I just finished watching this amazing flick, and had to post
something about it!
It's a western. But it's filmed in Japan, directed by a Japanese guy, and cast almost entirely with Japanese actors (plus Quentin Tarantino in a few short scenes). The dialogue is almost all English. And the dialogue itself is totally western: comments about being lily livered and the use of the word "reckon", etc. Coming out of these Japanese westerners, it's kinda unintentionally hilarious.
This flick, lemme tell ya, is one of the coolest, most intense, craziest and funniest westerns I've seen in a long time, maybe ever. The back story takes up a bit too much time, but everything else is great. There's incredible gun shooting, sword work and practical special effects. And the 5.1 is absolutely killer! Lots of directional sound cues that are very creatively and effectively done.
The story has lots of great characters. There's
a sheriff with a split personality, a middle-aged woman with a dangerous secret, a stranger with never-before-seen shooting prowess, and a woman who may have been driven mad by the death of someone close to her
. And lots of great dramatic moments too:
a child who witnesses certain things, the roses, the unspoken love between two people moments from their deaths
.
I do hope I haven't spoiled the flick for anyone with what I've said. I am trying to a little vague! But I'd love to hear others' comments on this movie. I'm still reeling from it -- especially the 5.1!
cheers,
supervij
EDIT: figured out how to block things with a SPOILER tag!