Today’s quick review: Bunraku. A drifter (Josh Hartnett) rolls into town looking for Nicola the Woodcutter (Ron Perlman), a ruthless crime boss, but instead finds a samurai (Gackt) with a similar mission. To reach Nicola, they must first fight his Top 10 Killers. They are aided in their quest by a wise and opportunistic bartender (Woody Harrelson) who has a history with Nicola. Bunraku is a stylized and highly creative film. From its colorful and moody lighting to its just-so narration, it delivers a peek into a world unlike that found in any other movie.
The movie features a mishmash of genres—Western, samurai, and noir, to name a few—united by an overarching sense of style. The overall impression is that of a stage play gone horribly right. The limitations of the stage are dropped into the movie in clever and satisfying ways: walls fading out to show what other characters are doing, minimalistic sets with dramatic lighting, and even a multi-floor action scene shot entirely from the side in a cutaway building.
A recurring motif in Bunraku is the addition of a twist to an otherwise generic character or scenario. For instance, Josh Hartnett is an archetypical Western drifter (albeit a somewhat unsuccessful one) complete with hat, gambling, and anonymity. Gackt plays the Eastern equivalent, a samurai searching for a family heirloom whose exploits put his uncle’s restaurant in jeopardy. The twist is in the blending of the two characters: neither can succeed on his own, and only with the help of each other and the guidance of the Bartender do they stand a chance against Nicola.
The use of familiar story elements proves to be something of a double-edged sword for Bunraku. While they provide grounding in an otherwise unfamiliar setting, they also cheapen the story and leave the audience wondering whether extending the movie’s originality a little further would have been so bad.
The movie’s main weakness is that it comes across as a little flat in places. The writing doesn’t always hit the mark, and the fight scenes are choreographed more like dances than martial arts action. That said, the concept and style are nearly unique, and the execution is delightful in countless tiny ways. Overall, you should expect a heavily stylized movie with plenty of action, strong narration, subtle moments of comedy, and innovative presentation. Those who enjoyed the sylized aspects of Scott Pilgrim or Lucky Number Slevin should give Bunraku a watch, although the tone and genre are somewhat different. The story and characters are not particularly deep, but the setting and direction of Bunraku both ooze style that you won’t find anywhere else. 6.2 out of 10 on IMDB.