Sukiyaki Western Django

Adaptations:

This film is a remake of Sergio Corbucci’s Spaghetti Western Django. It is a western movie made by Japanese adaptations. The whole movie shows different adaptation of Asia and the West. We can identify all the western genre conventions such as gunfights, alcohol, horses, stranger wandering, empty village, man hanging at the entrance(disorder), woman always smoking etc.

When the 2 clans were pressurising the gunman to choose his sides of the clan, Ruriko also known as the bloody benten( dressed in western costume) cuts in and stop the argument. In most traditional culture film, woman never voice out their opinion when the man talks.

We can also identify some Japanese cultural elements like samurai, swords, clans, costume- colours used in the film, Heike and Genji’s clan represent the Japanese flag of red and white, geisha tattoo.

Language:

I find it interesting how Miike Takashi made all his actors speak English because ,from the reading-” Hollywood often employs English-speaking actors to play other non-American nationalities. “It is a very big decision as most of his actors have to go through English classes a month before the actual filming. He did exactly what Hollywood did- but somehow we find it stranger compared Hollywood productions.I wonder if we will find it as strange if the director gets a caucasian guy and made him speak Japanese?

We can all relate to the movie, weather we are Asians or western- as we share certain similar values, we no longer categorise them as Asian or western values- in my opinion it is basic humanity values.

It was an interesting film to study 🙂