In 1666, a young boy, Jiro (Fuju Kamio), witnesses his uncle (Kippei Shiina) massacre his entire family and household. Fleeing from their village, Jiro returns 14 years later seeking revenge and answers from his relative. When he returns he finds his uncle has become the ‘Stray Crow’ of the title, dressed humbly he spends his time helping the common folk with daily chores. Aided by a shogunate spy, and local inspector Maehara (Soko Wada) who also bears a grudge against Jiro’s uncle, he attempts to enact his revenge. Jiro is also helped by a young woman, Eri (Chihiro Yamamoto), who is one of the town’s most impressive swordfighters.
Adapted from the novel by Ryo Akagami, “Stray Crow” leans into melodrama, with the opening sequence seeing a violent skirmish amongst a thunderstorm before the house is set on fire, and young Jiro fleeing through the rain with the flames roaring behind him. The film is strongly plotted, but the sets feel lifeless and Tomohiko Yamashita’s direction uninspired. There is a sense of theatricality, as though the characters are walking through a samurai-era themepark rather than truly inhabiting this world. The final twist in the tale also begs a number of questions, leading to a rather underwhelming finale.
The central mystery of Jiro’s uncle’s actions is resolved later in the film as a ruse to distract the authorities from a more dangerous truth: that the town has a large secret Christian population. It presents a moral quandary for Jiro, whose uncle murders dozens of people in order to protect many more. While Jiro comes to understand the reasoning of his uncle, viewers may find this logic hard to follow. “Stray Crow” sets up a thrilling revenge tale only to deny you the final moment of catharsis in favour of something more nuanced: coming to terms with the justified actions of a perceived enemy. This underwhelming ending sadly leaves the film without a strong conclusion, failing to deliver on the promise of thrilling action from the opening.
