A samurai is brought to a mysterious estate on the verge of death. He awakens to find that his wounds are completely healed and without even a hint of scarring. The Samurai is introduced to Aragami, the owner of the estate and his maid who offer him food and shelter. The flooded roads and enemy forces in the area are convincing reasons for The Samurai to stay hidden in this estate, especially when he learns that somewhere out there is a tengu - an ancient Japanese demon of terrible power. When the Samurai's hosts are Aragami and his mysterious maid, could he be safer outside?
Aragami is part of the Duel Project which was arose from a challenge made between Ryuhei Kitamura and fellow director Yukihiki Tsutsumi. As per the challenge Kitamura had to make a movie that takes place in one scene, with two characters engaged in battle, in only one week. Very few directors can even conceive rising to a challenge like this but Kitamura doesn't disappoint. Although he is better known for VERSUS, Kitamura shows that he doesn't need to make action the center or his universe. The action is played down to just two scenes and the plot takes center stage.
Having dropped us at an undisclosed point during the Warring States Period, the movie takes place entirely inside one room of Aragami’s home. Given it’s architecture, it is probably a castle of some sort or at the very least, an elaborately decorated estate, but it hardly feels inviting. While the place is well lit, the use of blue and purple light provide a menacing atmosphere, while the statues, dark curtains, and weaponry almost turns the setting into an antagonist in its own right.
The cast should look familiar as Kitamura brings back many of the actors from his previous movies. Hideo Sakaki and Tak Sakaguchi from VERSUS, and Alive, return while Takao Osawa and Kanae Uotani were both in Sky High. With that in mind the entire cast gives a stellar performance regardless of how large or small their roles are. The person who steals the show however is Masaya Kato. This is due largely in part to the fact Ryuhei Kitamura used Kato himself as the basis for Aragami. In essence, Kato isn't playing a character so much as he's largely playing himself. With that said Aragami is cool, charismatic, and deadpan funny. The fight scenes also open an interesting demonstration of Kato's skill and athleticism who is surprisingly spry for someone with such a muscular frame.
The relationship between Aragami and The Samurai is the driving force of this movie. It is a powerful friendship forged in a very short time between two men who - in addition to possessing a code of honor also have a certain understanding as warriors. Initially, The Samurai is suspicious of Aragami and his mysterious female accomplice and rightfully so. As the two learn more about each other’s motivations and ideals, a bond begins to form between them and although they must fight, they can also be friends.
Aragami pays homage to Japanese dialogue plays which essentially consists of two characters sitting in one room and talking for the duration for the performance. While this would normally come across as boring to the Western audience, Aragami is often held in high acclaim even in America, where the vast majority of people are not used to this style of story-telling. This is due to three factors: the captivating performances of the actors, the intelligent and at times humorous dialogue, and the highly detailed and atmospheric room where the movie takes place.
Thanks to the impeccable directing and writing of Ryuhei Kitamura, as well as the performances of the cast, I found Aragami thoroughly engrossing. The moody atmosphere, the non-contemporary setting, and the well choreographed fight scenes definitely added more than a few brownie points to boot. While it's true that Aragami won’t appeal to everyone, it is a very good movie and a no-brainer for Kitamura fans or fans of Japanese movies.
- Jetstream Rev
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