deliberate but not dull, mixing Shimada's planning and recruitment with scenes of Nagitsugu's utter depravity (plus a ritual seppuku or two from those who can't deal with the conflict between their honor and their morals) to create a textbook example of a slow build. Miike's quiet, almost stage-y interiors and lighting serve him very well here, giving things an ominous, conspiratorial tone. And this being Miike, those scenes of depravity are truly sick, and give Shimada's suicide mission an urgent, desperate tension. Naritsugu's use of a family of commoners (even the wee ones) for archery practice is vile, but it's the reveal of the lone survivor of a group that tried to thwart Naritsugu's will that marks the true high/low water mark of 13 Assassins' opening section. Emaciated,the way he pioneered modern filmmaking, Kurosawa is really in a class by himself.

The only commenters here who have actually seen the movie are also in agreement with this review. Miike may not be the most consistent director, but a number of his films display obvious filmmaking talent that goes beyond shock tactics and gore, like "Audition," "Big Bang Love Jevenile A," and his short film "The Box." Creating a truly great samurai movie is hardly out of his reach.