The Hunted (1995 film)
Encyclopedia
The Hunted is a 1995 film
written and directed by J. F. Lawton
, starring Christopher Lambert
, John Lone
, and Joan Chen
. The score features music by the Japan
ese taiko
troupe Kodō
.
) -- a computer-chip executive from New York -- is on one of his many business trips to Nagoya. One night he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kirina (Joan Chen
) in the hotel lounge, and ends up having a one-night-stand with her. When he attempts to further the relationship into something more, Kirina implies that she has no future and thanks him for a beautiful night of pleasure and love. Dejected and somewhat confused by her behavior, Paul reluctantly leaves her to be alone as she requests.
Soon after the gaijin
leaves her suite, however, she is approached by ruthless killer Kinjo (John Lone
) and two other men dressed as ninja
. Despite the danger of the situation, Kirina shows no fear and explains that she has accepted her fate. Kinjo, the leader of an entire cult of ninja assassins, is impressed by the woman's courage and grants her final wish by showing her his face. Paul, who had left with the wrong room key, returns and witnesses all of this while hiding in the foyer of the suite. When Kinjo decapitates Kirina (after telling her that she's the first person outside of the cult ever to see his face), the startled and frightened Paul first tries to come to her defense -- alerting the three ninjas to his presence -- and then tries to flee. Enraged that a witness now knows his face, Kinjo and his two assistants give pursuit and gravely injure Paul by slitting his throat, leaving him for dead lying on the floor of the foyer.
Hours later Paul awakes in a hospital room where he is told that the wound will heal, but he is now the sole witness in an investigation into the cult. He is soon approached by a man named Takeda (Yoshio Harada
), who is somewhat of an expert on the ninja and Kinjo in particular. Paul later discovers that Takeda is the last in a long line of samurai and has his own score to settle with Kinjo and the ninja clan. After the ninja attempt to kill Paul at the hospital -- killing numerous police officers in the process -- Takeda and his wife Mieko (Yoko Shimada
) set out to take Paul to their family's stronghold, located on an island several hundred miles away. While leaving the city, however, Takeda uses Paul as bait in an attempt to capture and/or kill Kinjo -- instead allowing a party of ninja to slaughter several passenger cars full of people on a train, only to learn that Kinjo was not among the attackers. The ninja leading the attack, however, was Junko, Kinjo's lover, so now the ninja master has an additional reason to kill the protagonists.
While on the island stronghold, Paul spends much time with the blacksmith Oshima, who is constructing a new sword for Takeda (he had broken his own sword following the train incident when police ordered him to leave it as evidence), and the old man teaches him much about both smithing and swordsmanship. He also spends time with Takeda's wife, from whom he learns the history of the two clans' conflict as well as the samurai concepts of courage and honor. During their time together, Mieko grows close to the gentle and compassionate Paul who is much different from her gruff and stern husband, although it is clear that she remains fiercely loyal to Takeda.
Three weeks later, Takeda's new sword is ready, and Paul's injuries have healed considerably. When Paul announces that he wants to leave the island and return home to New York, Takeda has him bound and imprisoned, and sends a message to Kinjo telling him Paul's whereabouts, in order to lure the ninja out of hiding. Takeda's men are eventually overwhelmed by the hordes of ninja who arrive on the island, hidden in Kinjo's boat, but Takeda finally gets the face-off with Kinjo himself that he has been craving all along. The battle is close, but Kinjo eventually stabs Takeda fatally through the torso. Takeda in turn manages to stab Kinjo in the leg a few seconds later, but he collapses shortly thereafter due to the fatal wound he has just received.
As Kinjo is about to kill Mieko, who sits injured and helpless, he is caught by surprise from behind by Paul, whom the blacksmith Oshima had released on Mieko's instructions. Paul stabs Kinjo through the right arm just below the shoulder, but now finds himself face-to-face with his would-be killer, with only the sword in his hand to prevent his death. With his newfound skills, a lot of luck (the injuries to Kinjo's left leg and especially to his right arm, the latter forcing him to fight left-handed), and the assistance of a wounded Mieko, Paul manages to kill Kinjo, cutting off his head.
The movie's final shot shows Paul, Mieko, and the blacksmith Oshima leaving the battle site and starting to head up the hill toward the castle in the distance. Although not explicitly stated, it is implied that Paul and Mieko are now free to be together (since Takeda was killed by Kinjo during the battle), and that Paul may remain in Japan rather than return to New York.
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
written and directed by J. F. Lawton
J. F. Lawton
Jonathan Frederick Lawton , born on August 11, 1960 in Riverside, California, is an American screenwriter, film producer and film director...
