Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Starring: Koichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gori, Toshihiko Seki,
Running Time: 87 minutes
Certificate: 18
NINJA SCROLL was one of the first animes to slap me in the face and scream “NEVER GIVE UP ON CARTOONS YOU HANDSOME DEVIL”, and I never did. Fast approaching its 20th anniversary, NINJA SCROLL was one of the animes to storm into western culture and mark its territory. With grotesque but not overused gore, sex, and characters undergoing real moral conundrums, this was a cartoon that demanded respect…otherwise it would probably slice your face open.
It all begins with an incredible scene that captures the tone of the film perfectly. A ninja is accosted by a gang, only for them to be shown who’s boss. One of the gang bursts from a suit constructed of wood, which places this film firmly in the realms of imagination. There are simple techniques used throughout that just convince the audience this is happening. The talk of demons, use of magic, and some technology you wouldn’t believe to have been around in 17th century Japan just all seem to make sense here.
We follow the character of Jubei, a rogue ninja who stumbles into a plot involving murder, an epidemic, and the 8 Devils of Kimon. These guys are a group of super ninja, each with different skills and powers. They make for some fascinating action scenes in that their powers aren’t the usual ones you would see on film. One ha skin like a rock, which is commonplace in comics, but another can leap from the shadows (literally), whereas another can conjure wires from which he can electrocute people or send messages. This bizarre band of misfits are also not just expendable obstacles for our heroes to overcome, they also have a rather amusing and bitchy demeanour towards each other. You really get the feeling they would eventually scratch each other’s eyes out over who is sleeping with who etc.
And that’s pretty much the basic plot. It may sound simple hack and slash stuff, but it’s the characters who truly bring this film to life. Jubei is a sort of Han Solo samurai, with sarcastic quips and great honour, despite giving off the distinct impression he would rather be somewhere else. He joins forces with Kagero, a female ninja who will kill any man she sleeps with. This curse makes her isolated and quite fragile, but only in an emotional context. Physically she kicks just as much arse as anyone else. In a memorable moment of quick character building, Kagero lets down her defences only when left alone. She huddles over in pain and cries. It’s a brief but poignant moment meant only for us, the viewers.
The animation is astonishing, even today. To bring alive such visceral and engaging action sequences through animation set the bar for everything to follow. The backgrounds may not be as highly detailed as animes of today, but the shadows on the faces of our characters represents them in a striking manner. Even having not watched this for a number of years I clearly remembered even some of the cutaway shots, such as a dying horse. The use of not so bright colours means the visuals are not attempting to grab your attention, but welcome you to study each frame on an aesthetic level. In certain scenes a single colour will dominate the palette such as reds or blues.
The action scenes are when this film truly comes alive. Each of the ninjas’ different abilities give us new sights to behold. An army of snakes descending from a woman’s tattoos, a swarm of wasps being quelled by flowers floating through the air, or an always awesome swordfight among the bamboo. NINJA SCROLL has a ferocious pace, but interlaces character and dialogue seamlessly. The word of the day is ‘action’ and it’s a real joy to see something that knows when to break the bounds of reality in the name of excitement, without becoming absurd or immature. An absolute classic you will certainly revisit multiple times.
Extras: The TV Spot and Trailer are your average extras, but it’s interesting to see how films were advertised in Japan 20 years ago. The big extra here is the brand new commentary track which is worth the price of the disc alone, even if you already own the film. More foreign films need subtitled commentaries, as this one details the production and the filmmakers talk about how young they were at the time. They point out details you’d never notice on your own, such as shoulder animation, and also discuss the things they dislike about the film. The biggest laugh out loud moment comes during the sex scene between The Chamberlain and a concubine, “No matter how you slice it,” says director Kawajiri, “that scene is totally unnecessary.” Charming, funny, informative, and the ability to give you a whole new appreciation of a classic you may have watched dozens of times.
NINJA SCROLL is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray on 26th November 2012. Buy your copy here.
