I can’t say I expected a lot from Sukiyaki Western Django, but with the ultra-violent auteur Takashi Miike directing a spaghetti western with all the elements of Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah and Akria Kurosawa in tow with an element of the absurd holding together a mish-mash of William Shakespeare there was no way I was going to miss it. Unfortunately this film won’t knock your socks off, but it will definitely find its way into the unique catalog of films filed away in your brain.
Miike is best known for such films as Audition and Ichi the Killer along with his flair for blood and gore. As someone not at all knowledgeable when it comes to Miike’s body of work I won’t be able to compare this to anything on those terms, but it’s not really necessary. This isn’t a film about a filmmaker as much as it is about a genre. If you are a fan of samurai flicks, spaghetti westerns or find Shakespeare adaptations of any sort to be interesting then you can find a home inside Sukiyaki Western Django as two sides battle over a lost treasure, kicked off as Miike’s “Man with No Name” (Hideaki Ito) enters town with motives of his own.
Set in something of an 1850s Nevada with a story along the lines of 11th century Japan, Sukiyaki holds no real allegiance to any one genre. The costumes can best be described as a western samurai meets a music video with lavish leather, flowing trench coats and the lip piercings of a rock star. On a first viewing Sukiyaki is all style and no substance, the story exists purely to get to the next action sequence. This makes for the two flashback scenes featuring Quentin Tarantino as a tall-tale telling gunman a bit jarring and out of place, even as one of these scenes opens the film. On repeat viewings you may be able to sort through the mayhem and broken English and perhaps pull a little more out of it, but it isn’t really necessary.
Most of the story elements are of no real consequence. You need only know good from bad and choose your side as the majority of Sukiyaki Western Django is more about paying homage to films that fit the genre(s) rather than telling any kind of cohesive storyline. That is to say, if there is anything more than what is on the surface here I wouldn’t be surprised, but I would be surprised if it meant anything consequential to the plot.
Admittedly, for the first 20 minutes or so I was debating on whether or not to continue. The story had no hold on me and I was straining to understand what the characters were saying. The film is in 100% English, which was something I never expected. As the characters began to speak I was thinking the subtitles weren’t showing up only to realize it was English. Considering Miike doesn’t speak any English the task of pulling off an all-English film must have been daunting. It comes off as an attempt to cater to Americans, but I would have much rather prefered subtitles.
Considering the film never takes itself seriously you only need sit back and meet a group of characters that all have a mythology of their own. Hookers and long-lost gunfighters hold your interest while the visuals keep your senses entertained. Flashback scenes are awash in contrasting colors and even a short stint of anime found its way into the film. However, the main reason to watch is Miike’s ability to film action. If you ever decide to watch Sukiyaki Western Django do not give up on it as the final sequence is well worth the 60 minute wait. Miike proves there can still be a way to shoot a gun battle and make it more than just gunfire and death. Even the CGI in the scene feels somewhat fresh when compared to the endless Matrix rip-offs we see so much of recently.
Don’t watch Sukiyaki Western Django for any sort of a deep storyline, but definitely give it a once over if an occasionally absurd action title interests you and certainly if you are a fan of spaghetti westerns. This won’t be the best batch of spaghetti you will ever see, but we don’t get them often enough to pass one up, especially not one as unique as this.
B-
