The representation of ninja assasin film

THE REPRESENTATIONOFNINJA IN NINJA ASSASSIN
FILM

A Thesis
Submitted in the Faculty of Adab and Humanities
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Degree of Strata I (SI)

NANDA TINAHADI
NIM: 109026000111

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2014

i

ii

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of
my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or
written by the other person nor material which substantial extent has been
accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or
other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has
been made in the text.

Jakarta, January 2014

Nanda Tinahadi

iii

ABSTRACT

Nanda Tinahadi, NIM: 109026000111, The Representation of Ninja in Ninja
Assassin Film. Thesis: English Literature Department, Adab and Humanities
Faculty, State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2014.

This research analyzes the Ninja in Ninja Assassin film in 2009. This
research is aimed to know representation the Ninja in this film according to
history of Ninja and also the concept of Ninja. I use qualitative method and
descriptive analysis technique to analyze the film. I also use the representation
theory of Stuart Hall to explain the Ninja in Ninja Assassin film.
Based on the research, I find that the representation of Ninja is showed
through five kinds, namely: representation of Ninja through the character, through
the appearances, through the equipment, through the house, and through the
training and activities. Those kinds that I analyze above, each of them not only
have the same part with the Ninja in reality, but also have the differences part too,
,even they are almost same and also almost difference. So that. because of the
differences, there are some new representation about the Ninja. Moreover, the
Ninja in the film and in the reality are not all the same, so that it concludes that
this analysis is connecting with the representation theory.

iv

ACKNOWLEGMENT

In the name of Allah, The Beneficient, The Merciful

May peace and blessing of Allah be upon all of us

Praise to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer.
All praises be to Allah SWT., the lord of the universe. Alhamdulillah, with
His fabulous guidance, I would to be grateful to Allah because I accomplish the
fluent process in every step of making this thesis. Peace and blessing are delivered
to the most honorable prophet Muhammad SAW, his families, friends, and
followers.
This paper is presented to English Letters Department of Letters and
Humanities faculty UIN of Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta as partial fulfillment of the
requirement for strata one degree.

I would like to convey my sincere gratitude particularly to:
1. Prof.Dr.Oman Faturrahman, M.Hum the Dean of Faculty of Humanities.
2. Drs. Saefudin, M.Pd., the Head of English Letters Department and also as
my substitute advisor.
3. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum., the Secretary of English Letters Department and
also my examiner I who always patience and contribution in my thesis.
4. Maria Ulfa, M.A., M.Hum., my advisor, thank you very much and much
for her time, advices, suggestions, support, and great patience in finishing

this thesis.

v

5. Ida Rosida, M.Hum., my examiner II who give her contributions and
advices on finishing this thesis.
6. All lectures of English Letters Department, who have taught and educated
me during my studies at the campus.
7. The writer’s parents: Nusril Ahadi and Gustinah Wahyuningsih, who has
always encouraged her to continue her study to the graduate level; and
always love and give support in financial or material, and pray to me in
completing this thesis.
8. Her dearest siblings: Fiddinda Afiadi Saleh, Ridho Ramadhan Saleh, Nindi
Puan Maharani, who give spirit every day that makes me strong. I also
dedicated this thesis for my big family of (alm) Sofyan Saleh and Soetarto.
Thanks for prayer, affection, and attention.
9. All my best friends, the Struggle: Nazlia Masyhur, Isti Februari Afifah,
Emile Ratna Hidayati, Zulfah Nurhanni Zulaimyta, and Tri Kusuma
Astuti; and the Metal : Viny Nurulita and Nurfatmi Septiani. I also thanks
to my special, Aldika Gheajaso, for the great support and time that gave to

me until this thesis finished.

I deeply indebted to them; therefore, I always hope and pray that Allah
SWT blesses, guides, forgives and protects them. Finally, I realize this thesis is
not perfect one and not only useful but also invite the others research to discuss
about representation. So that, I will very open and receive any comments,
suggestion or criticism. Your correction, criticism, and broad perception give me
lots of lessons. Thank you.

Jakarta, January 2014

The Writer

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPROVEMENT ........................................................................................

i

LEGALIZATION ........................................................................................

ii

DECLARATION .........................................................................................

iii

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................

iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ..............................................................................

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................. vii
CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

INTRODUCTION ...........................................................