, starring Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
, John Lone
John Lone
John "Johnny" Lone is a Hong Kong born American actor of Chinese and English descent. Lone has played roles as diverse as a caveman in Iceman , the last Emperor of China in The Last Emperor , and an apparently female opera performer in M. Butterfly .-Personal life:Lone was born as Ng Kwok-leung...
, and Joan Chen
Joan Chen
Joan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...
. The score features music by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
troupe Kodō
Kodo (taiko group)
is a professional taiko drumming troupe. Based on Sado Island, Japan, they have had a role in popularizing taiko drumming, both in Japan and abroad...
.
Plot
Paul Racine (Christopher LambertChristopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
) -- a computer-chip executive from New York -- is on one of his many business trips to Nagoya. One night he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kirina (Joan Chen
Joan Chen
Joan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...
) in the hotel lounge, and ends up having a one-night-stand with her. When he attempts to further the relationship into something more, Kirina implies that she has no future and thanks him for a beautiful night of pleasure and love. Dejected and somewhat confused by her behavior, Paul reluctantly leaves her to be alone as she requests.
Soon after the gaijin
Gaijin
is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
leaves her suite, however, she is approached by ruthless killer Kinjo (John Lone
John Lone
John "Johnny" Lone is a Hong Kong born American actor of Chinese and English descent. Lone has played roles as diverse as a caveman in Iceman , the last Emperor of China in The Last Emperor , and an apparently female opera performer in M. Butterfly .-Personal life:Lone was born as Ng Kwok-leung...
) and two other men dressed as ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
. Despite the danger of the situation, Kirina shows no fear and explains that she has accepted her fate. Kinjo, the leader of an entire cult of ninja assassins, is impressed by the woman's courage and grants her final wish by showing her his face. Paul, who had left with the wrong room key, returns and witnesses all of this while hiding in the foyer of the suite. When Kinjo decapitates Kirina (after telling her that she's the first person outside of the cult ever to see his face), the startled and frightened Paul first tries to come to her defense -- alerting the three ninjas to his presence -- and then tries to flee. Enraged that a witness now knows his face, Kinjo and his two assistants give pursuit and gravely injure Paul by slitting his throat, leaving him for dead lying on the floor of the foyer.
Hours later Paul awakes in a hospital room where he is told that the wound will heal, but he is now the sole witness in an investigation into the cult. He is soon approached by a man named Takeda (Yoshio Harada
Yoshio Harada
was a Japanese actor best known for playing rebels in a career that spanned six decades.-Career:Born in Tokyo, Harada joined the Haiyūza theater troupe in 1966 and made his television debut in 1967 with "Tenka no seinen" and his film debut in 1968 with Fukushū no uta ga kikoeru. He came to fame...
), who is somewhat of an expert on the ninja and Kinjo in particular. Paul later discovers that Takeda is the last in a long line of samurai and has his own score to settle with Kinjo and the ninja clan. After the ninja attempt to kill Paul at the hospital -- killing numerous police officers in the process -- Takeda and his wife Mieko (Yoko Shimada
Yoko Shimada
is a Japanese actress. She is best known to Western audiences for her portrayal of Mariko in the 1980 miniseries Shōgun. She was the only female member of Shogun's massive cast of Japanese actors shown speaking English, for which she relied on a dialogue coach, as she was not fluent in the...
) set out to take Paul to their family's stronghold, located on an island several hundred miles away. While leaving the city, however, Takeda uses Paul as bait in an attempt to capture and/or kill Kinjo -- instead allowing a party of ninja to slaughter several passenger cars full of people on a train, only to learn that Kinjo was not among the attackers. The ninja leading the attack, however, was Junko, Kinjo's lover, so now the ninja master has an additional reason to kill the protagonists.
While on the island stronghold, Paul spends much time with the blacksmith Oshima, who is constructing a new sword for Takeda (he had broken his own sword following the train incident when police ordered him to leave it as evidence), and the old man teaches him much about both smithing and swordsmanship. He also spends time with Takeda's wife, from whom he learns the history of the two clans' conflict as well as the samurai concepts of courage and honor. During their time together, Mieko grows close to the gentle and compassionate Paul who is much different from her gruff and stern husband, although it is clear that she remains fiercely loyal to Takeda.
Three weeks later, Takeda's new sword is ready, and Paul's injuries have healed considerably. When Paul announces that he wants to leave the island and return home to New York, Takeda has him bound and imprisoned, and sends a message to Kinjo telling him Paul's whereabouts, in order to lure the ninja out of hiding. Takeda's men are eventually overwhelmed by the hordes of ninja who arrive on the island, hidden in Kinjo's boat, but Takeda finally gets the face-off with Kinjo himself that he has been craving all along. The battle is close, but Kinjo eventually stabs Takeda fatally through the torso. Takeda in turn manages to stab Kinjo in the leg a few seconds later, but he collapses shortly thereafter due to the fatal wound he has just received.
