"

Wait, there's more. This is a satire, after all. Our last view is of the two men, one a realist and the other now also a realist, leaving the village. They're followed by the admiring young women of the town's one pleasure house, all determined to journey with them. That leaves the scrawny chicken, strutting around and pecking in the dust, unimpressed with all that has just occurred.

Kill! astounds with its blend of comedy and drama

[patryk-czekaj · 8/10 · 27 December 2012]

With all its dark humor and cynical attitude towards samurai code of honor, Kill! comes as a truly unformulaic and genre-bending period drama. Written and directed by the famous Kihachi Okamoto, the film's loosely based on Shūgorō Yamamoto's widely read short story Peaceful Days (also the basis for Kurosawa's Sanjuro). Kill! (or Kiru in Japanese) combines a well-crafted, complex plot with audaciously choreographed fight scenes, some visually-stunning, long shots of Japanese landscapes, with a bunch of witty - and often farcical - dialogues.

The picture presents a story about two luckless, hungry would-be warriors, who find themselves in the middle of a ferocious battle between the opposing sides of a dangerous yakuza clan. Genta (Tatsuya Nakadai) is a former samurai, who got tired of the difficult lifestyle of a wandering ronin. He wasn't able to find any other work, and just wound up in the deserted city, where he met Hanjiro (Etsushi Takahashi), an ex-farmer who wants to become a samurai, but didn't have a chance to prove his abilities yet. As soon as the two discover that the abandoned city is a battleground for a merciless group of samurai retainers, it's simply too late, and they get dragged into the whole deadly intrigue in just a matter of minutes. It becomes clear that one side of the conflict betrayed the other, and the resolution of the struggle might come only when one of the parties kills the other. In the cutthroat game of murder and betrayal, the two main characters take differing sides, and in order to achieve success they need to kill each other at first. Though Hanjiro's first assignment as an aspiring samurai is to dispose of Genta, he hesitates for a long time, as Genta proved to be a valuable source of information regarding the precious samurai life. As the tension mounts, and both groups become more and more irritated and bloodthirsty, Hanjiro and Genta decide to team up and outsmart everyone in their way, leading on to one of the most riveting and satisfying finales in a samurai picture ever filmed.

The problem with Kill! is that it's not as well-known around the world as it really should be. Moreover, it's simply an under-watched samurai epic, even though it actually shares - and makes fun of - all the far-reaching values of many prominent Kurosawa pictures. Here the portrayal of typical samurai warriors is a most parodical one, as Kill! shows so deliberately that there are those, who behave only badly and those, who behave only honorably, and there's nothing in-between. It's a game-changer of sorts when it comes to the topic of samurai, given its highly fanciful attempt at denuding all the hidden aspects of those seemingly convoluted personas.

The cinematography is as raw-looking as it is actually picture-perfect. It brings out all that's eye-popping about the beautiful, yet blood-filled, Japanese scenery.

Kill! also references various other samurai pictures, playing with the idea of a dramatic and serious samurai film, giving itself an utterly lighthearted tone. Kihachi Okamoto created a little, under-appreciated gem that's not only engaging, but also truly smart and concise.

A slick self parody of the Samurai genre

[williampsamuel · 8/10 · 8 December 2014]

Seven young samurai kill a corrupt local magistrate on the orders of their clan's chamberlain, Ayuzawa, believing that doing their duty for the honor of their clan. But when they discover that Ayuzawa was only using them, and that now he's set on cleaning house, their only hope my lie with enigmatic drifter Genta and strong bodied, thick headed ex-farmer Tabata. Assuming they don't get killed first. Thus begins Kihachi Okamoto's Kill! Based on the same novel as Kurosawa's Sanjuro, Kill! weaves a tale filled with twists, betrayals, and death that is steeped in the samurai ethos of honor and duty. But this is no brooding drama or tragedy; it's a slick action comedy.

The central story is a compelling one, pitting the courage and youthful idealism of the seven against the callous deceptions of Ayuzawa. These are men who despite their inexperience and naiveté are committed to their cause and fully prepared to die for it if need be. But although they may not be fools or cowards, neither are they hardened warriors, accustomed to a life on the run. When things are down, they fight, they get scared, they make mistakes, but they manage to pull it together. And although I couldn't keep their names strait, each of them have been developed with their own personalities and character traits.

The most interesting character by far though is Genta He's an outsider, a vagrant. He's got no connection to the seven, no reason to get involved. Yet from the moment he meets them commits himself to their cause and repeatedly risks his life to aid them. And believe me, there is no better man to have on your side. In battle, he possesses the power of a raging storm and the grace of a dancer, easily cutting down half a dozen opponents. Even more formidable is his cunning and charisma, which allow him to pit enemies against each other and undermine them from within.