1

A. Background of the Study .............................................

1

B. Focus of the Research ..................................................

5

C. Research Question .......................................................

5

D. Objective of the Research .............................................

6

E. The Significance of the Research ..................................

6

F. Research Methodology ................................................

6

1. Method of the Research ..........................................

7

2. Technique of Data Analysis ....................................

8

3. Instrument of the Research .....................................

8

4. Unit of Analysis .....................................................

8

5. Place and Time of the Research ..............................

9

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................. 10
A. Character and Characterization in Film ......................... 10
1. Characterization through Appearance. .................... 12
2. Characterization through Dialogue ......................... 12
3. Characterization through External Action………… 12
4. Characterization through Internal Action………….. 13
5. Characterization through Reactions of the other
Character ………………………………………….. 13
6. Characterization through Contrast: Dramatic Foils.. 13

vii

7. Characterization through Choice of Name Varieties of
Characters ............................................................ 14
B. Representation of Stuart Hall ....................................... 14
C. History of Ninja .......................................................... 17
CHAPTER III

RESEARCH FINDINGS ................................................ 20
A. Representation of Ninja ............................................... 20
1. Representation of Ninja through the Character…… 21
2. Representation of Ninja through the Appearances .. 30
3. Representation of Ninja through the Equipment ..... 33
4. Representation of Ninja through the House ............ 35
5. Representation of Ninja through the Training and
Activities ............................................................... 37

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS......................... 41

A. Conclusions ................................................................. 41
B. Suggestions ................................................................. 42

BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................

viii

ix

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barsam, Richard and Dave Monahan2010.. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to
Film 3rd Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Boggs, Joseph M. and Dennis W. Petrie. 2008. The Art of Watching Film, 7th
Edition. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. 2012. The Film Experience: An
Introduction 3rd Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Dreager, Donn F. 1989. Ninjutsu The Art of Invisibility. Tokyo: Charles E Tuttle
Company.
Fakhan, Muhammad. 2007. Proposal Penelitian Bahasa & Sastra. Jakarta: Celia.
Hayes, Stephen K. 1980. Ninja. USA: Ohara Publication Inc.
Jewell, Elizabeth, ed,. 2002. The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus. New
York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Sugiyono. 2010. Memahami Penelitian Kualitatif. Bandung: Alfabeta.
Turnbull, Stephen. 2003. Ninja AD 1460-1650. UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd.
Woods, Peter. 2006. Successful Writing for Qualitative Researchers. New York:
Routledge.
Website :
Characterization in Film, www.google.com/characterization in drama/edu/http
Susilo, Richard. Accessed on March 14th, 2014. Benarkah Seorang Ninja Bisa
Menghilang.Source:
http://www.tribunnews.com/internasional/2014/03/14/benarkah-seorangninja-bisa-menghilang/

ix

Szczepanski, Kallie. Accessed in 2014. History of the Ninja,
Source: http://asianhistory.about.con/od/warsinasia/p/NinjaProfile.html

Film :
Ninja Assassin, James McTeigue, Warner Bros, Pictures. 2009.

x

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study
Ninja is one of the warrior figures that has the unique sides. Black-clad
figures with muffled faces move quickly through the courtyard flying, swarming
over walls like spiders and running lightly across rooftops, quick as cats, and it
also can be disappeared. That is the description about Ninja. Based on The Pocket
Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus, “Ninja is a person skilled in the Japanese
martial art emphasizing stealth.”1 From this description and understanding, it can
be said that Ninja is a figure who has skills in martial art and it tends to be
unreasonable.
On the other hand, Stephen Turnbull said that, “The word Ninja or its
alternative reading Shinobi crops up again and again in historical accounts in the
context of secret intelligence gathering or assassinations carried out by martialarts experts.”2 So, Ninja is someone who has skill and expert in the Japanese
martial art so that he can moves secretly and known in the context of secret
intelligence gathering or assassination.
One of the philosophy which is taught by Ninja is to be a veiled
information seekers, secretly, clever disguise and quickly disappeared, not even as
1

Elizabeth Jewell (ed.), The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus (New York: Oxford
University Press, Inc., 2002), p. 557
2
Stephen Turnbull, Ninja AD 1460-1650 (UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2003), p. 5

1

a killer.3 That is y the Ninja always avoided even if caught people see it. So that,
Ninja must be smart to find a way how to disappear and blur fastly.
In the beginning, Ninja was an oppressed farmer who wants to rise up
against the samurai. Then, Ninja develop into an expert in terms of surveillance,
infiltration, and assassination. The Ninja came into their own work during the
tumultuous era between 1336 and 1600. In an atmosphere of constant war, Ninja
skills were essential for all sides. People that often dressed in black, Ninja, are
often used to search a variety of information for his master with his expertise that
mastering the martial arts of Ninjutsu. His martial knowledge is used not to kill
or attack but to defend themselves in an emergency and even if allowed to escape,
avoid physical combat. Because Ninja is not for the physical battle.4
It is difficult to pin down the emergence of the first ninja, more properly
called Shinobi. After all, people around the world have always used spies and
assassins. Japanese folklore states that the ninja descended from a demon that was
half man and half crow. However, it seems more likely that the ninja slowly
evolved as an opposing force to their upper-class contemporaries, the samurai, in
early feudal Japan.5

