Product Details

• Actors: Kaori Momoi, Koichi Sato, Quentin Tarantino, Takaaki Ishibashi, Teruyuki Kagawa
• Directors: Takashi Miike
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: First Look Pictures
• DVD Release Date: November 11, 2008
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001CIOCJY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,066 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The prolific Takashi Miike co-wrote and directed this strikingly postmodern remake of Sergio Corbucci's 1966 Spaghetti Western, Django. The story is much the same, but the highly stylized fusion of Japanese gangsterism and operatic musings on the Western form makes for a wild and unexpected cult movie. Still, there is not much here beyond the film's relentlessly creative surface, making Sukiyaki a bit wearying. Feuding for centuries, the Genji and Heiki clans both arrive in a 19th century Nevada town, determined to find hidden treasure rumored to be there. In the midst of their fighting comes a solitary gunslinger (Hideaki Ito) courted by each clan to work for them. When he refuses, the cross-currents of betrayal and murder escalate, and hidden truths behind at least one tragedy, and the real identity of an unlikely shooter, come to the surface. The film's energy, dynamic camerawork and almost tongue-in-cheek performances are fun and admirable, and Miike has a fascinating sense of composition. The story gets a little soft just past the halfway point and Miike attempts to fill the void with exhausting new ways of filming bloody mayhem for its own sake. Quentin Tarantino has a small role as a mystery man with a link to these events. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Famed Japanese auteur Takashi Miike, best known for cult classics "Audition", "Ichi the Killer", and "The City of Lost Souls", redefines the spaghetti Western with SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, a tale written in blood. Two clans, Genji, the white clan led by Yoshitsune, and Heike, the red clan led by Kiyomori, battle for a legendary treasure hidden in a desolate mountain town. One day, a lone gunman, burdened with deep emotional scars but blessed with incredible shooting skills, drifts into town. Two clans try to woo the lone gunman to their sides, but he has ulterior motives. Dirty tricks, betrayal, desire and love collide as the situation erupts into a final, explosive showdown.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Warning December 7, 2008

By Elyon

Format:Blu-ray

First Look Pictures has done this film and viewers a disservice. Aside from cutting 23 minutes from the original theatrical release, thereby making the narrative chopped and damaging the more fluid presentation of the original film, they have also overly saturated the color and brightness of the film during the reminiscent episodes, as well as some of the segments concerning the "Reds." I will applaud them for providing better clarity in the sound reproduction for dialogue, but ultimately would recommend avoiding this blu-ray transfer (as well as their regular DVD, due to similar editing)in favor of the original theatrical release, which is available through various vendors: RedSun DVD; DVD Asian; or YesAsia. Alternatively, try to track down an Asian blu-ray that presents the original run-time and that also offers a better quality transfer than First Look.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "To Flourish Is To Fall ~ Life Is All About Goodbyes" December 7, 2008

By Brian E. Erland HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Recipe for Film: Begin with one female assassin/warrior (Kaori Moimoi) worthy of the Goddess Kali in her most destructive form and place her in an 1800's Asian/western setting (Asian western?). Then find a tall, mysterious actor (Hideyaki Ito) who can pull off a Clint Eastwood-like persona to play the new stranger in town and another actor (Masanobu Yoichi) in an adversarial role who looks like he just stepped out of an Anime drawing. Simmer slowly while adding a generous portion of Kurosawa nihilism for 121 minutes until the screen is red with blood and just about everyone's dead. Dinner..., I mean entertainment is served!

That in a nutshell is Takashi Miilke's 'Sukiyaki Western Django'. If you enjoy; surreal imagery, subtle (and not so subtle) parody, faux depth and lots of death and destruction this is the film for you. And if that's not enough to keep you entertained how about taking a look at the lovely Yoshino Kimura as the ill-fated Shizuka? This one is certainly worth your time and the price of a bag of popcorn.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "Payback is a b!tch, and she's in heat!" November 2, 2008

By trashcanman VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Takashi Miike is the very definition of a visionary filmmaker. To call him the most prolific director on the planet might be the understatement of the decade. The man churns out film after film with staggering variety, endless creativity, and a lot of style while never failing to smash every boundary of taste and genre. He's conquered the heights of truly disturbing horror, redefined disgusting, shown us horrific violence, that love is torture, and spoofed the superhero genre as well while making as many as nine films in a single year. No joke. So having crossed every line possible, what's left? Why not bring a katana to a gunfight and see what happens? "Sukiyaki Western Django" is to the western film genre what Kill Bill was to the martial-arts genre: a love letter in cinematic form from across the Pacific Ocean. And sure enough, Miike-sensei brought Quentin Tarantino along for the ride. Tighten your bootstraps, this one's a doozy.

I am not a fan of western films, but Asian cult cinema: hell yes. I would qualify this film as an absolute must-see for either/or and I imagine there is no shortage of western references and homages that flew over my head due to my inexperience with the genre. The title is an amusing Japanese play on the "spaghetti western" nickname coupled with the name of a classic example of the genre itself. Why this is relevant doesn't reveal itself until the last scene so I won't spoil it. The movie is almost schizophrenic (as is it's town sheriff) in it's mish-mash of styles. Some scenes overflow with bright colors and classic Japanese imagery, other times the shots are yellowish with muted colors like a classic western and feature those sorts of settings. One character has a holstered gun on one hip and a sheathed katana on the other. One gang dresses in bright red -including some dyed emo-style hair- and the other in pure white. All of the weapons are old-school, but there are modern bits like facial piercings as well. At one point, Tarantino hints at the origin of his character's son's name (Akira) by declaring himself "an anime otaku at heart" to which the other character responds with a baffled "what!?". Absolutely brilliant and uncalled for. Exactly the kind of oddball moment one never expects, but Miike delivers anyway. The story is a convoluted one that demands you pay attention to it, but I had to rewatch several stretches because I was utterly distracted by the bizarre nature of the film itself. For example, the opening scene features Tarantino in front of an obviously painted background. Blood even splatters onto it when he shoots a guy. There is also a short-but-sweet animated flourish during one of his stories about a female gunfighter (Bloody Benton). How can you be expected to pay attention to the dialogue when this movie is continually throwing you these kinds of visual curve-balls? Not so much a complaint as an observation.

"Sukiyaki Western Django" is an almost entirely English (Engrish?) language film. While I do very much respect Miike's artistic decision to film the movie in the native language of the stories that inspired it, it does end up detracting from the quality. It is painfully obvious at times that the actors are unaware of just what they are saying as they attempt to act while pronouncing every word phonetically. This is not true for all of the actors, but it happens often enough to be a distraction. The big showdown is explosive enough to make John Woo envious. There is some very entertaining action, a recurring bit where a gunshot produces an explosion of feathers from off camera -which may or may not be an amusing homage to Woo himself-, some sex appeal (the image of Bloody Benton licking her sizzling gun barrel is staying with me for a while), some pretty dark humor, an entrancing and sensual dance sequence, and plenty more for film fanatics to sink their teeth into here. You will not be disappointed.

Like the young boy in this story born of the union between red and white gang members and the beautiful two-toned roses his family tends to, this movie is neither here nor there. It is East-meets-West to the hilt. A perfect hybrid of offbeat Asian cinema and the traditional western. It is utterly entertaining to fans of either and should be considered mandatory viewing. Check out "Sukiyaki Western Django" if the premise appeals to you in any way and a good time will be had by all. Now off into the sunset I ride.