Baragaki/Moeyo Ken is a brilliant historical movie that depicts the life of Toshizo Hijikata.

 

Upon thoroughly enjoying Masato Harada and Junichi Okada's collab with the great action movie Hell Dogs, I find myself wanting to go back and watch one of their older collaborations. Baragaki, also known as Moeyo Ken, was a historical epic based upon the novel written by Ryotaro Shiba. The movie had a top tier cast and was both directed and adapted for the screen by Masato Harada. It has since become a favourite of mine, let's dive into why. 

Baragaki/Moeyo Ken tells the tale of Toshizo Hijikata, the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. We follow the story of the Shinsengumi from its' founding in 1863 until the group's demise in 1869. Along the way, we see various different important historical events such as the Ikedaya incident, Yoshinobu Tokugawa's resignation from the Shogunate and elements of the fateful Boshin war. Much of the movie's narration is done from Hijikata's perspective with him being interviewed by Jules Bernet, the historical Frenchman whom inspired The Last Samurai, via a translator. Some additional narration is done by the fictional character of Oyuki.

Masato Harada has become one of my favourite directors due to his sheer abundance of skill behind the camera and his dedication to going all out with every production. His skilled direction ensured that Bakagaki was a work of art, carefully crafted and with committed performances from a talented cast. Due to Harada-san also writing the script for the movie, it became a concise and tight narrative that didn't deviate at any point. 

The cinematography is beautiful and inspired. There's a dynamic array of shot types ranging from slow moving to completely static and each shot has clearly been thought out and serves a purpose. I love the shot that follows Hijikata through the Ikedaya incident as it is lit up in a beautiful yellow and could be mistaken for a shot from a horror production. The wide angles help to showcase the violence of large skirmishes and war, with a stand-out being the shot of the Shinsengumi's charge during the last days of the Boshin war, particularly the Battle of Hakodate. There's also some glorious usage of slow-motion right at the very end at the movie which highlights and emphasises the emotional death of a major character/historical figure. Add on top of that the wonderful costume designs, the glorious sets and Japan's beautifully picturesque landscape and of course you'd have a winner. 

The sword fights are quite well choreographed with very few static binds in sight. In fact, there's almost zero as most binds feature the combatants attempting manoeuvres and bludgeoning their enemies. An element of the action that I really enjoyed is the sheer intensity of the scenes. The opening training sequences and most of the sparring sessions are fought with such intensity that it truly felt like the men on screen were going all in and hitting one another with full strength. It made everything seem much more believable. For the most part, the scenes are well shot with every action and swing of a sword being framed in a clear and concise way. There's only a couple of times were things are hard to ascertain. 

Junichi Okada is an action powerhouse and his on-screen charisma and presence was tremendous in Baragaki. He made Hijikata a likable and compelling character that I wanted to root for despite knowing how things ended for the real guy. For a rather short man, Okada knows how to be a cinematic monster of a man in terms of sheer physicality and carries a commanding presence. He's always been adept at action and Baragaki gave him the chance to flex his muscles with plenty of swordfights and he excelled as always.   

 

Ryohei Suzuki is often underrated and underappreciated as a talented and versatile performer. He was captivating as Kondo Isami, the commander of the Shinsengumi and had the aura of a leader. His friendship with Hijikata was one of my favourite aspects of the movie and he delivered some gut-wrenching emotional dialogue during his final moments on screen. He had a towering presence when it came to the fight scenes and he looked like a skilled swordsmen. 

Ryosuke Yamada did a splendid job portraying Soji Okita. I appreciate the fact that he was willing to adopt the historically accurate hairstyle which shows the effort he made to be the famed swordsman. He was the softest and most kindhearted, honest member of the Shinsengumi. His friendship with Hijikata, much like Isami's, was a highlight of the movie for me as it felt genuine. Yamada did a great job at the fight scenes that he was involved in and with the difficult task of portraying the tuberculosis as it consumed Okita. 

One of the weakest elements of the movie was the character of Oyuki. There was nothing wrong with Kou Shibasaki's performance, she did a wonderful job. My issue stems from the fact that the character didn't exist historically and I'm rather stubborn when it comes to historical accuracy. 

Overall, Baragaki/Moeyo Ken is a sublime historical epic that does a fantastic job at telling a dramatized version of the life of an important faction, the Shinsengumi and particularly, the vice-commander, Toshizo Hijikata. It has taken a place amongst my favourite historical movies and recommending it is an absolute no-brainer.