Juichinin No Zokugun is a fantastic throwback to the period action genre of old!

 

Following my reason blog posts, especially the one regarding 2010's excellent Sword of Desperation, I wanted to try and find a decent, more recent period action movie, whether that be ronin or samurai, etc. As luck would have it, I stumbled across Kazuya Shiraishi's Juichinin No Zokugun, a period action movie released in 2024 and set within the Boshin war time period. After having watched the movie, I can state with zero hesitation that I absolutely loved it.

As previously mentioned, the setting of the movie is within the confines of the Boshin war period, the year 1868 specifically. As the Imperial Army advances on the Shibata clan, a plan is hatched that involves a ragtag band of criminals. These criminals are turned into what is labelled a suicide squad and are tasked with defending a fortress from the advancing Imperial army. With outdated equipment and weapons, the squad must hold off quite the sizable force whilst having few numbers. Whilst the movie is titled 11 Rebels, there are a few extra tagalongs that do assist in the fighting. 

Prior to Juichnin No Zokugun, director Kazuya Shiraishi had only forayed into the period action pieces once, with the movie Bushido. Bushido was a much more character-driven drama piece with some swordplay thrown in for good measure, whilst 11 Rebels has much more spectacle and action set-pieces, complete with explosions. He's a very competent director and was a fantastic choice for reviving the late, great Kazuo Kasahara's 60 year-old screenplay. He makes tremendous use of a dynamic array of shot-types, camera techniques and lighting, blending the style of old genre movie film-making with the modern. There's some exquisite shots within the movie with some of my absolute favourites coming within the first 20 minutes. There's a sweeping shot that establishes the picturesque setting of the fortress and the surrounding landscape and there's also a lovely wide angle shot from the back of the character Heishiro Washio, that is beautifully lit and shows him in the dojo. 

It is a very well-paced movie, which ensures that despite it's rather hefty run-time of 2 hours and 35 minutes, it's never dull. Between the action set pieces and battles, we get some rather neat character moments, some reflection on the events and on life itself. We get glimpses into what the rebels are thinking, making them somewhat sympathetic and makes the viewers want to root for them. Sadly, despite the run-time, not all of the rebels nor other characters are given enough time to develop which is one of the movie's only failings. 

The Boshin War is a very solid setting. It was the time period in which Japan really began to modernise and the Tokugawa Shogunate ended. It serves as an excellent backdrop in which our main cast are thrust. They are all remnants of the old guard, people from the time of the Shogunate and are thus, kind of fish out of water. When they are offered to join the Imperial army, the rebels do attempt to accept, but that offer is cruelly taken away from them by a bullet. There's also a lie that is told that they would be pardoned upon their mission's completion. In other words, they are underdogs in every sense of the word. 

The movie is much more violent than one might expect. Within the first five minutes, there is a revenge stabbing. It's a justified one as Masa avenging his wife after she was raped by a man from the Shibata clan. After this we get lot's more violence, including executions via beheading and spear stabbings. There's an attempted execution via saw, but that's stopped before it gets done. Explosions within the movie cause bits and pieces to splatter everywhere, which caught me pleasantly off-guard. It's visceral, much like how the katana, wakizashi action shows limbs and heads being cut off. They certainly didn't hold back in showcasing the horrors of war. In terms of actual fight scenes, we get several large scale battles, a glorious one versus many towards the very end as well as a couple of excellent two versus one fights. 

Takayuki Yamada's Masa is arguably the very heart of the movie. His performance is exemplary as the reluctant hero and he carries a ton of the scenes in which he appears. Masa provides some conflict within the rebels by his reluctance to fight on behalf of the Shibata after one of their men assaulted his wife and he oftentimes seeks ways to escape the mission. His actions of course, cause friction and tension between himself and his allies. Despite everything, he ultimately fights alongside his fellow criminals, fuelled by what essential changes from a desire for vengeance to redemption. He is very much a human, one that is sympathetic and easy to root for, despite his escape attempts causing an eye roll or two. 

The character of Noro is a fascinating one. Portrayed brilliantly by Takara Sakamoto, Noro is a tragic figure. He lost a person near and dear to him when he accidentally caused their death in a fireworks accident. As a mentally disabled, simple-minded guy, Noro latches onto Masa, whom he sees as his brother. Whilst Masa is reluctant to accept the dynamic, he eventually warms up to Noro and their relationship is one of the best parts of the movie. Of all of the criminals, Noro is the most sympathetic as he did not intentionally commit murder, but his simple-mindedness led to him making a mistake. 

Apart from Masa, my favourite character from the movie is Taiga Nakano's Heishiro Washio. Heishiro is not a criminal, but rather a retainer of the Shibata clan that is tasked to ensure that the suicide squad completes their mission. Initially hostile towards the criminals, he eventually softens his stance and works with them. This shift also occurs after he is informed that the criminals and himself were lied to by Irie and Takumi, with the criminals pardons actually not being true even if they completed the suicide mission. He is a pure badass, showcasing brilliant swordsmanship in pretty much every battle shown within the movie. One of my favourite moments was him declaring himself the 11th rebel whilst facing down an army by himself. 
 
Overall, I meant it when I stated that I love the movie within the very first paragraph. It has almost everything a person could want from a period action movie. Great performances from a stellar cast, fun action sequences, lovely cinematography and a pretty well put-together script. I would whole-heartedly recommend it to those who love period action movies, especially the Boshin war period lovers, or those who just love some great action.