Genta remains something of an enigma for most of the film. We learn early on that he used to be a samurai, and that he had a falling out with his former master. But almost until the end we receive only oblique hints as to what lies in his past, and what motivates his actions now. It's clear however that he holds no regard for his former profession. For him, it's not the title or rank that matters, but the kind of man you are.

His sometimes ally Tabata is the main source of comic relief. His stubbornness, earnestness and all around cluelessness are worth more than a few chuckles, and remind me just a bit of the peasants from The Hidden Fortress. His early fight scenes are among the funniest parts, as he tries his hardest to strike down a foe who nonchalantly comments on his technique while dodging his clumsy blows. I also enjoyed the bit involving the chicken, but the part that evoked the most laughs would have to be the frantic brothel scene, which is not nearly as risqué as it sounds.

Kill! is not only a lot of fun and quite funny, but also surprisingly deep, sometimes poignant, and possesses a clear message about what it truly means to be honorable. It is a credit to its genre, and one hell of an action flick.

A truly rewarding samurai movie!

[alice_frye · 10/10 · 3 September 2005]

Nothing prepared me for the laughter and all-around entertainment offered by this film. The writer, director and actors manage to have fun with icons of Japanese society (e.g., a card shark priest, an honest bureaucrat who has never visited a brothel, a noble peasant, etc.,) while maintaining a good pace with the swordplay and forward movement of the story line. Nakadai is brilliant as the "been there, done that" samurai, who reveals much of the story's insanity to us through whispered comments and observations. Viewers might need a scorecard to keep track of all the double-crossing and back-firing that takes places, but Kiru is tremendous fun from beginning to end. And it's the only movie I've seen with the ugliest chicken in the world serving as a leitmotiv.

The Counterculture's Happy Warrior

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 9/10 · 31 May 2016]

Kill! follows two ronin who are caught up in the confounding intrigue of a local clan. Genta (Nakadai) a former samurai and yakuza member looks on as a group of seven retainers kill their master under orders from Ayuzawa (Koyama) the clan's leader. They are subsequently betrayed and cornered in a mountainside hobble. On the other side is Hanji (Takahashi), a farmer and relative novice who hopes to get into the clan's good graces and is brought along to hunt down the seven assassins. While Genta and Hanji are on opposite sides of the clan's convoluted back-and-forth, they form a bond and find themselves playing one side against the other.

Kill! is a sneaky, Manzai inspired kick in the pants to samurai adventure tales which has dominated the Western notion of Japanese cinema for half a century. Even if you're brand new to Chanbara, you're at least familiar with the popular titles of Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961) and the Zatoichi series (1962-1989). Their pensive, wistful examinations of the Bushido Code are often punctuated by flairs of Western inspired violence that audiences all over the world ate up like gobs of rolled sushi. And just like in America, Italy, France, Mexico et al., Japan contended with a vibrant counterculture movement that rapturously embraced maverick artists and film directors. Kill!, while not as immediately known as Rashomon (1950), was for all intents and purposes, the counterculture's happy warrior.

Throughout the film are a litter with characters, who on all sides vary from hypocritical to downright disgusting. Ironically, other than the principle rogues, the only other redeemable characters are Oikawa (Kubo) the leader of the encumbered seven and Jurota (Kishida) the lead guard; two characters duty bound to kill one another. Yet even though they are the only characters to hold to the Bushido Code while no one's looking, they are also just smart enough to realize they're trapped by the twisted machinations of Ayuzawa and their own stupid pride.

Director Kihachi Okamoto along with Seijun Suzuki and Kon Ichikawa was among the nation's most radical insurgents and found hypocrisy in every system ancient and contemporary. Over a career that spanned six decades, the WWII veteran made over forty films many of which dealt with the absurdities of war. He intermingled high-action with low- brow comedy, employing a lyrical style that contemporaries likened to over-the-top musical only without the music.

While previous works like Samurai Assassin (1965) and The Sword of Doom (1966) saw Okamoto on his best behavior, by 1968 the gloves came off. Kill! openly and repeatedly mocks the lithe practices of the samurai, at one point using a solstice celebration to humorously distract from an ambush. The conscience of his film (and audience POV) is esteemed Japanese legend Tatsuya Nakadai who is certainly no stranger to tearing down legends and picking at newly made scabs. While contemporary Toshiro Mifune made over thirty movies building up and championing the honorific exploits of the samurai, Nakadai's cool, collected work in Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri (1962) single- handedly obliterated all the legends. While Kill! is comparatively light, employing a kick'em-while-they're-down mentality, its arguably much more fun to watch than Harakiri.

