Bunraku

Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater. While I have never seen it, from reading wikipedia and a few other sources, it all seems very extravagant. Bunraku the movie draws inspiration from its namesake, using it to create something very unique in the process. We get a movie exuding style, but not at the cost of content. It reminded me of Sin City, mixed with a dash of Afro Samurai. You have a good narrative that is accompanied by a cast of experience actors. And a story that while in no way new, feels fresh at the same time. This movie is in no way for everybody, but I feel you can easily tell if it is for you.

Josh Hartnett plays a drifter who comes into town on a train. Also on that train is a samurai played by Gackt. I have no clue who that is, but he was impressive in this role. They are both looking for the same man, though they do not know it. The samurai Yoshi is trying to find honor, while keeping to his Bushido code. The drifter simply wants to kill somebody. They are brought together by Woody Harrelson who plays a bar tender, and acts as sort of a mentor to them. Ron Perlman plays the leader of the WoodCutters, a gang who runs the town the movie takes place in. He has under him 9 other killers who are all very accomplished fighters. Both of the Heroes paths lead to Perlman, and the 9 killers stand in their way.

This movie is about violence, and committing in a grand way. The fight scenes are flashy, and for the most part technical. The drifter is a brawler with fast and heavy hands. He can kill a man with a single punch, and uses very little finesse when fighting. Yoshi is the opposite, refined and precise. Each hero has multiple fights, and each is done in a different style. The action is well handled, and can get rather creative. In one scene the Samurai is facing off against another swordsman, while the drifter is fighting a acrobat. We have a more standard sword fight going on, while we see Hartnett fighting on a trapeze and trampoline. While not every killer is a grand fight, each is highlighted and delightful to see brought down. It has been awhile since I saw a good martial arts film, and this one exceeded my expectations.

The scenery in this movie was very interesting. It takes place mostly in a city, however we are treated to some very pleasant visuals. Some of the structures appear to be made of paper, and the sky is usually made of it as well. We see what looks like tissue paper painted to look like the background, with the actors dropped into that world. Merging those visuals with real sets create a surreal image that really became the look of the movie.  It is hard to explain, but if you watch the trailer below it should be a little more clear. By using these sets, and adding in color and lighting that add to the surrealism, the movie comes off looking more like art in certain scenes.

The story is predictable, and the few big reveals are nothing special. You should have them already figured out way in advance. The movie never really tries to hide them though, so maybe they are not meant to be surprising in any way. Still the story works well, and managed to grab my attention pretty quickly. While I have seen the same story told many different times, I enjoyed Bunraku's take on it. Add in the artistic style, and the well done fight scenes....and you get a movie that frankly I can't believe I had not heard of before. If you like martial arts flicks, or just want something that isn't your standard action film, give it a try. It is on netflix instant view, so chances are you already have access to it.