3

Richard Susilo, Benarkah Seorang Ninja Bisa Menghilang?, Accessed on March 14th, 2014.
Source: http://www.tribunnews.com/internasional/2014/03/14/benarkah-seorang-ninja-bisamenghilang/
4
Ibid, p.1
5
Kallie Szczepanski, History of the Ninja, Accessed in 2014.
Source: http://asianhistory.about.con/od/warsinasia/p/NinjaProfile.html

2

In 1916, there was a film made, Koga Ninjutsu Unon Kogaryu, which is
the first ninja film and since 1960 many emerging ninja film. But the ninja
concept shown in the film to be refraction due to the role of a ninja in the film
was made into a fantasy. Therefore, many viewers who think the ninja as a super
hero who has knowledge disappear or become a tree when they were attacked. A
ninja usually does not operate during the day. Night time is the right time to
operate because they can use darkness as camouflage so as to minimize the
possibility to get caught.6
Not only the Japanese films that takes elements of the ninja as a portrayal
of the character. Hollywood films often adopt an idea for a character ninja. For
example, the film Batman Begins using the principle of prioritizing ninja patience
and invisible. While Ian Fleming, an author of the film series James Bond, invite
Masaaki Hatsumi to learn how ninja spy on and learn the ninja weapons. In Japan,
the films that use the character as the role are, Azumi I & Azumi II, Shinobi :
Heart Under Blade, Goemon, and Kamui Gaiden. Another film that use the
character as the role is Ninja Assassin.
Ninja Assassin is a film which released in 2009, produced by Joel Silver,
Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, and Grant Hill; and directed by James
McTeigue. The main ninja character and also the minor protagonist character in
Ninja Assassin film is Raizo (Rain). Raizo is an orphan adopted by a cruel martial

6

Donn F Dreager. Ninjut su The Art of Invisibility. Tokyo: Charles E Tut t le Com pany, 1989.

3

art’s master who heads the Ozunu Clan (Sho Kosugi). He is grown and thought
by the clan, so that he becomes the best ninja in that clan. As a ninja, he is ordered
to spying and even to killing the rival that has targeted. So that, it is needed to do
the camouflage like he is not a ninja. In the beginning of this film, Raizo wears
all-black clothes, but after that he serves the modern appearance, not like a ninja
generally. Shinobi-gama or sickle weapon is the mainstay or the favorite weapon
that is used by this main ninja character often. The Ozunu Clan is known in
creates killing machines out of homeless kids by divesting them of all humanness.
Extreme violence and complete heartlessness become the ways of life for the
terrify youngsters who are then supplied as a professional hiring killer to
governments and institutions who want to assassinate anybody.
Raizo grows up to be the best amongst equals, but he becomes an
undisciplined man when Kiriko (Kylie Goldstein), a young girl in his clan who is
he loved, murdered by his “brother” Takeshi (Rick Yune) in front of all the young
clan members. Then, Raizo, with the revenge purpose, teams up with a forensic
researcher of Europol in Berlin, Mika (Naomie Harris). She investigates moneylinked political murders and finds out that they are possibly connect to the Ozunu
Clan. Raizo tries to help the Europol track down and stops the spate of ninja,
caused assassinations till that clan crushes at all, include the master and his
“brother” that murdered Kiriko.
After I watching, I am excited to analyze Ninja in this film. So that, I
would like to analyze the representation of Ninja in Ninja Assassin film, because
4

this film uses a figure of Ninja that has some similarities of ninja in reality, either
of the character or of the other aspects. This film is also different, because in this
film Ninja as the character and other aspects are shown up something new so it is
looks like a new Ninja film than before.
I am interested in analyzing Ninja Assassin film using representation
theory of Stuart Hall as my research because I want to know is the Ninja in film
and the reality same and is the skill that shown up in the Ninja film true as in the
reality. So, I hope with this study I as the writer and the readers will study
together and know the true. So, I want to see how the film Ninja Assassin
represents Ninja, and I want to do this study under the title “The Representation
of Ninja in Ninja Assassin Film”.
B. Focus of the Research
Based on background of the study above, I focus the research in
representation of Ninja in ninja film. The film is Ninja Assassin which released in
2009, produced by Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, and Grant
Hill; and directed by James McTeigue. It was first showed in Berlin, Germany at
the end of April 2008 and it is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. This focus is
aimed to makes the research becomes guided and simplifies the discussing.
C. Research Question
I would like to analyze the representation of Ninja in the film Ninja
Assassin. So, the research question is : how is Ninja represented in Ninja Assassin
film ?
5

