The director of the outrageous Japanese splatterfest Versus, Ryuhei Kitamura, is back with a new film, the samurai swordplay/horror-fantasy hybrid Aragami뾵hich might be the filmmaker's most accomplished feature to date. A less comedic and more carefully paced film than Versus, Aragami illustrates Kitamura's progression as a masterful genre filmmaker; the film still contains the dynamic action setpieces one expects from Kitamura, but Aragami also allows for more incisive characterization and a lush, colorful period-piece visual texture. In ancient Japan, a wounded samurai arrives at an old mountain temple, wherein he encounters a mysterious host who tells him the legend of the Aragami, an invincible goblin who feasts on human flesh. The temple keeper also reveals that he has slain 794 men, and that he has been waiting for an opponent skillful enough to defeat him; the samurai soon discovers that his host bears more than a passing resemblance to the Aragami of legend. While Aragami is a more mature work from Kitamura, action fans certainly won't be disappointed: when the swords of the samurai and the Aragami clash, Kitamura's position as Japan's current reigning action auteur is assured.

Ryuhei Kitamura, director of the cult action hits Versus and Alive, made this samurai movie about a legendary supernatural creature. In the middle of the night, two wounded samurai come upon a remote mountain temple. One of them dies. The other, after recovering from his wounds, meets the occupant of the temple, a brooding warrior who tells him that he is the legendary goblin Aragami, a god of war who eats human flesh and is invincible in battle. Wearied by his apparent immortality, he is searching for the one mortal who can defeat him, and hopes that his visitor is the one to do so and take on both his powers and the burden of eternal life. Aragami is one half of the "Duel Project," in which Kitamura and fellow director Yukihiko Tsutsumi agreed to each make a film involving a duel to the death. Tstutsumi's half of the bargain is entitled 2LDK.

The first hour of this movie consists primarily of a deliberately paced dinner conversation, which may surprise viewers expecting another splatterfest from Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura. It is not an ordinary conversation, however, since the participants are Aragami (Masay Kato), a seemingly invincible goblin with a human appearance, and the samurai (Takao Osawa) that he intends to fight to the death. Kitamura does a good job of balancing creepiness and humor to keep this part of the film interesting. He slowly builds the tension through the interplay between the two characters until they're ready for the extended duel in the latter part of the film. The weapons selection scene is quite amusing and the battle itself is tightly paced and imaginatively choreographed. The lighting is also interesting, particularly when the room is blacked out and the battle is illuminated only by the flash created by clashing swords. Other aspects of the film such as makeup are also first rate. The movie's final scene is a bit silly, but otherwise this is an entertaining offering.
The director of the outrageous Japanese splatterfest Versus, Ryuhei Kitamura, is back with a new film, the samurai swordplay/horror-fantasy hybrid Aragami뾵hich might be the filmmaker's most accomplished feature to date. A less comedic and more carefully paced film than Versus, Aragami illustrates Kitamura's progression as a masterful genre filmmaker; the film still contains the dynamic action setpieces one expects from Kitamura, but Aragami also allows for more incisive characterization and a lush, colorful period-piece visual texture. In ancient Japan, a wounded samurai arrives at an old mountain temple, wherein he encounters a mysterious host who tells him the legend of the Aragami, an invincible goblin who feasts on human flesh. The temple keeper also reveals that he has slain 794 men, and that he has been waiting for an opponent skillful enough to defeat him; the samurai soon discovers that his host bears more than a passing resemblance to the Aragami of legend. While Aragami is a more mature work from Kitamura, action fans certainly won't be disappointed: when the swords of the samurai and the Aragami clash, Kitamura's position as Japan's current reigning action auteur is assured.