As Kinjo is about to kill Mieko, who sits injured and helpless, he is caught by surprise from behind by Paul, whom the blacksmith Oshima had released on Mieko's instructions. Paul stabs Kinjo through the right arm just below the shoulder, but now finds himself face-to-face with his would-be killer, with only the sword in his hand to prevent his death. With his newfound skills, a lot of luck (the injuries to Kinjo's left leg and especially to his right arm, the latter forcing him to fight left-handed), and the assistance of a wounded Mieko, Paul manages to kill Kinjo, cutting off his head.
The movie's final shot shows Paul, Mieko, and the blacksmith Oshima leaving the battle site and starting to head up the hill toward the castle in the distance. Although not explicitly stated, it is implied that Paul and Mieko are now free to be together (since Takeda was killed by Kinjo during the battle), and that Paul may remain in Japan rather than return to New York.
Characters
- Christopher LambertChristopher LambertChristophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
as Paul Racine
He is a computer-chip executive from New York who meets a mysterious woman in Nagoya and becomes the sole witness to her murder. He then becomes the target of a ninja clan and their leader. - Joan ChenJoan ChenJoan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...
as Kirina
She is a beautiful and mysterious Japanese woman with a price on her head. After a one-night stand with Paul she is murdered by Kinjo. - John LoneJohn LoneJohn "Johnny" Lone is a Hong Kong born American actor of Chinese and English descent. Lone has played roles as diverse as a caveman in Iceman , the last Emperor of China in The Last Emperor , and an apparently female opera performer in M. Butterfly .-Personal life:Lone was born as Ng Kwok-leung...
as Kinjo
He is a master ninja who leads a cult of ninja assassins. His identity and face are a closely guarded secret - one that he will kill to protect. - Yoshio HaradaYoshio Haradawas a Japanese actor best known for playing rebels in a career that spanned six decades.-Career:Born in Tokyo, Harada joined the Haiyūza theater troupe in 1966 and made his television debut in 1967 with "Tenka no seinen" and his film debut in 1968 with Fukushū no uta ga kikoeru. He came to fame...
as Ichirou Takeda
He is a modern-day samurai and respected expert on ninja in general and Kinjo in particular. He uses Paul to get to Kinjo, but in the end he is defeated by the ninja master. - Yoko ShimadaYoko Shimadais a Japanese actress. She is best known to Western audiences for her portrayal of Mariko in the 1980 miniseries Shōgun. She was the only female member of Shogun's massive cast of Japanese actors shown speaking English, for which she relied on a dialogue coach, as she was not fluent in the...
as Mieko Takeda
She is the quiet and kind wife of Takeda. She teaches Paul the ways of her people and often acts as intermediary between him and her husband while nursing the American back to health at their family's mountain stronghold. - Takayuki KubotaTakayuki Kubotais a Japanese master of karate. He founded the Gosoku-ryu style of karate, and is the founder and president of the International Karate Association. Kubota holds the title of Sōke for his development of the Gosoku-ryū style of karate...
as Oshima
He is a wizened old blacksmith who lives at the Takeda family stronghold. He teaches Paul the art of swordsmith and swordsmanship, as well as a little Japanese along the way. - Mari NatsukiMari NatsukiMari Natsuki , real name Junko Nakajima , is a Japanese singer, dancer and actress....
as Junko
A female ninja, one of Kinjo's lieutenants, and also Kinjo's lover. She is a formidable fighter and every bit as vicious as Kinjo. Takeda kills her and eight other ninjas after luring them into attacking Paul on a high-speed bullet train. As she dies, she mutilates herself so that no one will be able to see her face in death. - Tatsuya Irie as Hiryu
One of the one of the ninja in Kinjo's cult. - Masumi OkadaMasumi Okadawas a professional actor, singer, stand-up comedian, and film producer. Also known by his nickname, "Fanfan", he was born in Nice, France, to a Japanese father, Minoru Okada, who was an artist, and a Danish mother, Ingeborg Sevaldsen, who was the sister of Eline Eriksen, the model for the "Mermaid...
as Lieutenant Wadikura
He is the police lieutenant initially in charge of Paul's protection at the hospital. Somewhat disbelieving the American's "ninja story", he assures a nervous Paul that the hospital is surrounded by police and that he has nothing to fear from the ninja. He is soon proven wrong when he and numerous other police officers are killed during the ninja attack on the hospital.