D. Objective of the Research
The objective of this research is to reveal the representation of Ninja in
film Ninja Assassin. I want to understand and to explain the Ninja by using
representation theory.
E. Significance of the Research
This research is expected to provide worthwhile information and to be
advantageous for me as the researcher, and the readers, especially who are
majoring in literature the general public, and also can be used for English Letters
Department, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, State Islamic University, Syarif
Hidayatullah Jakarta who wish to deepen cultural studies within the scope of
representation and investigation toward Ninja that is represented in film is rarely
conducted. So that, I hope with this research can give contribution to the study of
film especially in revealing representation of Ninja. I also hope with this research,
the readers can increase their information and knowledge about film and Ninja as
well as the application of representation concept, especially in representation of
Ninja.
F. Research Methodology
This research methodology includes important aspects, such as method of
the research, technique of data analysis, instrument of the research, unit of
analysis, and place and time of the research.

6

1. Method of the Research
The method of this research is a qualitative method. It uses descriptive
analysis technique because the characteristic from qualitative research is
descriptive. It means the data collected is in the form of words and pictures rather
than number.7 Peter Woods explains more about the qualitative method:
Qualitative research is concerned with life as it is lived, things as they
happen, situations as they are constructed in day-today, moment-to-moment
course of events. Qualitative researchers seek lived experiences in real
situations. In general, they try to not disturb the scene and to be unobtrusive
in their methods. This is an attempt to ensure that data and analysis will
closely reflect what is happening. 8

Therefore, I use qualitative method because it is the most appropriate to be
applied to this research. It is also good to be used because I will face difficulties
to find the comprehensive and deep description about feeling, norm, faith, mental
behavior, work ethos and culture embraced by either person in group in their
environment. Qualitative method also makes the data taken are complete, deeper,
credible and meaningful, so that the objective of the research can be obtained. I
consider using the qualitative method since I can dig the empirical and measured
facts. The facts which are abstract and unreachable by human sense will be very
difficult to be explored. By using the qualitative method, I am be able to obtain
the complete data and the data has the high credibility. So, this method describes
and analyzes the concept of Ninja with the representation theory in film Ninja
Assassin.
7
8

Sugiyono, Memahami Penelitian Kualitatif, (Bandung: Alfabeta, 2010), p. 9
Peter Woods, Successful Writing for Qualitative Researchers, (New York: Routledge, 2006),

p. 3

7

2.

Technique of Data Analysis
In analyzing and describing the data, I use the following techniques and

steps, namely: first, I watching Ninja Assassin film and reading the whole of the
text in the film completely, carefully, and accurately. When watching the film, I
focus in Ninja character in each of film and find out the concept of Ninja that
represented. Second, I analyze and relate the data of films as literary work and the
representation theory. Third, the analysis is concluded. The primary data, Ninja
Assassin film by James McTeigue, is from related resources such as books or ebooks, articles especially about film and Ninja, and representation theory.
3.

Instrument of the Research
The instrument is the tool or the way that is used to obtain the data or

information is needed in a research. 9 The instrument of this research is I myself
as the subject of the study who does the steps of the research as above in the
technique of data analysis. Such as watching the film, reading some references,
and analyzing the data to find out the connection and the other aspects that relate
to the subject of the research.
4.

Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis that is used in this research is Ninja Assassin film

which released on November 25th, 2009, written by Matthew Sand and J.
Michael Straczynski, produced by Joel silver, Andy Wachowski, Larry
Wachowski, and Grant Hill, and directed by James McTeigue. It was first showed
9

Muhammad Fakhan, Proposal Penelitian Bahasa & Sastra (Jakarta: Celia, 2007), p. 8

8

in Berlin, Germany at the end of April 2008. And it is distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.

5.

Place and Time of the Research
This research was conducted during year 2013 in the Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, State Islamic University Syarif
Hidayatullah Jakarta. The place of the research conducted at Main Library of UIN
Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and some other libraries in Jakarta to get references
and materials needed to support my data.

9

CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

To reveal the representation of Ninja, I will explain about the theory that will
be used in this research. The first is identifying the character and characterization in
film. The second is identifying the representation theory by Stuart Hall. The last is
also identifying the history of Ninja itself.
A. Character and Characterization in Film
Film has several elements such as plot and character, and I will explain
about character and characterization. There are some elements in film. First,
thematic elements such as plot, emotional effect, character, etc. Second, fictional
and dramatic elements such as conflict, characterization, symbolism, etc.
It is confusing sometime when it comes to the definition of character and
characterization. Barsam and Monahan stated that character is one of the element
of film narrative, play functional roles within the plot, either acting or being acted
on. Stories cannot exist without plot or characters.10 Characters are commonly
identified and understood through aspects of their appearance, gestures and
actions, dialogue, and the comments of other characters, as well as such incidental
but important features as their names or clothes, characters’ thoughts,
personalities, expressions, and interactions appear to focus the action of films.

