Oh, there’s some quality samurai-in’ goin’ on here, I can tells ya. With all the period classism and stilted manners, samurai tales feel like works by Jane Austen … with swords. No? Is it me? Hard to tell. One issue this film raised was that of samurai nobility. Are samurai like knights? Can they be culled only among a certain class? I was unaware of that. Which lends me to the sword ‘n’ sandal tale: Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai.
The Baragaki style is like street-fighting with pointy sticks. As Baragaki is frowned upon by the upper crust, its practitioners are commoners. Street rabble. Apparently, some learn how to sword fight anyway. This film centers on unkempt street brawler Hijikata Toshizō (Junichi Okada), whose unbeatable style pushes him up the ladder to the head of the Shogun’s secret service. That’s not quite right, but there’s a lot of things I’d have to explain just to get to the point where an expert would tell me “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
And I don’t. Not really.
Here’s what I do know: the 19th century version of Bluto from Animal House is a badass with the sticks in the stix. People 
of his socio-economic bracket and demeanor rarely become samurais, but nobody can deny this guy was made to humiliate his bladed opponents. I suppose it’s like discovering a random member of a biker gang is an expert golfer. Whatchagonnado?
Toshizō is noble in his own way. While he may not always look the part, nor come from samurai stock, there’s no denying his code, skillz, or valor. Such explains his rise to an otherwise unattainable position. While the film is heavy on political intrigue and hot samurai-on-samurai swordplay, it never really answers the question: “Is all this good?” In other words, is Toshizō’s life better because of his rise? The shogunate certainly benefits from such a skilled loyalist, but what’s in it for Toshizō? I suppose for a guy like Toshizō, rank = wealth. Good for him.
Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai is enjoyable if forgettable. It’s a little long (148 minutes) and there are a few too many moving parts, but one can’t deny this is a deft representation of the samurai genre. If this is your thing, Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai is a must see. Otherwise, pass.
I used to have a samurai-loving friend
Who explained away his entertainment trend
“As long as there’s swordplay
Then I can watch all day”
It matters not who’s carved up in the end
Not Rated, 148 Minutes
Director: Masato Harada
Writer: Masato Harada
Genre: Samurai Night Fever
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Samurai junkies
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Pacifists