Ryuhei Kitamura, director of the cult action hits Versus and Alive, made this samurai movie about a legendary supernatural creature. In the middle of the night, two wounded samurai come upon a remote mountain temple. One of them dies. The other, after recovering from his wounds, meets the occupant of the temple, a brooding warrior who tells him that he is the legendary goblin Aragami, a god of war who eats human flesh and is invincible in battle. Wearied by his apparent immortality, he is searching for the one mortal who can defeat him, and hopes that his visitor is the one to do so and take on both his powers and the burden of eternal life. Aragami is one half of the "Duel Project," in which Kitamura and fellow director Yukihiko Tsutsumi agreed to each make a film involving a duel to the death. Tstutsumi's half of the bargain is entitled 2LDK.

The first hour of this movie consists primarily of a deliberately paced dinner conversation, which may surprise viewers expecting another splatterfest from Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura. It is not an ordinary conversation, however, since the participants are Aragami (Masay Kato), a seemingly invincible goblin with a human appearance, and the samurai (Takao Osawa) that he intends to fight to the death. Kitamura does a good job of balancing creepiness and humor to keep this part of the film interesting. He slowly builds the tension through the interplay between the two characters until they're ready for the extended duel in the latter part of the film. The weapons selection scene is quite amusing and the battle itself is tightly paced and imaginatively choreographed. The lighting is also interesting, particularly when the room is blacked out and the battle is illuminated only by the flash created by clashing swords. Other aspects of the film such as makeup are also first rate. The movie's final scene is a bit silly, but otherwise this is an entertaining offering.
The director of the outrageous Japanese splatterfest Versus, Ryuhei Kitamura, is back with a new film, the samurai swordplay/horror-fantasy hybrid Aragami뾵hich might be the filmmaker's most accomplished feature to date. A less comedic and more carefully paced film than Versus, Aragami illustrates Kitamura's progression as a masterful genre filmmaker; the film still contains the dynamic action setpieces one expects from Kitamura, but Aragami also allows for more incisive characterization and a lush, colorful period-piece visual texture. In ancient Japan, a wounded samurai arrives at an old mountain temple, wherein he encounters a mysterious host who tells him the legend of the Aragami, an invincible goblin who feasts on human flesh. The temple keeper also reveals that he has slain 794 men, and that he has been waiting for an opponent skillful enough to defeat him; the samurai soon discovers that his host bears more than a passing resemblance to the Aragami of legend. While Aragami is a more mature work from Kitamura, action fans certainly won't be disappointed: when the swords of the samurai and the Aragami clash, Kitamura's position as Japan's current reigning action auteur is assured.

Ryuhei Kitamura, director of the cult action hits Versus and Alive, made this samurai movie about a legendary supernatural creature. In the middle of the night, two wounded samurai come upon a remote mountain temple. One of them dies. The other, after recovering from his wounds, meets the occupant of the temple, a brooding warrior who tells him that he is the legendary goblin Aragami, a god of war who eats human flesh and is invincible in battle. Wearied by his apparent immortality, he is searching for the one mortal who can defeat him, and hopes that his visitor is the one to do so and take on both his powers and the burden of eternal life. Aragami is one half of the "Duel Project," in which Kitamura and fellow director Yukihiko Tsutsumi agreed to each make a film involving a duel to the death. Tstutsumi's half of the bargain is entitled 2LDK.

The first hour of this movie consists primarily of a deliberately paced dinner conversation, which may surprise viewers expecting another splatterfest from Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura. It is not an ordinary conversation, however, since the participants are Aragami (Masay Kato), a seemingly invincible goblin with a human appearance, and the samurai (Takao Osawa) that he intends to fight to the death. Kitamura does a good job of balancing creepiness and humor to keep this part of the film interesting. He slowly builds the tension through the interplay between the two characters until they're ready for the extended duel in the latter part of the film. The weapons selection scene is quite amusing and the battle itself is tightly paced and imaginatively choreographed. The lighting is also interesting, particularly when the room is blacked out and the battle is illuminated only by the flash created by clashing swords. Other aspects of the film such as makeup are also first rate. The movie's final scene is a bit silly, but otherwise this is an entertaining offering.