10

Richard Barsam and Dave Monahan, Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film 3rd Edition
(New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010) p. 134

10

This process by which the film maker reveals the personality of the character is
called the characterization.11 Character in film can be major or minor, protagonist
or antagonist, flat or round, and static or dynamic.
Beside character, another element which is very important in film is
characterization. Character and characterization are different. If the character is
the person in the story, characterization is the way in which a character is created.
In other word, “Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the
personality of a character”.12 It means characterization refers to the way in which
the author and the actors establish character, through particular features of
dialogue, action, gesture (manual, facial, or both) and so on.
Two methods of characterization often distinguished are those in which the
author shows without comment a character’s words and actions, implying
characterization, in directly characterization, the author tells the reader directly
about the character explicitly, even intrusively guiding the audience’s
understanding of characters through commentary and evaluation.
Briefly, the reader or audiences know about the characterization through
two ways are direct and indirect method. Direct method tells to the audiences or
the readers what the personality of the character is. While indirect method shows
the things that reveal the personality of a character.

11

Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White, The Film Experience: An Introduction 3rd Edition
(Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012) p. 224
12
Characterization in Film, www.google.com/characterization in drama/edu/http

11

According to Boggs and Patrie (2008) there are some characterizations in
film:
1. Characterization through Appearance
Every detail we see on the screen influences us on how we make
definition of the characters on film. Not only the way actors do the conversation,
the dress, the physical build, facial features, mannerism, but also the environment,
the surroundings and tools picked up are taking part in characterization.
Dialogues of the characters do not convey completely on the actor’s character, it
takes other parts too.13
2. Characterization through Dialogue
Words reflect a person’s personality. Naturally, the choices of words, the
patterns of how the words are said, including the stress, pitch, and pause on the
sentences reveal the true thoughts, attitudes, and emotions of the character. In
some ways, actors’ use grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and particular
dialects (if any) reveals a great deal about their characters’ social and economic
level, educational background, and mental processes.14
3. Characterization through External Action
Perhaps the best reflections of character are a person’s action. It must be
assumes that the real characters are more instruments of the plot that they do for a
purpose, out of motives that are consistent with their overall personality. Of
13

Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie, The Art of Watching Film, 7th Edition (New York:
McGraw Hill, 2008), pp. 60-61
14
Ibid., pp. 61-62

12

course some action are more important in revealing character than others.
Sometimes the most effective characterization is achieved not by the large action
in the film but by the small, seemingly insignificant ones. 15
4. Characterization through Internal Action
Inner action occurs to characters mind and emotion and consists of secret,
unspoken thoughts, daydream, aspirations, memories, fears, and fantasies.
People’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations can be as important to an understanding
of their character as any real achievement, and their fears and insecurities can be
more terrible to them than any real catastrophic failure. The most obvious way in
the film maker reveals inner reality is by taking us visually or aurally into the
mind so that we see or hear the things that the character imagines, remembers, or
thinks about.16
5. Characterization through Reactions of the other Character
The second or third character’s point of view of something or someone
can also be powerful means of characterization. Sometimes, a great deal of
information about a character is already provided through such means before the
character first appears on the screen.17
6. Characterization through Contrast: Dramatics Foils
One of the most effective techniques of characterizations is the use of foils
whose behaviors, attitudes, opinions, lifestyle, physical appearance, and so on are
15

Ibid., p. 62
Ibid., pp.62-63
17
Ibid., p. 64
16

13

the opposite of those of the main characters. The contrasting effect is similar to
that achieved by putting black and white together—the black appears blacker and
the white appears whiter. 18
7. Characterization through Choice of Name Varieties of Characters
Another essential method of characterization is the use of names
possessing appropriate qualities of sound, meaning or connotation. This technique
is known as name typing. A great deal of thought goes into the choice of names,
they should not be taken for granted but should be carefully examined for the
connotations they communicate.19
B. Representation of Stuart Hall
To understanding about the meaning of representation concept,
representation theory by Stuart Hall will be very helpful. Stuart Hall in his book
argues that :
Representation connects meaning and language to culture. But what exactly
do people mean by it? What does representation have to do with culture and
meaning? One common-sense usage of the term is as follows: Representation
means using language to say something meaningful about, or to represent,
the world meaningfully, to other people. Representation is an essential part
of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between
members of a culture. It does involve the use of language, of signs, and the
images which stand for or represent things.20

In brief, representation is a way to produce meaning through language.
Language is the major tool in understanding representation, meanwhile in film the
language are written words, spoken sounds, and visual images. The general term
18

