With Sukiyaki Western Django, Takashi Miike effectively steals a genre back for the Japanese. There has always existed an interesting connection between the Eastern and the Western.The spaghetti western was influenced greatly by the themes, archetypes, and atmosphere of the early Japanese Jidaigeki films. It is safe to say that the old Italian westerns had more in common with Japanese samurai films than they did with American westerns. What Miike does here is quite brilliant; he effectively turns the story of Django, a spaghetti western with massive cult appeal, into a Japanese legend. He resets the order of genre influence, and in a tongue-in-cheek way he ups the ante, practically saying to the Italians, “The ball's in your court now, let's see whatcha' got!”
Through a narrative teeming with anachronisms, while also toying with conventions, Miike's film effortlessly morphs from parody to homage, before turning into something uniquely his own. From the opening sequence, which features Quentin Tarantino in a small, but important, role, Miike sets the stage for his western pastiche. Like Tears of the Black Tiger before it, the opening scene of Miike's film utilizes an ultra-stylized setting, complete with cardboard mountains, hand painted skies, and a cut-out sun hanging from a rope. Here the film is saying that we have entered the realm of legend and myth, before transitioning into more a more realistic, but none-the-less bizarre, version of Nevada. However, we only know that we are in Nevada because a sign says so. Perhaps this is Nevada, Japan.
Although the film shares its name with an iconic Italian western, narratively speaking it has more in common with an even more iconic film: Sergio Leone's A Fist Full of Dollars. What's most fascinating about this, is that Leone's film borrowed heavily from Kurosawa's, Yojimbo. In this fashion, as mentioned above, Miike is taking the genre back as much as he is paying tribute. Those of you familiar with the original Django and Dollars know the drill, and those of you who are not should get on the ball! Miike uses the plot from Dollars mixed with the surprise weaponry from Django to tell a story that becomes a signature example of this chameleon directer; he melds the two into something uniquely his own and totally Japanese.
The hero of the film has more in common with Zatoichi than he does Django or the man with no name. True, he is a total bad ass, and he is stoic, and he handles a gun like a master samurai might handle a sword, but the hero here is more concerned with the well being of the villagers than he is his own desires. And even though he does taste the goods, he comes off as being more passionate and more thoughtful. While the hero is important to the narrative, Sukiyaki Western is more of an ensemble piece. It spends as much time with the leaders of the gangs and a few of the villagers as it does with the hero. Miike does a wonderful job of showing how the village and its inhabitants are impacted by the situations that arise.
Perhaps most interesting of all is Miike's choice to shoot the entire film in English, very broken English. I don't think a single cast member, except for Tarantino, actually speaks English beyond their ability to memorize and mimic. At first, it is very off putting, and somewhat bizarre; Miike through and through! Many of the spaghetti westerns were also filmed in English by a variety of actors from different countries, and so I have to wonder if this is Miike's way of paying homage to this particular quality. It also makes sense in context to the Nevada-Japanese setting. The village itself is comprised of both Eastern and Western architecture, and the costumes are straight out of some wacky post-apocalyptic epic. So let's just say that, in context with everything the film is comprised of, the English language dialog works and conceptually even makes a little bit of sense.
I really enjoyed Sukiyaki Western Django, really freaking enjoyed it. It is incredibly entertaining, well shot, and well made. I am also pleased that it wasn't a simple parody or homage, as I was afraid it might be. Of course, coming from Miike, I should have known better. He is, perhaps, the greatest chameleon director of all time; the dude can do any kind of film he tackles, and does them well. What's more, he doesn't simply emulate. He takes the established conventions of whatever genre he is working in, breaks them down, studies the pieces, drinks the essence, and then reassembles it all into something that possesses his trademark style and substance. Sukiyaki Western is dense and nuanced, and Miike definitely has something to say here. That he says it so well while simultaneously entertaining the heck out of his audience is a testament to his skills.
