Sukiyaki Western Django: A Fistful of Ramen

A Spaghetti Western, But Make it… Japanese?

Get ready, for a cinematic experience that’s either genius or an absolute fever dream – sometimes both at the same time. Takashi Miike, the madman director, takes us on a wild ride with “Sukiyaki Western Django,” a movie that tries to mash up the classic spaghetti western with… well, Japan. And all of it in English, spoken by Japanese actors, with subtitles. Yeah, you heard me. It’s a bold choice, or maybe just a confusing one for old-timers like me who just want a straightforward story.

Set in a dusty, gold-mining town called Yuda, which suspiciously looks more like a movie set than actual Nevada, two rival gangs, the white-clad Genji and the red-garbed Heike, are fighting tooth and nail over some rumored treasure. Into this chaotic mess rides a lone, nameless gunman, as mysterious as a teenager’s TikTok dance. Both gangs want him on their side, but this guy? He’s got his own agenda. Prepare for a lot of posturing, a fair bit of blood, and enough over-the-top antics to make your head spin.

Review by Ben Dover

Alright, let’s talk about “Sukiyaki Western Django.” First off, I gotta give it to Takashi Miike for trying something different. A Japanese Western, spoken in English, that’s clearly an homage to Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci? It’s either a stroke of genius or a sign he’s finally lost his mind, but at least it ain’t another superhero movie. The whole movie feels like a stage play, with those fake, painted backdrops. It’s supposed to be “stylized,” they say. I say it looks like they ran out of money for proper sets and just grabbed whatever was lying around in the back of the studio. What’s wrong with some good old location shooting? These young directors and their “vision.”

The acting… well, it’s certainly something. The Japanese actors speaking English with their accents, sometimes it’s hard to understand what the heck they’re saying. And then Quentin Tarantino shows up in the beginning, chewing scenery like it’s a plate of his mom’s leftover meatloaf. He delivers a whole speech about the Heike and Genji clans, like he’s trying to teach us history. Look, Quentin, we came here for gunslingers and explosions, not a history lesson from a guy who probably thinks “vintage” means anything older than his last movie. Still, his cameo is amusing, if only because it’s so utterly bizarre.

The plot, much like my memory these days, jumps all over the place. One minute it’s about gold, the next it’s revenge, then some old woman with a crazy backstory. It’s like Miike threw a bunch of spaghetti western tropes into a blender and hit “pulse.” You’ve got your mysterious gunman, your damsel in distress (who’s also a hooker, because of course), and your rival gangs who are so cartoonishly evil you almost expect them to start twirling their moustaches. It’s certainly never boring, but coherent? That’s a word this movie clearly hasn’t heard of.

And the violence! Oh boy, there’s plenty of that. Blood squirts like a burst ketchup packet, and heads roll like bowling balls. It’s all very theatrical, which I suppose is the point, but it still makes me wonder what these kids are watching these days. Back in my day, a good Western had a quick draw and a single, decisive shot. Now it’s all slow-motion bullet trajectories and people getting shot through the eye. No subtlety anymore. Still, if you like your action over-the-top and drenched in fake blood, you’ll probably get a kick out of it. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, or for anyone expecting a traditional Western.

Overall, it’s a strange beast. It’s got style, that’s for sure, even if that style looks like a high school play with a decent budget for props. It’s loud, it’s flashy, and it’s undeniably weird. If you’re a fan of Miike’s eccentricities or Quentin Tarantino’s particular brand of cinematic navel-gazing, you might find something to enjoy here. For me, it’s like a plate of sukiyaki: some parts are delicious, some parts are just… odd, and you’re never quite sure what you’re eating.

Starring

• Hideaki Itō as The Gunman: The mysterious, nameless protagonist who rolls into town, looking for trouble or maybe just a decent meal. He’s good with a gun, I’ll give him that.
• Kōichi Satō as Kiyomori: The ruthless leader of the Red clan, obsessed with finding gold and renaming himself “Henry.” Yeah, Henry. These young punks and their bizarre obsessions.
• Yusuke Iseya as Yoshitsune: The equally ruthless leader of the White clan, a master swordsman. He’s got that quiet, intense thing going on, which I suppose is better than Kiyomori’s Shakespearean nonsense.
• Masato Sakai as Shigemori: Kiyomori’s right-hand man, equally red and equally prone to violence.
• Yoshino Kimura as Shizuka: A beautiful prostitute caught between the two warring factions, with a tragic past. Of course, she’s got a tragic past. Doesn’t everyone in these movies?
• Quentin Tarantino as Piringo: A bizarre, egg-frying cowboy who delivers exposition like a Shakespearean monologue in the opening scene. He’s certainly… himself.

Special Effects

The special effects in this film are a mixed bag, like my retirement fund. Some of the practical effects, especially the blood squibs and the theatrical gore, are pretty effective in their over-the-topness. You’ll see limbs fly and heads pop, all in a very exaggerated, almost comic-book style. It’s not realistic, but it’s certainly memorable.

Then you’ve got the CGI. It’s… there. The slow-motion bullets and arrows zipping through the air are clearly digitally rendered, and sometimes it looks a little clunky. And those painted backdrops, especially in the opening scene, are obviously fake. It’s a deliberate choice, they say, to make it feel like an old studio Western. I just think it looks cheap, like something out of a school play. But hey, these kids love their “stylized” stuff, so who am I to judge? Just don’t expect Avatar here.

