11 Rebels is like a modern film tribute to 'Seven Samurai' *some spoilers*
A group of outlaws band together to defend a town from the Imperial Army during Boshin War.
A weak Shibata Clan is caught in between the pro-Shogunate forces of the North and the pro-Emperor Imperial forces of the South.
The brash young lord wants to side with the Imperials whom he believes to be the winning side. But his Chief retainer Mizoguchi Takumi (Sadawo Abe) caution against it as the Northern army are expected to arrive at the Shibata castle, one day before the Imperials.
To buy time, Takumi dispatch a suicide squad consisting of outlaws to defend a bridge to the southern border where the Imperials are expected to arrive later. In exchange, he promised to pardon their crimes after the war ends. (Yeah, sure, we've heard that before.)
The outlaws includes Masa (Takayuki Yamada), who was spared an execution, after he murdered a Shibata Samurai who r*ape his wife. Like the rest of the outlaws, he too have no love for the clan or care what happens to them, but had to survive in order to return home.
The leader is a lesser young Samurai, Heishiro (Taiga Nakano) who is idealistic and has a strong sense of honor and justice. He's the only Samurai the outlaws trust and follow, as the other Samurai above him are deceitful, promising them freedom which is revealed to be a lie.
The other outlaws includes an arsonist Natsu (Riho Sayashi), the only female in the group who burnt a Samurai household for revenge after her child was killed by the Samurai. A blacksmith who is good with explosives, a corrupted monk, a swindler, and a murderer.
While there is a division between the outlaws and the top Samurai who supervise them, the Imperials are united and equipped with modern canons which shocked them greatly. The imperials are headed by a charismatic and intimidating Kyosuke (Hiroshi Tamaki).
Back at Shibata castle, Takumi goes to extreme measures to play both sides to protect his own domain. He welcomes the Northern army and shows them that he's busy dealing with the peasant uprising (a lie), which is why he's unable to mobilize his army just yet.
Meanwhile, the Imperials advance party arrived earlier than expected as the outlaws struggles to hold the line overnight. Enough time for Takumi to buy time to let the Northern army leave the next morning and welcome the Imperials in later.
This is when the tragic thing happens. After the Northern army leaves, Shibata pledge its allegiance to the Imperials and label the outlaws as rebels acting on behalf of the departed Northern army, and not on Shibata's order. So Shibata's domain is saved by their sacrifices.
The idealistic young Samurai, Heishiro, is given a full pardon by Shibata due to his status of a Samurai. But he refused and stayed to fight alongside the outlaws. He had fought with them against the Imperials, now he fight with them against the Shibata clan.
It's a classic moral dilemma type of story which makes you wonder what would you have done if you are the lord or chief retainer of Shibata? Would you do the same thing, sacrificing a group of outlaws to protect your own domain and people?
Or would you stick to honor and protect the outlaws as your own, meaning plunging your domain into a war with the Imperials where your people will die and your domain gets burned and destroyed? The world is never in black and white.
It's a good movie. The atmosphere and fight scenes have similar vibes to Rurouni Kenshin, and it takes place around the same time, during Boshin War. After watching this, I understand why Rurouni Kenshin became a Ronin and fight his own fight.
