The Jidaigeki was once a thriving genre of both film and television. However, over the years, these tales of honourable samurai triumphing over evil have fallen by the wayside. The genre’s biggest issue was that the stories were too similar to one another and eventually audiences grew tired of watching the same format over and over. This scenario is explored in writer and director Jun’ichi Yasuda’s A Samurai in Time, both on, and off-screen.
Just as Yasuda is trying to revive the Jidaigeki, so too are his characters. The plot finds a real-life samurai, Kosaka (Makiya Yamaguchi), transported to a present day film set. He arrives on a working production of a samurai story and is bewildered by the modern world. After some adapting, he begins acting in the movies, slowly helping the dying genre find a new lease on life. A Samurai in Time has an interesting angle to it with life imitating art as Yasuda tries to prove that there is still life left in these old world stories. The result is a film that follows the conventions of most Jidaigeki movies, whilst simultaneously bringing them into a modern era.
A Samurai in Time straddles the duelling tones of humour and pathos. What begins as a light-hearted fish out of water comedy, gradually morphs into something more serious. The longer that A Samurai in Time plays, the further it shifts from comedy to drama. Although it is initially amusing to see Kosaka go crazy over watching television and have fights with the vacuum cleaner, this is a man that has been wrenched from everything he has ever known. His sadness for the life he left behind isn’t leant on too heavily, but Yamaguchi plays Kosaka with a constant edge of despair to him. In many ways Kosaka’s upset is akin to that of Connor MacLeod in Highlander. Then, during A Samurai in Time’s second act, the story morphs closer to Russell Mulcahy’s cult classic.
From a technical perspective, A Samurai in Time is brilliantly crafted. Great care and attention has been made to ensure that this film looks as close as possible to genuine Jidaigeki movies of yesteryear. The score is vibrant and lively, and helps transport the viewer to Japan. The highlight of A Samurai in Time however, comes during the final act. As a ballet of swords unfolds, the sound design is dialled back so that only the clanging and crashing of the weapons can be heard. This is accompanied by some super slow and stylish choreography that will make your breath catch in the back of your throat.
The only downside to A Samurai in Time is that it feels its 130 minute run time. The pace is slow and sedentary, and one can’t help but think that it could arrive at its destination faster without losing any of its spark. The shift in tone from comedy to drama is necessary to help sustain the extended length, but some may still lose interest along the way. A Samurai in Time is a valid and valiant attempt at rebirthing a forlorn genre, which for the most part, succeeds in bringing the Samurai story into the modern age.
A Samurai in Time
Summary
Sharing a surprising amount of DNA with Highlander, A Samurai in Time offers a new spin on an old story with honourable results.
A Samurai in Time was reviewed at Fantasia 2024. It will next screen in the UK at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest.
