Perhaps it is my
developed love and understanding of samurai films which helped appreciate at
least a portion of what 47 Ronin was
attempting to do, because I can’t quite fathom why certain critics hated this
film so much. Even Keanu Reeves does little to destroy this solemn story. While
it is certainly not without faults, there are as many clear assets in the
filmmaking and the well-told tale to be ignored. Along with classic
cinematography and an age-old story from 18th Century Japan , this film is a sincere attempt at a Hollywood samurai film. Like The Last Samurai, it falls short in the insistence of doing certain
things the ‘Hollywood’ way.
The biggest of
these errors in 47 Ronin comes from
the refusal to allow actors to speak in their native tongue, resulting in a lot
of great Japanese actors speaking stiff broken English. The ignorance and
laziness of a group of Americans unwilling to read subtitles while they shovel
popcorn and milk duds down their gullet led to this decision, because Hollywood
works as a business that tries to sell its product to as many people as
possible, leading to all the flaccid film-going experiences halfway intelligent
viewers will have each summer season. What saves 47 Ronin from complete disaster is the classic narrative and the
visual experience. The real tragedy is the knowledge that they actually filmed
all of the scenes in Japanese as well. If only that version was available
alongside this one, this could have been a Blu-ray worth recommending.
The story is
nothing new or unfamiliar to anyone of Japanese heritage, and has been adapted
into a film six times prior to 47 Ronin. It seems strange that first time
director Carl Rinsch was chosen to direct this massively budgeted adaptation
from Universal Studios, and long before the release there was news of studio
tinkering. At two hours it may feel excessive to those popcorn grazers, but I
am certain that there are 20 or 30 additional minutes that could have been left
in for better character development. These moments would have helped the film
even more had they been spoken in Japanese, I have no doubt.
The Blu-ray
combo release includes a DVD and digital copy of the film, as well as some
exclusive bonus features. The extras included only on the Blu-ray disc are
three featurettes; one about the two leading actors, the fight choreography,
and the unique special effects in the film. The special features also include
deleted scenes and an additional featurette about the story that has been
adapted so many times, and how this version tried to be unique.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 6/10
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