#Sumi mutoh

[redsamuraiii]

The Hunted (1995)

“I can’t keep running away. If anything I’d learn from her is that you’ve got to accept your fate with courage.”

A tech executive, Paul Racine (Christopher Lambert) goes to Nagoya to close a business deal with a Japanese company. Following the success, Racine declined his two colleagues invite to have fun to celebrate as he simply wants to retreat to the hotel bar to drink before turning in.

Until he met Kirina (Joan Chen) at the bar where they chat for a while before heading out to see a traditional Japanese performance. He began to fall for her and wishes to see her again the next day but she politely declines. Racine was on his way out when he remembered he left something.

Upon returning he witness a group of Ninja trying to kill her. He tried to stop them but the next thing he knew, he woke up in the hospital where he was questioned by a detective before he was visited by a man named Takeda who believes his life is in danger for having seen the Ninja (John Lone).

They offered to give him shelter but Racine declines feeling assured that the presence of the police officers at the hospital is enough. He changed his mind later when he was almost killed by a group of Ninjas who kill every single police officers on sight in the middle of the night trying to kill Racine.

Racine raced against time to save his own life as he tries to find Takeda. He learns that Takeda (Yoshio Harada) and his wife, Mieko (Yoko Shimada) are descendants of a Samurai whose clan was almost destroyed by the same Ninja clan hundreds of years ago, and now wants to destroy the clan for good. 

It’s interesting that they based the Samurai clan that of Takeda Clan. While the symbol is the same, the colour is different as the Takeda Clan is red.

Interestingly, in history, Takeda Shingen was rumoured to have been killed by a Ninja just when he was making a bold move towards Kyoto which could’ve turn the tide of the war against Oda Nobunaga. The only formidable Daimyo left in the way of Oda’s expansion was Uesugi Kenshin who also dies and rumoured to have been killed by a Ninja as well. Some would say it was Oda’s doings.

While the Takeda Clan was weakened after the death of Shingen and his son, Katsuyori who was defeated by Oda. His daughter survives and marries Kenshin’s son, Uesugi Kagekatsu. So I’d like to think that in this movie the Takeda bloodline continues which explains why the character, Takeda, wants to wipe out the same Ninja clan, fearing them as a threat even today.

The movie is quite “real” in a sense that Christopher Lambert is not the typical knight in armour to the rescue as the character, Takeda, is the one who does all the real fighting with the Ninja. Christopher Lambert’s character is more of a supporting role, helping out where he could, aiding the Takeda in defeating the Shinobi, which I think is realistic than some hollywood movies.

I mean you couldn’t expect an office worker with no combat experience to defeat the entire Ninja clan who had trained their entire lives just by training with a Katana for a week right? While the story takes place in Nagoya, the second half takes place at Hikone Castle. If you like the 80s Sho Kosugi Revenge of the Ninja and Michael Dudikoff American Ninja, this one is for you.

[randomrichards]

JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE

In a police state

Streets become a battleground

Fables and fascists