The Assassin

Em honra do centenário de Tetsuro Tamba. O que evidencia aqui que se trata de um exemplar da Nuberu Bagu e não um chambara dos moldes clássicos é o estilo empregado por Shinoda, tanto o vai e vem dos flashbacks não lineares, quanto o congelamento de frame em cenas de pico narrativo, são mecanismos bem new wave. Um excelente exemplo do gênero. Box Versátil Cinema Samurai Volume 1.

Really not interested.

Shinoda's typically stylish film making doesn't quite manage to make this murky and confusing non-linear narrative, broken up between I don't even know how many POV characters, actually interesting or emotionally involving.

The film gives little reason to keep up with its narrative complexity: I had no emotional ties to the film or what happened in it (apart from, possibly, with Oren's character with her scenes being probably the most interesting bit of the film), and it didn't give me much of an insight into its main character. I found it to mainly be dry recitation of history, admittedly done with some beautiful images and a good dose of appropriate style.