Ibid., pp. 64-65
Ibid., pp. 66-67
20
Ibid., p. 15
19

14

we use for words, sounds, and images which carry the signs. These signs stand for
represent the concepts and the conceptual relation between them which we carry
around in our head and together they make up the meaning-systems in our
culture.21
To express what we thought into language and to understand by other, the
representation has two processes of representation or two systems of
representation: there are system and sign. The system, which all sort of object,
people and event are correlated with a set of concept or mental representation,
which we carry around in our head. 22 Whereas, Sign is organized into languages
and it is the existence of common languages which enable us to translate our
thoughts (concept)into words, sound and image, and then to use these, operating
language, to express meanings and communicate thoughts to other people.23
Therefore, the most important in representation is that every member in
the same society can be understood and have same understanding of meaning.
According to Stuart Hall, representation has three approaches to explain how
representation of meaning through language works.
First, the reflective approach, meaning is thought to lie in the object,
person, idea, or event in the real world, and language functions like a miror, to
reflect the true meanings as it already exist in the world. For example, as in the
poet Gertrude Stein once said, ‘A rose is a rose is a rose’. A rose is a sign, it

21

Ibid., p.18
Ibid., p. 17
23
Ibid., p. 18
22

15

should be not confused with real plant with thorns and blooms growing in the
garden. I can use the word ‘rose’ to refer to real actual plants growing in the
garden. But this is because i know the code which links the concept with a
particular word or image. If someone says to me that there is no such word as
‘rose’ for a plant in her culture, the actual plant in the garden cannot resolve the
failure of communication between us. The solution is one of us must learn the
code linking the flower with the worldnfor it in the other’s culture.24
The second approach to meaning in representation is the intentional
approach, there is some point to this argument since we all, as individuals, do use
language to convey or communicate things which are special or unique to us, our
way of seeing the world. We cannot be the sole or unique source of meanings in
language, since that would mean that we could express ourselves in entirely
private languages. But the essence of language is to communicate and share
codes. This means that our private thoughts have to negotiate with all the other
meanings for words or images which have been stored in language which our use
of the language system will inevitably trigger into action. 25
The third approach is the constructivist or contructionist. We must not
confuse the material world, where things and people exist, and the symbolic
practices and processes through which representation , meaning and language
operation. It can be concluded that the concept in our mind and the sign is the
important part used in the construction or production of meaning. The meaning
24
25

Ibid, p.24
Ibid, p. 25

16

depend on the background of knowledge and understanding of a social group of a
sign. 26
From the theory of representation above, I use the constructional
approach. It is an approach that does not represent the real world but constructs
the new world with the part necessity from the representation maker. The
representation is a meaning: it explains who makes the representation.
Representation of ninja can be seen as subject and object where the film is
subject, and ninja is the object.
C. History of Ninja
Ninja comes from the culture, politics, and history of Japan that develops
in the middle of a civil war, then became a science killer combination of advance
fighting techniques, espionage, and spiritual. Hearing the word “ninja” as we
imagine someone who uses black clothes with the mask that only shows the eyes.
According to Stephen Turnbull, the word “ninja” or its alternative reading
“shinobi” crops up again and again in historical accounts in the context of secret
intelligence gathering or assassinations carried out by martial-arts experts. Many
opportune deaths may possibly be created to ninja activities, but as they were so
secret it is impossible to prove either way. As a result ninja were both used and
feared, although they were almost invariably despised because of the contrast
their ways presented to the samurai code of behavior.27

26
27

Ibid, p.26
Stephen Turnbull, Ninja AD 1460-1650 (UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2003), p. 5

17

As we know, ninja is covered by the all-black clothes. But actually that is
not only in black clothes. Stephen Turnbull explains that:
The earliest pictorial reference to a ninja in black is a book illustration of
1801, which shows a ninja climbing into a castle wearing what everyone
would immediately recognize as a ninja costume. ... To depict a silent
assassin in an identical way in a picture would therefore be perfectly natural
and understandable to the contemporary Japanese viewer, and need not imply
that the resulting illustration is in any way an actual portrait of a ninja.28

However, if a ninja must perform the role that most often noted for him,
which is entering the castle secretly in the night, so the costume that covered the
body in black is the best choice. We can conclude that in that situation the black
traditional costume of ninja is authentic. Some experts also said that the black
color is combined with a little red so that the bloodstains would not show.
In the middle of fifteenth century, we got the references that the activities
like guerrilla warfare to the murder of prominent rivals being carried out by
specially trained individuals who belonged to organizations dedicated to this type
of warfare. Ninja, as Stephen Turnbull said, have two different roots.
The first is the area of undercover work, of espionage and intelligence
gathering (and even assassination) that is indispensable to the waging of war.
The second is the use of mercenaries, whereby the leaders of military
operations pay outsiders to fight for them. In Japan, these two elements came
together to produce the ninja and, curiously enough, the ninja provide almost
the only example of mercenaries being used in Japanese warfare.29

