Shinobi: Heart Under Blade — movie review
Based on the novel by Futaro Yamada, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (aka: Shinobi 2005, nothing to do with the SEGA game) is a classic tale of star crossed lovers in Tokugawa era Japan. Oboro and Gennosuke, born to opposing ninja clans locked in a centuries long quiet war, have found a love that flies in the face of the hatred passed down through the generations. When Tokugawa lifts the ban on the war between the clans, issuing a challenge to both to determine the best fighter, the clans, blinded by tradition, gladly head to war. Oboro and Gennosuke’s pleas for peace go unheeded, and the two are thrust into a conflict that threatens to destroy everything they hold dear.
What Shinobi does differently from its ninja-action counterparts is spend time with characters from both sides of the conflict. We get to know the members of the Koga and Iga clans equally. Thus, each battle is a face off between characters you have a vested interest in. Naturally, some characters you will care about more than others, but it nevertheless serves to drive home the immensely tragic nature of battle, the abnormal nature of the violence inherent in man, and the foolishness of those who throw away their lives in the name of glory found in war.
Opting for elegance over opulence, the film’s visual sensibility is minimalist beauty defined. Its clean washed, de-saturated look is a wonderful change from the color heavy cinematic frenzies witnessed of late. Compositions are near black and white, punctuated only by the pastel blues, pinks, browns and reds of the opposing clans. Fabrics are soft and billowy, further adding to the peaceful tone of the film. Furthermore, director Ten Shimoyama, in a vast improvement over St. John’s Wort, displays decidedly classic leanings, relying on medium to long takes, and quality dramatic acting rather than quick cuts and cool/cute muggings. Edits are made only when necessary, allowing the audience the chance to really get to know the characters on screen. Battle sequences are cut far quicker, of course, and the ones found in this film are nothing short of amazing. Their onsets are sudden and unexpected, drawing the audience immediately into the fray and driving home the immense danger of the situation. In fact the only real modern cinematic aspect of the film would be its use of computer graphics, again only sparingly, for sweeping vistas and exhibitions of supernatural powers.
The two leads are equally engaging. Both have an intense sorrow about their eyes, Yukie Nakama in particular. Her striking, world weary orbs exhibit the exceptional intelligence and soul so essential for the portrayal of the Oboro character. Her previous herky-jerky outing as Sadako in Ring 0 gave no indication of the poise, range, and professionalism evidenced here. She would have been the perfect pick for Memoir’s Sayuri, but then again I think her talents would have been wasted in a tale such as that. Joe Odagiri’s tortured hero is at once tough and vulnerable. His intense love for Oboro is evident in everything from his physical posture to his intensely emotive facial expressions. This truth in emotion helps ground the characters’ romance in a tangible reality, ringing true even with the film’s fantastic trappings. As with Yukie, Odagiri evidenced similar degree of talent in Kurosawa’s Bright Future, and various Japanese television outings, but with this film he proves he has matured into a genuine star.
An emotionally affecting drama. A tragic lovestory. A melancholic mediation on the destructive nature of war. A skewering of historical war heroes. A brilliant ninja fantasy. Shinobi: Heart Under Blade is all these things and more. In fact, it is one of the best films I’ve seen all year.
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