Description

Two clans, the Red and the White, have been at war for centuries. Their numbers seriously depleted, the clans are reduced to little more than wandering gangs, but the battle rages on nonetheless. Drawn by rumours of an enormous hidden treasure, both gangs have set up shop in a remote western town to search while sniping at each other from a distance—a potentially explosive situation that the vast majority of townsfolk have wisely fled. Into the midst of this powder keg rides a nameless stranger, a taciturn quickdraw artist who prefers to shoot first and ask questions later. So skilled that his addition to one side or the other would permanently tip the scales and end the long-running clan feud, our wanderer offers his services to whichever clan is prepared to offer up the largest share of the treasure, once found. Let the gunplay begin!

An over-the-top Spaghetti western with dialogue delivered entirely in phonetic English by its Japanese cast. A spin on England’s historical War of the Roses, conducted on horseback. A world where six-shooters cross with katanas and the blood flows freely. A chance to witness Quentin Tarantino preparing sukiyaki over an open flame. Takashi Miike’s SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO is all of those things and more. Bright, brash, violent, and intentionally camp, SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO is that rarest of things: an intentional cult film that succeeds on all fronts. SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO captures Miike in his glossy crowd-pleasing mode, showcasing a near-perfect fusion of the raw energy that made so many cultists fans in the first place and the technical polish that has become increasingly evident in his more recent work. It is stylish, surprising, occasionally shocking but mostly just very, very fun.

—Todd Brown