One thing that is not less interesting than the science ninja its martial arts
or called ninjutsu. Indeed, ninjutsu is one of the sciences of martial arts of Japan,
which is quite old. Martial arts fighting strategy that relies, according to Stephen
28
29

Ibid., p. 17
Ibid., p. 5

18

Hayes, ninjutsu originated and evolved since the seventh century AD in the Iga
mountains Togukure in rural Japan. It is said that the founder of this martial art
called Daisuke Togakure who perfected it into an advanced fighting techniques
fused with spying and spiritual. Since the Shogunate Dynasty, the ninja known as
accomplice ancient feudal powers.30
Hayes also said that ninja is said prohibited by the Tokugawa Shogunate
in the seventeenth century. In 1950, the Japanese government ban was lifted that
prohibition. A school of ninja that open up and bring ninja mission to introduce
the world to the outside is the heir of 34th generation, Professor Massaki Hatsumi,
the daily profession is a physician, an expert sensei bone healing. In the period
1976-1978, he taught ninjutsu to the United State by Stephen K. Hayes, who
studied at Hatsumi. After that, ninjutsu martial arts is growing rapidly and
becoming much in demand.31

30
31

Stephen K. Hayes, Ninja (USA: Ohara Publication Inc., 1980), p., 11
Ibid., p.12

19

CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDINGS

As I have already discussed in the previous chapter about representation that
means a way to produce meaning through language, like exactly what I want to
describe in this chapter. I would like to analyze the representation of Ninja in Ninja
Assassin film based on the research question. After watching film carefully, and
repeatedly, I will look the dialogue, spoken sounds, the behavior, and the reaction of
the other character to support this analysis, and visual images in the film to find the
meaning of representation of Ninja and then put some quotations, and images as the
evidences.

A. Representation of Ninja
Representation is a way to produce meaning through language. Language is
the major tool in understanding representation, meanwhile in film the language are
dialogue , spoken sounds, and visual images. Representation system consist of two
essential components, that is concept in mind, and language. So that, I want to see
how Ninja is represented in the film Ninja Assassin.
In analyzing the representation of Ninja, I will present the discussion into
several topics; they are representation of Ninja through the character, the
appearances, the equipment, the house, and the training and activities.

20

1. Representation of Ninja through the Character
In this film, Raizo is described as the main character of Ninja because of
the plot that revolves around him from the beginning to the end of the story. The
character of Raizo in this film is the major protagonist character. He grew up in
the middle of Ozunu Clan which is known in creating killing machines out of
homeless kids by divesting them of all humanness. Violence and heartlessness
become a way of life for the terrified youngsters who are then supplied as a
professional hiring killer to governments and institutions who want to assassinate
anybody.
Actually Raizo is to be the best amongst equal, but he become
undisciplined man when Kiriko, a young girl in his clan who is he loved,
murdered by his “brother” Takeshi in front of all members. One way to fulfill the
wishing is track down and stop the spate of ninja, caused assassinations till that
clan crushed at all, include the master and his “brother” that murdered Kiriko.
That is making Raizo as a deserter of his Ninja clan.
A kid Raizo is a child who is raised by Ozunu Clan and the name of Raizo
was given by the Lord of Ozunu Clan. As a child, Raizo experiences severe and
brutal training under the guidance of his “father”, Lord of Ozunu. He is become
the best son in that clan. And he is falling in love with a young girl, Kiriko. It will
be the beginning of problem that he would be a betrayer. In Berlin, he has a
partner named Mika and they have the same mission to combat the Ozunu Clan.
That is a brief identity about this main Ninja character, Raizo.
21

Physically, Raizo, as a handsome young man, appears as a stunning tall
white Korean man, with black long straight hair, slanted eyes, oval face, and has
an athletic body with a hundred of muscles in his body and six-pack stomach. It
can be seen at the pictures below.

Picture 1 (00:08:33)

Picture 2 (00:10:57)

Picture 3 (01:00:20)

Picture 4 (00:20:56)

From the pictures above, we can see the first point that he is good-looking
and seems like a classically masculine way over all in Raizo characteristic. It also
can be seen from the appearances of his costume. At a glance, he possesses a deep
eye contact, that showing character of a rather thinker type and a quiet and serious
person. Raizo is a perfectly pictured as a growing up man in the age above twenty
five. However, he is also described as a simple cool man through the way he
makes his outfit performance. The simple choice in fashion of his shirt, jacket, T-

22

shirt, singlet, trousers, and sometimes he is wearing a sunglasses. Those things
seems to show that he doesn’t like a Ninja. The description that I explained above
showing how handsome he is looking from the physical like in his face, his body,
and his outfit that he wears.
In the second point, Raizo is a diligent, strong, and hard-working person.
Hard working is acts to tending the work with energy and commitment. Raizo is
diligent to join the practices in fighting with his other brother in the Ozunu Clan.
To be a winner, he is active in the practices that given by Head of Clan. He is also
motivated how to be a good ninja. Below are some pictures that reflect that
statements above.