Music

The music, composed by Kōji Endō, is exactly what you’d expect from a film trying to be a spaghetti western: lots of twangy guitars, mournful trumpets, and whistling that makes you want to buy a poncho and stare meaningfully into the distance. It’s got that classic Ennio Morricone vibe, which is probably the most familiar thing about this entire movie. There’s even a Japanese remake of the original Django theme song by Saburō Kitajima, which is a nice touch. It does its job, setting the mood for all the gunfights and dramatic stare-downs. It’s probably the most consistent and enjoyable element of the whole chaotic mess.

Rating

3 out of 5 Django’s daddys.

It’s weird, it’s wild, and it’s certainly got guts. But like a plate of actual sukiyaki, it’s not for everyone.

Synopsis and Plot Breakdown

“Sukiyaki Western Django” opens with a mysterious, egg-frying cowboy named Piringo (Quentin Tarantino, for crying out loud) providing a rambling, theatrical prologue about the ancient Genpei War in Japan, comparing it to the War of the Roses. He sets the stage for the story to come, which is essentially a Japanese take on a classic spaghetti western.

The main story takes place in the town of Yuda, a desolate, gold-mining settlement in what is supposed to be Nevada, but looks suspiciously like a Japanese soundstage. The town is caught in a bitter feud between two rival gangs: the Red-clad Heike clan, led by the ruthless and somewhat unhinged Kiyomori (Kōichi Satō), and the White-clad Genji clan, led by the stoic and deadly Yoshitsune (Yusuke Iseya). Both clans are searching for a legendary cache of gold rumored to be hidden in the town.

A nameless, skilled Gunman (Hideaki Itō) arrives in Yuda. He’s a man of few words but deadly aim. Both Kiyomori and Yoshitsune try to recruit him, each promising a share of the potential gold. The Gunman, however, has his own agenda and quickly finds himself in the middle of the conflict, not aligning with either side. He’s also drawn to Shizuka (Yoshino Kimura), a beautiful but troubled prostitute who harbors a deep secret and a desire for revenge against the Heike clan, specifically Kiyomori, who wronged her in the past.

As the tensions escalate, betrayals occur, and allegiances shift. The Gunman helps Shizuka, revealing his connection to her past. He aids her in seeking revenge against the Heike, which leads to escalating violence and bloody confrontations between the two gangs. Kiyomori, increasingly unhinged, focuses on finding the gold and adopting the name “Henry” from Shakespeare. Yoshitsune, meanwhile, seeks a true challenge in battle.

The climax involves a massive showdown in the town, with the Gunman, Shizuka, and a few remaining townsfolk against both the Heike and Genji forces. Amidst the carnage, long-held secrets are revealed, particularly Shizuka’s true identity and her connection to a hidden past involving gold and betrayal. Ultimately, the conflict culminates in a violent, multi-way shootout and swordfight, leaving most of the principal characters dead. The Gunman, having exacted a form of justice and facilitated Shizuka’s revenge, rides off into the sunset, leaving behind a scarred but quiet town. The final scene reveals that the young boy, Heihachi, who witnessed much of the brutality, eventually travels to Italy and becomes the legendary Django, implying a cyclical nature to violence and the Western genre.

Famous Quotes from the Movie

1. “The sound of the Gion Shoja temple bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the Sala flower reveals the truth that to flourish is to fall. The proud do not endure, like a passing dream on a night in spring; the mighty fall at last, to be no more than dust before the wind.”¹ – Piringo (Quentin Tarantino)
2. “Life is all about goodbyes.” – Piringo
3. “Every man’s got his own reasons. For why he had to keep on living.” – Ruriko
4. “Death isn’t to be feared.” – Minamoto no Yoshitsune
5. “Payback’s a bitch!” – Taira no Shigemori

Notes from the Movie

1. The film’s dialogue is entirely in English, spoken by the Japanese cast, a deliberate artistic choice by director Takashi Miike to pay homage to the often poorly-dubbed spaghetti westerns of the 1960s.
2. Quentin Tarantino’s opening monologue is inspired by the opening passage of “The Tale of the Heike,” a classic Japanese epic.
3. The film features deliberate anachronisms, blending traditional Japanese elements like samurai swords and kimonos with classic Western attire and firearms.
4. The two warring clans, the Heike and Genji, are direct references to the historical clans involved in Japan’s Genpei War (1180-1185), with characters’ names often mirroring historical figures.
5. The use of painted backdrops and stylized sets is a nod to classic Hollywood Westerns and a deliberate choice by Miike to create a theatrical, almost surreal atmosphere rather than striving for realism.

Photos

Trailer

Reviewer Notes

I shall call this: A Fistful of Ramen

Man they are hard to understand, for once I wish I had subtitles.

The Blowjob sound effects seem…unnecessary…well a lot of this is unnecessary.

This is somewhat brilliant, and somewhat self indulgent crap.

The movie itself seems to be a character in a movie.

Great production, mixed with weird backgrounds and strange acting.

Is this movie just racism against its own people. Sooo stereotypical at times.

I love Tarantino’s wheelchair

Too violent against women for my tastes but interesting.

I like the thought that the meaning of life is “Shit Happens”