Reeves comes off bogus in ‘Ronin’
Notice: Undefined variable: article_ad_placement3 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/single.php on line 128
LOS ANGELES – In Japan, the story of the 47 ronin is so central to the country’s identity that a special word exists for the act of retelling it: Chushingura. But despite this long tradition of flexible reinterpretation, the Hollywood-backed “47 Ronin” takes such liberties with the underlying legend that a different term comes to mind, one better suited to American actor Keanu Reeves’ involvement: “bogus.”
In theory, director Carl Rinsch’s considerable visual talents should have been the draw, with the expectation that the first-time director would deliver on the promise of his dazzling short film “The Gift.” Sure enough, in his hands, “47 Ronin” rivals the epic martial-arts films of Tsui Hark or Zhang Yimou in terms of sheer spectacle.
But as the budget crept ever skyward, reportedly reaching as high as $225 million, Universal’s marketing department shifted into panic mode, opting to disguise the fact that the true heroes of this epic Japanese legend were themselves Japanese, and positioning Reeves’ character – described as the shameful “love of one night” between an English sailor and a local peasant girl – as a superficial ploy to attract international crowds.
Like all Chushingura, “47 Ronin” recounts the tragic Ako incident, during which Lord Asano (Min Tanaka) was forced to commit seppuku after illegally striking an unarmed royal guest, leaving the 47 samurai who had been under his command without a master. After more than a year adrift, these ronin (as disgraced samurai are known) returned, staging a daring night raid in which they took their revenge, vindicated their master and were ultimately forced to sacrifice their own lives in punishment.
As impressive as these visual elements prove to be, the film struggles to grab and maintain audiences’ interest, whether or not they know the underlying legend by heart.
“47 Ronin,” a Universal release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic elements.” Running time: 119 minutes.