Bunraku (2010)

The story of a a young man who has spent his life searching for revenge only to find himself up against a bigger challenge than he originally bargained for.

Director:

Guy Moshe

Writers:

Boaz Davidson (story), Guy Moshe (screenplay)

Stars:

Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Josh Hartnett	...	The Drifter
Gackt	...	Yoshi (as Gackt Camui)
Woody Harrelson	...	The Bartender
Ron Perlman	...	Nicola
Kevin McKidd	...	Killer No. 2
Demi Moore	...	Alexandra
Shun Sugata	...	Uncle
Emily Kaiho	...	Momoko
Jordi Mollà	...	Valentine
Mike Patton	...	The Narrator (voice)
Shahar Sorek	...	Killer No. 3 / Mirror Drifter
Fernando Chien	...	Killer No. 4
Yoshio Iizuka	...	Killer No.5
Kofi Yiadom	...	Killer No. 6
Aaron Toney	...	Killer No. 7

Storyline

In a world with no guns, a mysterious drifter, a bartender and a young samurai plot revenge against a ruthless leader and his army of thugs, headed by nine diverse and deadly assassins.

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Plot Keywords:

stabbed in the face | fight | brawl | shot in the back | mixed martial arts | 

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Taglines:

They'll risk everything for honor, for power, for justice, for love, for revenge.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Cinedigm [United States] Official Blog

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

30 November 2011 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Бунраку

Filming Locations:

Romania

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$129,706

Company Credits

Production Co:

Snoot Entertainment, Picturesque Films, Ram Bergman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore appeared in Indecent Proposal (1993).

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Goofs

When shooting the burning arrow, we see Yoshi's finger wrapped around it. This would not work in reality, as not only would the arrow go entirely it's own way without any control, but it would also cause friction burns, and probably cuts, on the finger. That is a mistake one makes only once.

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Quotes

[first lines]
The Narrator: Long before the dawn of man, strife was already a major component of life. Wherever a creature shared a piece of land with another, it was just a matter of time until a struggle for resources would ensue. Man was no different, showcasing a perverse fascination with violence. Man and civilization brought forth more innovative ways of taking human life than any other function needed for survival. There are more ways of killing a man than there are ways of making bread or making love....

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Connections

Referenced in Libertaria (2013)

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Soundtracks

Putting on the Blitz
Written by Ben Watkins
Performed by Ben Watkins
Courtesy of Barbarian Inc

User Reviews

Dr. Frankenstein's Action/Art Film Project

This stylized action film can best be described as an orgy of the following films: part Sin City, part Batman (Adam West era), part Dick Tracy, part The Quick and the Dead, and part Enter the Dragon. Squirt some Cirque du Soleil in there and the resulting love child of all these films is "Bunraku". That's really all I can say. Watch it and tell me if I'm wrong. There are parts of this film that are extraordinary, namely the animation, while other segments (or appendages?) are atrocious. It all makes sense in a mad scientist kind of way, where this creature of a film was cooked up in Dr. Frankenstein's Laboratory School of Film, Dance, and Animation. It's ludicrous, but very entertaining. I give it 7 full test-tubes of film DNA out of 10!