How Takashi Miike turned a 1963 samurai classic into a modern action masterpiece

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Director Takashi Miike’s 2010 remake of 13 Assassins is a visceral, critically acclaimed epic that pits a small band of warriors against a sadistic lord. Eschewing modern CGI tropes, Miike crafted a 45-minute final battle that critics have compared to the legendary works of Akira Kurosawa.

Set in 1844 during the decline of the Edo period, the film follows a desperate mission authorized by the Shogunate’s Justice Minister, Sir Doi Toshitsura. He recruits the veteran samurai Shimada Shinzaemon to eliminate Lord Matsudaira Naritsugu, a sadistic half-brother of the Shōgun whose impending promotion to the Shogunate Council threatens to ignite a civil war. Shinzaemon gathers a group of twelve samurai and one mysterious hunter, Kiga Koyata, to ambush Naritsugu during his journey from Edo to Akashi.

The production, filmed in Tsuruoka, Japan, over two months in 2009, prioritized authenticity over spectacle. Miike intentionally cast actors inexperienced in sword fighting to avoid the polished, stereotypical movements common in modern chanbara films. He minimized the use of CGI, opting instead for practical, intense action. The climax of the film is a sprawling, 45-minute battle in the town of Ochiai, which the assassins transform into a complex maze of traps and fortifications to overcome Naritsugu’s vastly superior force of 200 retainers.

The film’s release was a global success, grossing over $17.5 million worldwide against a $6 million budget. It received universal acclaim from Western critics, who praised its technical precision, Kōji Endō’s score, and its ability to balance character-driven drama with relentless violence. While some reviewers noted it lacks the profound philosophical depth of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, it remains a celebrated entry in the genre, recognized by the British Film Institute as one of the ten great samurai films.

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