Product Details

• Actors: Yoshio Harada, Tak Sakaguchi, Naoto Takenaka
• Directors: Ryuhei Kitamura
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen, Color
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Rating: Unrated
• Run Time: 128 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000EAGBJ0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #129,561 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In 19th century war-torn feudal Japan, a master samurai takes on the task of raising ten orphans and training them to be assassins. Their ruthless purpose: to do the bloody work of the state by silencing rebellious warlords. After a decade of inconceivably harsh training and discipline, Azumi and her comrades are ordered to assassinate the powerful warlords Nagamasa Asano and Kiyomasa Kato. But burdened with a cruel assignment that means killing friends and enemies alike, Azumi begins to question herself, her master's, and her country's objectives. Still, Azumi remains determined to see her mission through to the bloody end.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ½ Stars: This JIDAI GEKI Swordplay Spectacle is truly Amazing!!, January 4, 2008

By	Woopak "The THRILL" (Where Dark Asian Knights Dwell) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

AZUMI (2003) is based on the manga (Japanese comic) which was a massive hit in Japan. Remember that gut-feeling that tickles you in a delightful way when you are watching a film that is really enjoyable and entertaining? AZUMI delivers that feeling; Director Ryuhei Kitamura (Aragami, Versus) is the right man for the job in this JIDAI GEKI swordplay spectacle. Kitamura has given a very delightful movie watching experience that I ended up with owning both the 128 minute theatrical release and the very expensive (region-2) 143 extended director's cut. I followed the series up to AZUMI 2 in 2005.

Synopsis derived from the DVD back cover:
In 19th century war-torn feudal Japan, a master samurai (Yoshio Harada) takes on the task of raising ten orphans and training them to be assassins. Their ruthless purpose: to do the bloody work of the state by silencing rebellious warlords. After a decade of inconceivably harsh training and discipline, Azumi (Beautiful Aya Ueto) and her comrades are ordered to assassinate the powerful warlords Nagamasa Asano and Kiyomasa Kato. But burdened with a cruel assignment that means killing friends and enemies alike, Azumi begins to question herself, her master's--and her country's--objectives. Still, Azumi remains determined to see her mission through to the bloody end.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read the manga so I cannot disclose the accuracy of the film from its source material. What I can tell you is that AZUMI has become one of my favorite Asian films. The film is truly amazing; from the beginning of the film up to its climactic climax. The film boasts one of the most amazing camera work I've ever been privy to (I don't want to spoil this). Tarantino would have done well consulting Kitamura when he made Kill Bill. Azumi can be called the epitome of the ultimate "girl next door who can kick @$$". Every character has their opportunity to shine, with Kitamura's excellent direction; the man definitely knows how to utilize his casts' strengths and avoid their weaknesses.

AZUMI's strengths lie in its excellent swordplay choreography. Some people may argue that the slicing and dicing may get repetitive but the film is a fighting melee. Footwork is done very well with the sword-swinging that every shot looks like it is poetry in motion. Again, Kitamura is to be praised that he manages to make 19-year old (at the time of production) Aya Ueto a convincing female assassin. It was like Ueto is so refreshingly pretty to look at until she holds her katana, that transforms her into a cold, accurate assassin. As I've mentioned that the action sequences is Azumi's main draw. Highlights include the killer 3rd act sequence where Azumi takes on 200+ samurai foot soldiers and mercenaries and the very creative duel with Bijomaru with the gruesome climax that features one of the most memorable beheadings ever shot on film. The swordplay action in Azumi gets an "A" for its jaw-dropping choreography.

The film isn't your typical chambara period film, the hyper-kinetic action sequences and the music sounds like a cross-breed between Japanese traditional music mixed in with techno and rock and roll. Even Azumi's colorful attire and the Sajiki Brothers' armor to Bijomaru's outfit seem to have the anime infuence. People who are looking for the traditional chambara film will be better off watching Zatoichi instead. Who cares? The film still managed to impress the heck out of me.

While close to perfect, the film does have its weaknesses. Some of the supporting characters in the film need acting lessons. Thankfully, Yoshio Harada takes most of the burden; he plays the older sensei with convincing charisma that is both powerful and very effective. Jo Odagiri (Shinobi Heart Under Blade) plays the eccentric and creepy swordsman with a rose. Odagiri is like a chameleon, this actor morphs into the role he plays and is barely recognizable. Same with Tak Sakaguchi (Versus) who makes a brief appearance. People may also argue that the extended cut played a bit too long for an action film but I rather thought the added footages complement the samurai ideals regarding loyalty, duty and honor.

AZUMI is a triumphant blend of awesome swordplay-action, humor and raw emotion that may well be Ryuhei Kitamura's crowning achievement. Think about it, the man manages to pull off the terrific "ARAGAMI" in 7 days as part of the Duel challenge project against 2LDK and the almost no-budget cult hit "Versus". Imagine the man directing a film with a larger budget such as AZUMI. Ryuhei Kitamura is poised to become one of Japan's prominent International directors. Azumi is PURE fun and enjoyment; Kitamura has given his fans more than 2 hours of great film-making!

Note: I have another review under the U.S. release on which I differentiated the difference between the Theatrical and Director's cut. The Japanese region-2 version is the one to get!

HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION! [4 ½ Stars]

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent movie.!! one of the best I've seen this year, July 19, 2007

By	Troy Hunter "T.H." (Louisville, Ky United States) - See all my reviews

There were a few parts that didn't make sense, and i had to take a star off for the ridiculous boss guy that they needed to kill, but it was a good buildup to the incredible over the top 400 vs 1 battle at the end, and then the required 1 on 1 that followed with a great ending to the battle that rivals Equilibrium. Plus Azumi is a cutie. Grab this DVD, it's great, and i even watched the extras, and they were great as well. Azumi got the snot knocked out of her during the first day of shooting but she hung in there and kept doing the movie. All in all this is a great movie. Get this, Shinobi-Heart under Blade, and Kill Zone, and stay home all weekend.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most Excellent Cinematography, August 2, 2007

By	FlyGuyMovieBuff (Travis AFB, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

I picked this up on a whim yesterday for 18 bucks...Watched it last night and decided I would gladly have paid 2 or 3 times that. I have 1155 movies in my collection (excluding VHS) and AZUMI just moved to the top 20 favorites. I cannot wait for the sequal.