Eleven Samuri

Rating: Null/10 (10 December 2001)

Spoilers herein.
Ridley Scott's attention is focused on projecting each scene into the future; Soderbergh's is on the present, the zen of forgetting what's next. He pulls this off by immersion in the craft. Alone among major directors, he is a triple threat: he lives through the actor's eye; he works the director's end (as the variety of director that is storypuller); and he literally is the cameraman.
This last is the special skill, because he seems able to accomplish this zen thing by making the camera flow. It is almost always godlike -- never taking a position or focal stance that a human would; but flowing like an invisible human observer might. The trick is that it is not just within a shot, as others would have, but seamlessly across great phrases of shots. This is architecture in the master builder sense.
The story is throwaway except for two elements:
--The method of shooting noted above is pure Kurosawa, and in particular `Seven Samuri.' And the story reflects it, with all the mechanics of collecting the team. Kurosawa himself collected actors from a single acting tradition and had them act as discrete characters. Soderbergh understands actors well enough to select actors from different traditions to act different types of characters. So we get a richer ensemble: Reiner's style is all timing; Clooney's all body; Pitt's heavily eye's; Julia's all mouth; Cheadle is a nervous projector; Garcia resolutely quite. (Pitt is the anchor of this film. He's really growing.)
--As with all purely modern, postironic film, there is a film within, around which all things revolve. This film within the film is a carefully produced set piece where they fool the viewer. As with several other `casino' films -- particularly the self-referential `Snake Eyes' which is quoted here, there is a constant camera eye.
It's very competent, cinematic storytelling. Someday soon, he'll do something important. And with his growing skill, it will alter lives.