Cowboy hats does not a Western make. Simply because you put all of the characters in cowboy clothes and in huts that look like they are in the old west doesn't mean that it becomes a western. Parts of this story seem deeply rooted in Japanese lore and legend, with small hints of the American Western sprinkled throughout. In a traditional western the fighting would be over money, and that is what they claim to be doing in this, but the two sides are different tribes of people giving them an added and much more prevalent sense of doing it for the honor of their kind, not the money.
The story involves two rival gangs: The Whites and The Reds. And they fight, a lot. At this point in the story they are both looking for a lost treasure and are at a sort of stalemate, each side stays in their respective buildings in town and don't come near one another. That is until a stranger comes to town that both sides want to enlist in their ranks because he is a very good sharp shooter. As a point of evidence that they aren't really fighting about the treasure, one side offers him all the treasure if he will fight for them, and take out the other side. He doesn't choose a side and instead goes off with one of the few remaining villagers where he learns the back story of the place.
There is a love story and tragic deaths all very familiar, and it doesn't seem to be trying very hard with the plot and instead uses its energy in the fight sequences which are much more reminiscent of a western than the rest (except for the samurai swords) There are a couple really cool shots and sequences that you can just sit back and enjoy. But for the most part you are waiting for some substance and all it is, is style. Tarantino plays a character in it, and man he can not act for the life of him, but it gives the film that little bit of camp. Their guns never seem to run out of bullets, how many rounds does a revolver hold, 20-30? I thought it was more like 6-8.
Many of the characters seem to fall flat, but perhaps that's because the international cut clocks in at 95 minutes, when it was originally 120 for the Japanese version. 25 minutes is a lot to cut out, maybe a lot more of it would have made sense if they had let it play out like it should have with out the butcher job I can only guess they did to it. It has a lot in common with "Once Upon a Time in the West" i.e. the stranger who has no reason to join the fight but does, the ruined woman who falls for him, at the end he leaves, just riding into the sunset, or in this case the snow.
Much of it felt like a transplant that wouldn't work, taking Westerns and putting it in Japan is like taking a cactus and putting in on the top of a mountain, it might survive but it wont flourish. Like that this just barely survives. The one thing that really truly bothered me is that its a foreign movie there they are trying to speak English the entire time. If its in Japan, speak Japanese, I can do subtitles, that's fine. But the thick accents, and the off timing of someone who is not speaking their native language made for a less enjoying experience. Seeing one of them call another a "Lilly liver" isn't funny, or even a put down, it just makes you grate your teeth and wish they would stick to talking normally.
But if you like Westerns and Kill Bill, and think if you mixed the two it would be a miracle then this would be a good thing to watch. 6/10 stars.
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