Like the original Kobasyashi version, this film aspires to and ascends to being actual art. I see it as an homage to that film, but with a more complex slow-burn undertow. Takashi Miike's "Samurai" sort of unfolds more darkly, lugubriously, and reverently. (And because most of my friends dismissed this movie as way too slow, I took 1 star off.) But if you can get past the glacier pacing, long before its stunning climax the director hypnotises you with a slow reveal of the dance between karmic justice and human revenge. There's just a lot to admire about this movie: From the sublime acting to its multi-layered feng shui sets and haunting dialogue. The cinematography is visually laconic, and we are often jolted from the pervasive gnawing bleakness to a blindingly bright nature scene that shimmers like a verse of haiku poetry: It's a masterfully Japanese way to express Nature's indifference to evil and human suffering. But OK, now I'll cut to the quick: I'll call this classic film under-rated, understated and maybe even profound. Plus it has some borderline iconic action scenes that are totally worth the wait.
