Takashi Miike's 'Blade of the Immortal' Premieres Out of Competition at Cannes

Takashi Miike's 'Blade of the Immortal' premiered out of competition at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The film adapts Hiroaki Samura's manga set in feudal Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate (circa 1700). It follows Manji, a samurai who gains immortality after killing nearly a hundred men from a rival family. Miike, born in Yao in 1960, approaches his 100th film with a blend of irony and tradition, reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa's samurai battles. Despite a low budget, Miike worked with Warner Bros. and cast Japanese superstar Kimura, whose role involves extensive violence that shocked Japanese audiences. Miike contrasts Japanese and Western audience behaviors: in Japan, viewers seek reassurance and collective emotion, while in Europe, audiences react individually. The director emphasizes his film's mix of genres, visual languages, and colors, refusing to separate comedy from tragedy. Miike, though frequently featured at major festivals, remains little known to Italian audiences due to limited distribution. The article also promotes Artribune's newsletters and social media channels.