After doing quite a bit of research, the basis for this film was the Japanese Marathon, which is still run annually today. It was started as a footrace put in place by the Annaka feudal lord to train the mind and bodies of his warriors. Everything else in the story seems to be heavily fictionalized for our entertainment.

Samurai Marathon is based on a 2014 novel, inspired by the origin story behind the Japanese marathon held annually in Annaka City. I'm clueless to its exact details so I can't ascertain its authenticity, but it's a rather novel concept that I would've never considered adapting to film.

Takeru Satoh Nana Komatsu Mirai Moriyama Shota Sometani Munetaka Aoki Naoto Takenaka Etsushi Toyokawa Hiroki Hasegawa Danny Huston Nao Taishi Nakagawa Mugi Kadowaki Joey Iwanaga Ryu Kohata Yuta Koseki Motoki Fukami Shinsuke Kato Ruka Wakabayashi Mariko Tsutsui Junko Abe Akira Koieyama Carlos Arturo Pinzon Christian Storms Takashi Nishina

The Candyman director Bernard Rose turns to Japanese kinema in The Last Samurai of Fire? Alright! No idea of what the hell I really watched but yeah, Samurai Marathon happened with accountant spies (not Ben Affleck), Revolver Samurai, hilarious running and bear droppings. What an experience; not for painful killjoys.

The Black Ships of 'Murica approach the feudal Japan with gifts and the whole island is now in danger, as we all know those white bastards can't be trusted. To prepare the brave citizens for the future's challenges, one feudal lord decides that the people should... RUN!

Candyman Regisseur Bernard Rose inzeniert hier ein wahrlich mchtiges Brett.
Das sieht alles so derbe geil aus.
Wie und warum es ihn nach Japan verschlagen hat, wei ich nicht, aber die haben ihm richtig Geld in die Hand gedrckt. Die reinste Augenweide.
Der Score ist zum niederknien, von keinem geringeren als Philip Glass (Mishima) und die Practical Effects zhlen zum besten was ich seit Jahren gesehen hat. Das Blut und die Enthauptungen sehen echt heftig aus. Die Action ist ein Traum. Der Film ist spannend wie sonst was. Inwieweit das Marathon Rennen der Samurai den Tatsachen entspricht, wei ich nicht. Ist mir auch erstmal egal. Im Film erscheint alles vllig nachvollziebar.

Yu Haifeng Keiji Kameyama Takaya Kano Masaaki Kimura Kazuo Nakanishi Zhou Yanqin Tatsuro Hatanaka Nobuo Miyazaki Hiroyuki Yamada Koichi Watanabe Keiichi Yoshizaki Marie-Gabrielle Stewart Tatsumi Yoda Minoru Toizumi

As I mentioned, the film is dense at the start, as it sets up a lot of framing and context and multiple characters before settling into the narrative. In fact the opening segment (featuring Danny Huston as US Commodore Matthew Perry) is only indirectly tied to the plot, mostly serving as a preface placing the story in historical context: a time when western influence has introduced firearms to Japan, creating a sudden technological disparity and hailing the end of the samurai age with the innovation of instantaneous, convenient, long-range death.

Physicality is needed. Canceling out most characterization shows the westernized roots of being focused on cinematic scale, bringing it headfirst into generic trappings. I wouldn't mind seeing Nana Komatsu practicing fighting for a while, or Naoto Takenaka bonding with that kid way more, even if this meant extending the runtime. Fascinating story direction was most needed, though this is one warm-up exercise to pass the time.

In this charming action-comedy mashup, a feudal lord in the mid 1800s compels his samurai troops to compete in a marathon to prepare for the arrival of Americans soldiers. Unbeknownst to him, his independent-minded daughter Yuki secretly joins the race.

It's really funny how social media advertising works? Since I recently purchased the new PS5 game: Rise of the Rōnin I have been served so many adds for this particular genre. Funny how that works right?
This movie came across my feed and I had to watch it, seemed natural because of activities mentioned moments ago...

This all-Japanese Jidaigeki samurai film is notable for a number of reasons - it is directed by an English filmmaker, Bernard Rose (who made 1994's Immortal Beloved with Gary Oldman & 1997's Anna Karenina with Bond girl Sophie Marceau), has a classical music score by legendary composer Phillip Glass (Truman Show, Kundun, The Illusionist) & Hollywood actor Danny Huston opening & bookending the film.

A producer asked Director Bernard Rose (CANDYMAN) if he wanted to make a Japanese film and Rose was like "Sure! Why not?" The end result is a SAMURAI MARATHON. It's finely made but plays like there are big chunks missing. By the time the marathon starts, it's pretty much already over because there are double-crosses and cheaters galore. Things are not helped by a typical Philip Glass score, who I assumed just picked a random CD of his work and said "Whatever. One's as good as the other. No one will now the difference."