English director Bernard Rose has had an eclectic and diverse film resume. From 1992’s cult horror classic "Candyman," 1994’s historical drama "Immortal Beloved," 2010’s Welsh crime caper "Mr. Nice," to 2015’s gritty remake of "Frankenstein."
In 2019, Rose released "Samurai Marathon," a movie in the vein of the jidaigeki (period film) set during Japan’s Edo period of 1885 when the country was still closed to the world. Against this backdrop, the infamous "black ships” led by US Commodore Matthew Perry, arrive and petition the Emperor for trade.
The Americans brought with them gifts of whiskey and handguns, and with the latter the Imperial Court will be able to silence its enemies easily. But decision of the Emperor to negotiate trade with the Americans doesn’t sit well with some of his feudal lords, like the Daimyo of the mountain territory of Annaka, who is terrified that the US ships are just a prelude to invasion.
To allay his nightmares, Lord Annaka decides that his soldiers, retainers, and all samurai must participate in a marathon through 36 kilometers of rugged terrain. But a ninja spy who’s been secretly living in Annaka, tasked to report to the Edo government, thinks the marathon is the first stirrings of an uprising and so mistakenly sends the wrong message to the capital, requesting for assassins.
Based on Dobashi Akihiro's novel and starring Japanese superstars Nana Komatsu (Bakuman) and Takeru Satoh (Rurouni Kenshin), the movie is full of the expected conventions of the samurai genre with exciting sword battles, intimately affecting and complex relationships, and courtly intrigue, plus a few hundred men sprinting through the gorgeous Japanese countryside set to Philip Glass’s rousing score.
Beyond running swordsmen, it’s got a story that’s frenetically paced, with plenty of twists, and a healthy dose of quite refreshing humor.
"Samurai Marathon" was the banner movie for Eigasai, the Japanese Film Festival of 2019 in Manila, so I got on the phone with director Bernard Rose while he was in LA and we talked about the challenges and joys of an Englishman making a period action-drama in Japan.
Contains sound samples from "Cottonmouth" by Surrogate Prey. Used with permission. Check out their music on Bandcamp.
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