Bunraku

Bunraku

118 min  -  Action | Drama | Fantasy   -  30 September 2011 (USA)

Director:  Guy Moshe
Writer:  Guy Moshe
Stars: Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson

Bunraku is an 2010 computer-animated fantasy film that revolves around a "Man with No Name" stock character known as 'The Drifter'. Directed by Guy Moshe from his own script, the title of the film is based on a 400-year-old form of Japanese puppet theater, a style of storytelling that uses 4-foot (1.2 m)-tall puppets with highly detailed heads, each operated by several puppeteers who blend into the background wearing black robes and hoods. The classic tale is re-imagined in a world that mixes skewed reality with shadow-play fantasy. Its themes draw heavily on Samurai and Western. Bunraku premiered as an official selection of the Midnight Madness section at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in Canada. A theatrical release is slated for 2011.

Plot

In a hyper-saturated, hyper-driven dystopia, guns are banned and the sword is king.

Nicola the Woodcutter is the most powerful man east of the Atlantic, a shadowy crime boss who rules with an iron fist and nine assassins, plus the deadly Red Gang. His right hand man is Killer #2, a cold-hearted, smooth-talking murderer with a red hat and a deadly blade. Along with his killers is Nicola's love, Alexandra, a femme fatale with a secret past. The citizens live in fear of this gang and wait for the hero who can overthrow them.

One night, a mysterious drifter enters the Headless Horseman Saloon and talks to the bartender. He wants two things: a shot of whisky and to kill Nicola. Soon, another stranger enters, a samurai named Yoshi. Yoshi wants to avenge his father by recovering a talisman that Nicola stole from his clan. Armed with crossed destinies and incredible fighting skills and guided by the bartender's wisdom, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt reign of Nicola, breaking bones and cracking heads in search of the Woodcutter.

Trailer 

Poster

Movie Stills