Takashi Miike makes a samurai movie as a western. The Japanese cast speaks in English, the music is eclectic with strong spaghetti western influences, and the material is referential and full of homage and send up.<br /><br />It begins with a Quentin Tarantino cameo, then switches to the story of two clans fighting over the supposed treasure in a small town. Into the stand off rides a stranger with no name.<br /><br />Forgive the brevity, but if you've seen any number of spaghetti westerns then you've probably seen something like this story that spins out here. The tale of gold lust and warring factions isn't anything new. What is new is how Miike dresses it up. Clearly the Japanese could make a western if the wanted to. Its a clever re-imagining of the genre and is interesting enough to warrant at least a brief look see.<br /><br />The problem with the film is that its 30 to 45 minutes too long. A very good first half hour gives way to long exposition in the middle hour, and while there are some genuinely nice moments its a little too plodding as it tries to cover one cliché too many. The film then picks up in the final 40 minutes with a huge shoot out. Its a schizo movie at times as things just go on and on. However when the film works- which it does at the ends and for a chunk of the middle, this is some of the best film making I've seen this year so far. The characters, the action, some set pieces are simply stunning, not to mention touching, there are several moments of real emotion.<br /><br />And make no mistake, this is a spaghetti western, and the film is a bit more fun if you know the genre. For example the Django in the title will alert anyone who's seen the Franco Nero film of Django what is inside the coffin that is dragged around. You don't need the know the genre but it will help you identify what they are stealing from.<br /><br />7 out of 10 for the mixed up and down nature of the film.<br /><br />Probably the only one who could have pulled this off was Miike and he did it wonderfully.