I thought I was going to have a handle on what I was getting myself into when I started Der Samurai but I misestimated myself. I also thought that I had gotten a handle on what was going on but the ending threw me off of what I was thinking. I had been looking at Der Samurai for a while but finally decided to give it a watch since it has a shorter runtime and I’m always interested in German film.
Till Kleinert wrote and directed Der Samurai. The story is interesting, and it could be viewed in several ways. I was initially viewing it as the killer being Jakob’s suppressed feelings and urges. That’s just my initial interpretation of the movie, though it’s the kind of movie where there could be several. Both Michel Diercks and Pit Bukowski make the movie what it is. Bukowski’s presence whenever on screen is something else. That’s no even mentioning him hanging dong in the final act of the movie. Diercks’ performance offers an interesting contrast to Bukowski’s, with Diercks more subdued performance fitting the character well.
I’m going to guess that the raging erection that Bukowski’s character has in the final confrontation was done by makeup effects, though I could be wrong. If it was practical effects, it was done masterfully. The rest of the effects are pretty good, I will say the dog’s head looks a little goofy. The music by Conrad Oleak is great. Its also used sparingly with there being no music for some of the movie, which makes the music standout even more.
Der Samurai is an interesting movie that I don’t know if I understand it completely. I’m really happy that Shudder has these weirder foreign horror movies. I don’t know if it’s considered a Shudder Original. The more I watch of German cinema the more I appreciate it for the wild swings it takes. Der Samurai is available to stream on several services. I give Der Samurai 7.5 samurai swords out of 10.