Blade of the Immortal [Mugen no jûnin] *** (2017, Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi) – Movie Review 

The hundredth film by master director Takashi Miike is Blade of the Immortal [Mugen no jûnin], which stars Takuya Kimura as skilled samurai Manji, cursed by some ancient crone with immortality after a legendary battle in which he more or less kills everybody after his sister Machi is murdered.

Mortally wounded, he asks the crone to kill him, but instead she opens his chest and pops in worms that grow his hand back on and somehow confer the immortality. But he will later need to beware of anyone weakening the power of the worms!

Fifty years later, and of course not looking a day older, (duh, he’s immortal, keep up please!), Manji agrees to help the young Rin to avenge the death of her parents, killed by master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu (Sôta Fukushi). He is in with Rin because she looks like Machi, whose death still haunts him. Hana Sugisaki has the dual role of Rin and Machi. In an odd turn of events, the villain Anotsu is strangely young and pretty looking, but just as villainous and lethal for all that. Fukushi would never make a Bond villain!

It is more or less non-stop sword chop for 140 minutes as the dynamic duo of Manji and Rin slash their way venomously to the inevitable finale showdown with the uber villain Anotsu.

With the screen splattered with blood and severed limbs, you might need a fairly strong stomach for the brutal swordplay, which is immensely vigorous and brilliantly staged.

The striking-looking prologue is in black and white before the film bursts into bloody colour. Though it could do with a little chop itself, as the story is really a two hour one and some repetition creeps in, this is a striking, classy samurai action thriller. The lively screenplay by Tetsuya Oishi is based on the manga of the same title by Hiroaki Samura.

It is screened at the London Film Festival on 8 October 2017 with its UK release on 8 December 2017.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review 

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