UnforgivenMovie-Poster
Unforgiven - Review
Directed by: Lee Sang-il
Stars: Ken Watanabe, Akira Emoto, Yuyu Yagira and Koichi Sato

Ken Watanabe picks up the lead role in the remake of the Clint Eastwood classic but will you be forgiven for loving or loathing this Japanese remake.

Anyone familiar with the original will know the story. A former Samurai Jubei (Ken Watanabe) is now a farmer looking after his two children after his wife passed away and has given up his former life as a ruthless murderer.  His old friend Kingo (Akira Emoto) shows up one day and says there's a reward to be earned by killing two men who cut up a prostitute leaving her scarred for life.  With winter approaching and  needing to feed his family he agrees to help Kingo track down the men and collect the reward.  Along the way they enrol a young wanna be killer Goro (Yuyu Yagira) who has grudges to bear and a hunger to kill.  The three set off to the town and find Ichizo (Koichi sato) an old rival of Jubei's is now the town sheriff and with brutal enforcement won't allow any unlawful actions of retribution in his town.

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With Jubei beaten badly by Ichizo and left for dead after a confrontation in town the gang must decide whether they will carry out the retribution required and Jubei has decide whether he wants to be the killer that he once was or the farmer he has become.

Unforgiven is a remake of the Clint Eastwood classic and we shall forgive them for remaking such a classic how can we not after all 'Seven Samurai' was turned into 'The magnificent Seven' and 'Yojimbo' was turned into 'A Fistful of dollars' so it only seems fair.  The movie has a mountain to climb in terms of its source material and it almost succeeds, its lavish cinematography is a visual treat and would be a thing of great beauty on the big screen.

If you've seen the original you'll know the story and its almost a virtual remake apart from a few additional scenes that flesh out a little more on Goro's heritage so if you enjoyed the original then this remake will certainly push those buttons.  Ken Watanabe is no Clint Eastwood but as remakes go this is defiantly one to watch Samurai's replaces gunfighters and the blood runs deep red in the final climatic battle.

The film is destined to be a cult classic and its a cut above most with lavish visuals and great performances if you want to watch a film with heart then you'd  be forgiven for loving this remake.

Book tickets now at Pan Asia Film festival to see it on the big screen.

[youtube_sc url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvRr-xV8WJo"]

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