Masa was condemned for killing the Shibata samurai who attacked his wife, so as far as he is concerned, the rest of the clan can go die a fiery death. Nevertheless, Natsu the lady arsonist (who is stuck with all their domestic chores), convinces him to join the others “rebels,” to gain his freedom and provide for his wife.
It will be a motley crew, including the hulking serial killer, a defrocked priest, a village madman, and Koshiba, an old man, who, ironically happens to be the best swordsman of the lot. Ostensibly, they fall under the command of a handful of Shibata samurai, including the young and honorable Washio Heishiro and duplicitous Irie Kazuma. However, the Rebels take command of themselves once they discover Kazuma and Mizoguchi Takumi, the chief retainer, intend to betray them after the battle. That definitely prompts an “I told you so” moment from Masa, but the rebellious Rebels are still the only protection their village has from the approaching Imperial army.
The mayhem of 11 Rebels is not quite as spectacular as that of Miike’s 13 Assassins, but it is still pretty impressive. (To be fair, they also have two fewer rebels than assassins.) Jun’ya Ikegami’s screenplay was inspired by an unproduced and now lost screenplay written by Kazuo Kasahara way back in the 1960s. It is definitely dark, but its tragic heroism nicely taps into the concept of the “Nobility of Failure” popularized in academic circles by Ivan Morris. If you don’t really care about that, rest assured there are plenty of cool martial arts battles.
11 Rebels runs over two full hours but it never feels bloated or excessive. It is lean, mean, and truly epic. Highly recommended for fans of Chanbara action, 11 Rebels releases today (6/10) on digital and BluRay.