Combining exciting swordplay, crackling dialogue, absurd humor and sly references and take-downs of other films (including as especially Kurosawa's Sanjuro (1962)), Kill! is a brilliant and fun little film. It offers interesting and complex characters and a story that confounds and confuses though in the same way 1968 confounded and confused the world. Before declaring 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), If.... (1968) and/or Night of the Living Dead (1968) the most radical film/s of the sixties, check out Kill! and tell me you're not at least delighted.

Satisfying chambara action with tongue firmly in cheek

[chaos-rampant · 13 July 2008]

Both the strength and the major weakness of Kiru! is that it refuses to take itself too serious. Although there are some notable moments where Okamoto goes for the dramatic angle (the squad leader whose wife works in the brothel facing off with Tatsuya Nakadai's character for one) and does it well, he keeps sabotaging his own movie. In that aspect, Kiru is definitely not a formal jidai-geki but more of a light-hearted samurai action film.

Kihachi Okamoto might not be well known outside chambara circles, but he's one of the best in the genre and definitely at the top of his game directing action. Fresh from the devastating Sword of Doom (his magnum opus and one of Japanese cinema's finest moments), he brings a fresh, wild approach to his action. Less stylized and formal but more energetic. In terms of samurai cinema, the movie opens in a rundown little village and with the dust and winds blowing the whole setup is eerily reminiscent of Yojimbo setting. The plot is a crossover of sorts between Kurosawa's Sanjuro movies and the themes Eiichi Kudo explored in his Samurai Revolution trilogy (samurais ambushing and assassinating a daimyo for the honour of their clan etc). It may seem a bit convoluted and off-putting to the uninitiated, but that's typical in films of this kind.

With regards to the comedy angle, while Kiru is a light-hearted fare, it's definitely not laugh-out-loud funny. A lot is lost in the translation I guess, but sometimes the comedic timing of Tatsuya Nakadai as the cunning, sly yakuza (a welcome change from the tortured soul characters he played in the 60's) and Etsushi Takahashi as the overzealous farmer with samurai ambitions shine through.

A wild ride

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 13 March 2022]

As films like 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' serve as anti-Westerns because of their morally ambivalent characters who fly in the face of traditional good guy/bad guy roles, it seems to me that 'Kill!' serves as an anti-samurai film of sorts. There are few signs of a code of honor to be found here, and the samurai (or would-be samurai) fight instead out of some personal motivation, like hunger or ego. One of them (Tatsuya Nakadai) is actually an ex-samurai, and he regularly cautions another man (Etsushi Takahashi) against taking up the profession.

I liked that aspect of it, but what stopped me from liking it as a whole was how messy and confusing the story was. That may have been the point, that it's all helter-skelter and you have different clans killing one another for reasons they (and the viewer) aren't completely sure of, with powerful men in the background quietly pulling the strings, but I think that could have been illustrated in a more satisfying way. The film blends together so many elements, parodying famous samurai films like Sanjuro and Yojimbo, getting in battle scenes of its own, and including some comedy, the more humorous moments of which take place in a brothel. I would have liked it more if it had been a fully comedy or a full revisionist samurai film with a better plot, but as it was, it ended up in a weird middle ground for me. Anyway, it's a wild ride and I'm sure more suitable for connoisseurs of the genre, but it was a little too messy for me, and I probably missed some of its references.

Kept me entertained from start to finish

[simon_booth · 9/10 · 23 January 2006]

Kill! is an economically titled film that provides some great characters, a strong story, lots of well shot fights and some clever humour. I have to confess that most of the samurai films I've seen have put me to sleep - Kurosawa's work or the Zatoichi films being a happy exception. KILL! never once had me in danger of nodding off, keeping me entertained from start to finish.

I was reminded of Kurosawa's SANJURO quite a bit, and read afterwards that both films were based on the same novel. I'm not sure if there were multiple stories within that novel, or if one or both of the films are just very loosely based on it. Tatsuya Nakadai's ronin is certainly a similar character to Mifune's Sanjuro, perhaps a little more world-weary and sly, not so majestic. Nakadai is Mifune's only serious competition for the "God of Samurai Films" crown, having made a bunch over the course of his career. His performance in KILL! is the best I've seen from him.

