Sure, it’s not a new movie. It’s not even old enough to be called a classic. However, experiences like “Sukiyaki Western Django” comes along so rarely that there really is not a reason to neglect.
How can the movie be described? It’s hard to explain in few words other than “It’s a Takashi Miike film.” That would be the shortest description. The long description would be that it’s the love child of the Samurai movie, the Western movie and Shakespearean historical epics and tragedy. It has some grindhouse movie tendencies with spurs of Kurosawa level artistry. There are so many contradictions that there is no way that it would’ve been able to be a good movie.
The acting is interesting since the entire movie is in English (outside of the writing). There are about two or three native English speakers in the cast in total. For the rest, English was their second or possibly third language and they pass admirably. Sure, some of it sounds forced, but then again you get forced English from some actors who are native English speakers as well so there’s really no problem with that. Regardless of linguistic proficiency it happens to everyone.
The setting for the movie is believable, since it’s largely shot on location in a town that they built for themselves. The name of the town is a bit hard to buy as the name of the town they built for the movie is named Nevada-Utah. However, it seems like a nice, cozy little place to live. Well that was before the gold prospectors and the warring Heike and Genji gangs came into town. It is your average little wild west town only in the East.
The soundtrack is incredible. It takes the musical motifs of Western movie soundtracks and puts it in occasionally Oriental musical styling. This comes across as something highly original but familiar to both cultures.
The DVD, which has been out for about a year now, is very light on special features, which is worth seeing. There is the usual stuff like deleted scenes. There is also about an hour long “Making of” documentary that adds a lot of insight to the film. It also shows you about how Miike even brought actors that initially didn’t even like his style or movies over to his side.
So, what to do? Should you buy it? If you’re into Westerns, yes you should. If you’re into Samurai movies, again, yes you should. If you’re into both Westerns and Samurai movies, why don’t you have it already?
It’s one of those movies that come by so rarely that you might as well indulge yourself. However if you’re still wary and would like more proof, rent it and then decide for yourself.