A martial arts and katana expert analyzes a fight scene from 47 RoninKeanu Reeves’ critically-panned 2013 action film. Directed by: Karl Rinsch, 47 Ronin is loosely based on a true story, following a group of samurai who set out for revenge after the murder of their master. The film, which was written by Chris Morgan, Hossein Amini, and Walter Hamada, starred Reeves as Kai, with a supporting cast that includes Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Kô Shibasaki, and Jin Akanishi. 47 Ronin was a notable disappointment critically and commercially.
In a recent video for InsideSeki Nobuhide Sensei, a martial arts and katana instructor, grades one of Reeves’ 47 Ronin Action scene for its realism. He ultimately awards the film a medium six out of 10Taking issue with how Reeves in the scene fails to attack his larger opponent logically. Seki also shares interesting details about Japanese samurai armor, highlighting its impressive mobility. Check out his comments or watch the video (relevant section starts at 16:15) below:
“As for what is a good strategy when fighting a tall opponent, a tall person is vulnerable to the lower part of the body. So I think the conventional attack would be to aim downwards while being careful of upwards.
“It is a difficult question how much protection the Japanese armor provides. To contrast this with Western armor, Japanese armor is more about functionality than defense. Therefore, compared to Western armor, Japanese armor is open to attack. However, it is easy to Move around in. In addition to the protective gear visible on the surface, there is also protective gear that looks like woven chains, which was worn under the neck or under the armpits, it helps the body to move easily. Making it easy to fight.
“I give it a score of six [out of 10] For its level of realism. The reason for this score is that the attacks are all from the upper body, which is not effective against a tall person.
What 47 Ronin’s realism score means for the film’s reputation
How the film did critically and commercially
47 Ronin Currently sporting a bismal 16% score Rotten tomatoes from critics, with the audience score also disappointing at just 48%. The film was widely criticized for its uninteresting characters and lack of imaginationWith even Reeves, Sanada and other talented supporting actors unable to make the action on screen compelling. Made on an estimated budget of $175 million, 47 Ronin Grossed only $151.8 million worldwide, making it a significant box office flop.
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A realism score of six out of 10, relative to the critical and commercial performance, actually isn’t that bad. Although the film fails on a narrative and entertainment level, it flourishes in historical accuracy, including in its depiction of Japanese armor. It is worth noting, however, that 47 Ronin is a fantasy film in addition to a historical epic, meaning there are many elements that are not intended to be realistic, especially outside of the particular action scene analyzed in the video above.
Our take on 47 Ronin’s realism
Where the film falls in Keanu Reeves career
Before the first John Wick (2014), Reeves is arguably in a bit of a slump in terms of his career. 47 Ronin was a massive blockbuster undertaking in terms of its scope, scale and budget, but it was an even bigger failure. Reeves’ most notable film before 47 Ronin was The day the earth stood still (2008), which was a box office success but was also critically panned. Interspersed in the intervening years are smaller movies like Henry’s crime (2010), generation (2012), and Man of Tai Chi (2013).
The fact that 47 Ronin The feature of some degree of realism, therefore, is a mild win in what is otherwise a fairly underwhelming few years in Reeves’ film career. The release of John Wick would then catapult the actor back into the spotlight once more. 47 Ronin is far from Reeves’ most memorable film, but it seems that at least some attention was paid to getting historical details right, which is commendable.
Source: Inside