Help ID a Japanese Film

manoz · 5 Mar 2010 at 22:13

At least I think it was Japanese, I think it was a bout ninjas or some sort of fighters. There's a master and students, and for an initiation exercise of sorts he asks them to pair off but to past the test the partners have to kill each other. I think it begins with A. That's all I know. Anyone know what this is? Cheers for the help,

ElliorR · 5 Mar 2010 at 22:35

Azumi

Rabid Wolf · 5 Mar 2010 at 23:37

Azumi is a class film so is the second one. Well worth watching.

manoz · 6 Mar 2010 at 00:42

A yeah that's it. I just watched Akira and I remember the title being similar. Didn't know there was a second one. Thanks

Phatjayunoi · 6 Mar 2010 at 04:53

The second Azumi film is also entitled Death or Love. Whilst it has some nice fight scenes, shame it wasn't by the same director of the first film and it just loses a little something in it. Story and character wise is a bit dissapoitning as well.

The first film though, has one of my most favourite movie soundtracks in it, even if the use of the electric guitar, piano and some electronica/techno is out of place for the period setting, but the recurring leitmotif is quite nice. The composer Taro Iwashiro also did Capcom's Onimusha 2 videogame and went on to score John Woo's Red Cliff as well.

manveruppd · 6 Mar 2010 at 20:02

Didn't like the second Azumi film either. It's by a different director - the guy who did the first one (his name escapes me) also did the fight choreography for a game (may have been Onimusha 3, but not sure). His best movie imho is Aragami - best swordfighting wire-fu I've ever seen in a film! Used to be a big fan of his, but he's unfortunately moved on to rom coms in recent years! :confused:

For another nice wire-fu Japanese swordfighting movie (not by the same director) check out Akakage (Red Shadow is the English translation of the title I think).

Phatjayunoi · 6 Mar 2010 at 21:17

Ryuhei Kitamura is the name of the director of the first Azumi film. He is known for making decent action choreography from low budgets. Versus and even Godzilla: Final Wars wasn't too bad either.

Onimusha 3's choreography was directed by Donnie Yen. It was Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes that Kitamura was repsonsible for with the cut-scenes.