The film is well lensed, written, directed and performed. The pacing rarely if ever lags, and the story focuses on the characters rather than getting bogged down in trying to accurately describe historical detail or tedious political intrigues. Action is exciting and the comedy is subtle, smart and dark... all making for a pleasing 114 minutes of cinema :) Recommended!

stylish muddle

[cherold · 6/10 · 26 June 2004]

Well, I'm not sure what to think. While watching the movie I thought it just didn't make any sense, but the two reviews up here now say it's a comedy, so it's possible that it's just making fun of bad samurai pictures. But really, nothing is much more than mildly amusing in the movie. So if it's a Wet Hot American Summer-styled parody then I'll just say I didn't really get it. Because the story makes just as much sense as the purposely senseless story of that movie. But that still wouldn't make it all that funny, in my opinion. But I think the movie would be more fun if you go into it thinking of it as a parody.

Still, I didn't really mind the senselessness that much, I just sort of went along with the flow, and Tatsuya Nakadai's performance alone is enough of a reason to see the movie.

A classic

[gunnar-3 · 10/10 · 30 October 2006]

This is an example of a near perfect film. It most certainly is a comedy and the blend of serious story and personal conflict makes the light-hearted moments hilarious and touching. I have never seen this kind of humour so effectively portrayed on film and perhaps some of the other reviewers simply have not been fortunate to find themselves in this kind of "pickle". Sometimes events are so unbelievable, or so obviously predictable that you have to surrender yourself to fate and laugh. This movie is about the immensity of fate and how man is but a small raft on the big ocean. He can only paddle to avoid waves and laugh at his fortune as he makes his way towards a distant shore, perhaps never reaching it. It is pure beauty.

I saw it and didn't find it to be funny

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 30 June 2005]

This is an excellent Japanese action picture just chock full for fighting, killing and samurai stuff. That's fine with me, as I like that sort of film a lot. However, I don't particularly remember the film being THAT funny and it is certainly not a comedy. I am writing this because based on some of the other reviews, I person might assume that to be the case. Action--YES. Comedy--NOPE.

However, I could see the parallel between this movie and the Zatoichi series. Our hero, Ichi, is always looking to help the little guy in trouble and he, too, did bad early in life and is always striving to undo this through good works (like the lead in KILL).

HILARIOUS!The "Scary Movie" of samurai films!

[AkuSokuZan · 31 July 2001]

Before watching Kiru "Kill!" see SEven SAmurai, Hidden Fortress, Sanjuro, Yojimbo and the awesome SWORD OF DOOM then you will catch all of the inside jokes and truly appreciate this masterful parody. The humor in this movie is conveyed elegantly. For example the director of "Kiru," Okamoto, who also directed Sword of Doom, included a stone Buddha atop of the hill overlooking the desolate town setting of the movie in reference to "Daibosatsu Toge" which means "Great Buddha Pass" (the Japanese title for Sword of Doom). Okay that wasn't the best example, but can you imagine henchmen screaming EXTRA loud when they are butchered? Or how about a grimy farmer turning away a cute girl he calls a "powdered monster!" Amidst the exaggerated dust storms, references to the value of rice, mountain treks and the trouble 7 "children" or samurai cause when planning a conspiracy is a trio of heroes: a farmer who yearns to be a samurai, the last henchmen of an annihilated gang, and a vagabond (rather than a dashing ronin) played by Tatsuya Nakadai. Yes, there are staring duels, flying daggers, great fight scenes with wooden swords but lastly a showdown that is NOT in the middle of a ghost town or rolling field but in a tiny room. This film is for the fans!!!

Possibly the funniest samurai movie

[goleson · 9/10 · 12 June 1999]

This is possibly the funniest comedy samurai movie, with a more subtle humor than the hilarious Zatoichi series. Stars the brilliant Tatsuya Nakadai.

A vagrant couldn't do all this.

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 25 October 2008]

Tatsuya Nakadai is no stranger to Samurai films, having played in Ran, Yojimbo, and Sanjura among the almost 100 films he has done. This film is based upon the same book as Sanjura.

Tatsuya Nakadai plays Genta, a yakuza that travels from town to tow. He meets up with Hanji (Etsushi Takahashi) a farmer who wants to be a Samurai. Reminds you of the farmer in the Magnificent Seven who wanted to be a gunfighter.

They get caught up in a local fracas that pits seven samurai against a lord taking over the town. It is a one-sided fight, to say the least.

You will find some Kurasawa in here, as well as some Clint Eastwood as "the man with no name"; along with some very funny dialog. All of this will serve to keep you glued to the action until the very end.