47 Ronin Movie Review

I've always been fascinated with Japanese culture, my interest and love for anime has convinced my mom that I was Japanese in another life. 

So it was no surprise that my interest was caught by the movie "47 Ronin". I first saw a poster of the movie in SM Cinemas but what really got me excited was when I saw the trailer of the movie. The shape shifting dragon, the beautiful cinematography and of course - all that action! 

After seeing the trailer, I was hooked. I was so hooked that I even got myself a copy of the novelization of the movie from Fully Booked.    

Before you get confused though,there is no actual book or novel about the '47 Ronin' what I read is actually a novelization of the movie. The 'novel' so to speak is actually based on the screenplay that was used in the movie. 

Behind the Legend

But truth is stranger than fiction because it is a true story which took place  in Japan at the beginning of the 18th century. A noted Japanese scholar has said that their tale is the most famous and noted example of "Bushido" the Samurai code of honor. 

The story is about a group of samurai who become leaderless or what is known as 'Ronin' after their 'Daimyo' (Feudal Lord) Asano Naganori is forced to commit 'sepukku' (ritual suicide) because he assaulted Kira Yoshinaka, a court official. 

After almost two years, the Ronin avenged their master by killing Kira. Because of this, the group of Ronin were then obliged to commit seppuku as well. 

This true story has been adapted into many forms and mediums over the past years, adaptations of their story is known as Chushingura in Japan. There is even a graphic novel written by Sean Micheal Wilson and illustrated by Akiko Shimojima.  

The 47 Ronin Graphic Novel 

I have not read the graphic novel but I made sure that I was done reading the novelization before seeing the movie. I would probably write a separate book review of the novelization but I will already say that I really enjoyed reading it. The narrative that author Joan D. Vinge used was so beautiful and eloquent you feel like you are reading haiku. I even started highlighting so many lines in the book! 

My copy of the Novelization of 47 Ronin (from Fully Booked) with a plate of sushi. Dinner at Tokyo Bubble Tea :) 

The story was also told through the different character's perspectives and Joan D. Vinge seamlessly goes through one character perspective to the next that you get to know their deepest fears and most intimate thoughts, something that is not so easily translated in the movie. 

Watching the movie armed with having read the novelization I would definitely have some inputs that most people who saw the movie would not.

All in all it was a great movie with a beautiful story elevated with the beautiful cinematography and amazing graphics that was used in the movie. 

Universal Studios produced the 2013 action film portraying the fictional account of the Ronin's story. Director Carl Erik Rinsch took the tale to a whole different level by incorporating Japanese mythology in the story. 

The setting of the movie reminded me a lot of Rumiko Takahashi's anime series 'Inu Yasha' because of all yokai, kitsune and kirin around along with the Imperial/Feaudal Japanese setting. 

I just had a problem with a couple of scenes in the movie (WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!): Oishi is thrown in a pit (jail) for one year. In the book, you will  get a glimpse of his misery and suffering. Having no companion but the dark, dirt, grime and rats. But in the movie he is thrown in the pit, the screen goes dark and the words "One Year Later" appear then the next scene is Oishi being hauled out of the jail. Some people in the audience laughed since the transition of the scene implied Oish was thrown in jail and was unceremoniously released a year later without even feeding him. I know it's implied that he was of course fed and nourished during that time but audience (especially Filipino audiences can be pretty silly at times).

One of my favorite things about 47 Ronin were the elaborate sets that depicted the beautiful colors of spring and the costumes that the different characters wore.