4 out of 5

Both epic and intimate at the same time, Ruroni Kenishin: The Beginning is the fifth entry in the since-2012 movie series, and also a prequel. Operating in that space – being both a franchise entry and origin story – the film has some beats that prevent it from being a fully standalone experience. While this is “expected” for sequels / prequels, my personal feeling is that unless something is a direct continuation (e.g. a Part 2), a viewer should be able to have a good time without any other context, and then enhance that time with context, but with either approach being satisfying. Of course, that’s rarely the case: fan nods are hard to avoid, and then especially when you’re dealing with a tight crew of writers / directors / editors / DPs / actors throughout a series, having a proper view of what makes sense outside of the film world can be tough.

This is a component of ‘The Beginning,’ but by its very structure, is thankfully far and away from having a major impact. We can zoom out on some of the more complex plot points where this comes into play and focus on the fomenting relationship between moral assassin Himura (Takeru Satoh) and the woman he chooses to protect – but who essentially protects and cares for him as well – Tomoe (Kasumi Arimura). Now, I’m not generally a sweeping-romance kinda guy, and so maybe the bloody swordplay that frequently interrupts that plotline has much to do with my enjoyment of this movie, but its sudden and intense battles are framed around Himura’s desire to be away from them, and thus instead of directly functioning as an action movie that builds to its conflicts, you’re moreso primed to hope for their swift conclusion. After all, that’s the path back to the quiet moments: the meet cute between Himura and Tomoe, the latter smartly nudging the former to question his lot in life, and if it all seems a little idealized, that is the function of the fights: making it clear that a peaceful settling down is not in the cards.

Or is it? The twists and turns in the story not only better justify this idealization, but as a sign of good storytelling, you hope against hope for things to work out despite being able to guess where this is all going. The film’s not necessarily subtle about it, really, and there’s also that prequel factor; regardless, Satoh and Arimura are so good at selling their characters, and director Keishi Ōtomo at crafting their world, that you are wholly in for the journey.

Plugging in to the power-struggle history during the end of the Edo period in Japan, Himura is an assassin for the Chōshū clan, trying to usher in the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate – a military government. He is very linearly fighting for peace, and is continually disturbed by that paradox, especially after a particularly brutal killing of a Kyoto Watch member. Soon after this, operating in an even more dismal silence than usual, Himura steps in to protect Tomoe from some thugs, and she, in return, stays on at the inn where he sleeps, starting to bring him meals, and engage with him beyond others’ fear of this mighty killer, or their teasing of him for his reserved nature.

The alliances formed and broken during this history are where the prequel / sequel curse really strikes, as there are clear references to or setups of things that will happen later (i.e. in the previous movies), and it all moves about with some familiarity that’s not part of the movie itself. But, as mentioned, because the film acts more as a character study and a romance, this isn’t a big distraction.

Satoh has been know for training for these films; Ōtomo is intent on shooting as much with the actors as possible. This shows, and is a huge Wow factor throughout, but the dedication to the film’s more contemplative aspects (and effective use of budget for sets and representing the time period) seals the deal. Ruroni Kenishin: The Beginning has all the signs of being an epic movie – and it is – but its real success is its intimacy.