Picture 5 (00:13:58)

Picture 6 (00:21:56)

Picture 7 (00:29:31)

23

In these three pictures above showing how a diligent, strong, and hardworking person he is. This activity that he got when he was a kid is to be a
habitual till he is a young man. In the Picture 5 showing when he was to be a
winner in fighting and he got the motivation from his headmaster. Below is the
monologue of Head of Ozunu to Raizo.
Head of Ozunu : What is the lesson?
Look at your brother. Life is combat. You know this truth.
Abandoned by your parents…without a home, without
people to care for you…you should have died.
But instead you fought. As you did today, you fought and
you won. In combat, you face the enemy without doubt,
without pity or remorse. To survive, you must learn to fear
nothing at all. (Minute 00:13:56 – 00:14:31)
Pain breeds weakness. (Minute 00:15:00)
Remember, suffering exists only because weakness exists.
(Minute 00:15:06 – 00:15:11)
You must hate all weakness. Hate it in others, but most of
all, hate it in yourself. (Minute 00:15:33 – 00:15:39)

This monologue above is said when Raizo in flashback after he fights with
another child of the clan. Raizo is victorious and the other child lay bruised and
beaten. Ozunu tells the monologue above that how he should have died, being an
orphan, but lives because he fought to survive, and did not fear. The massages
that given by Head of Ozunu make him hard-working and diligent, so that he is to
be a strong man.
In personality traits, Raizo is not only an attractive man, but also he is a
man in good personality. Raizo is a loyal and obedient person. This is the third
point of Raizo that found in this film. Loyal is showing firm and allegiance to a
person. It is showed by Raizo that he is loyal with the Ozunu Clan. While

24

obedient in here means braves to take the risk because of every mistake that he
has done will be punished. And as a mercenary ninja, he is doing everything that
commanded.

Picture 8 (00:36:01)
Raizo
: Kiriko … Why are you doing this?
Kiriko
: I have to.
Raizo
: They will cut your heart from your chest.
Kiriko
: No. He never can touch my heart. (She takes Raizo hand to
put onto her chest and then she kisses him) Come with me.
Raizo
: Where? Where is out there?
Kiriko
: Life.
Raizo
: My life is here!
Kiriko
: (Kiriko take her claws or knuckle dusters for wall-climbing
and then she did)
(Minute 00:35:36 – 00:36:25)

From the picture and dialogue above it is clear that Raizo is a loyal
person. It happened when Kiriko was inviting him to go out from Ozunu Clan
with climb the castle wall. But Raizo ignores her and keep staying in there. He is
preferred choosing life in the Ozunu Clan than following the people he loved. In
the end of the dialogue when Raizo said that his life in Ozunu, it give a deep
speech. It means he choosing to spend his life in there even though there is brutal
life. It can be seen in the above picture and a dialogue between Raizo and Kiriko
in the night rainy days.
25

For the next picture, they will show the action of Raizo that he is an
obedient person and a strong person. If he makes a mistake, he will take the risk.
That is the law of the clan. And he also resolves the pain with meditation as the
Head of Ozunu thought him. Overall he did it very well like Head of Ozunu said
to him when Raizo meditations.

Picture 9 (00:15:40)

Picture 10 (00:22:59)

Picture 11 (00:24:21)
Raizo is a discipline ninja in his clan. He always follows the training with
the others. He is a strong man, strong physically and also when he gets the pain,
he never be a weak man. Immediately, he stands up and he likes never has a pain
anymore. But he becomes an undiscipline when the young girl that he loved
murdered by his “brother” in clan. It makes him to become angry and he wants to
pay back the behavior that they did.

26

Picture 12 (01:20:59)
Takeshi : Do you still think about her?
Do you remember the sound she made when I stuck her?
(Minute 01:21:01 – 01:21:07)

The picture above shows when Raizo will be fighting with Takeshi, a
ninja that killed his beloved Kiriko. In that situation, Takeshi said something that
referred in the monologue above and it makes Raizo angry remembers there is
Takeshi who killed Kiriko. And he thinks that this is the time to payback
Takeshi’s doing ago. It can be conclude that Raizo is an avengeful man.
Raizo not only avenges to Takeshi, but also to his father of Ozunu that is
being a mastermind at this background. He is the final people who must be killed
in this Ozunu Clan. And finally Raizo gets his desire to killed and payback all of
the violences. This is the pictures below:

Picture 13 (00:50:28)

27

In the picture 12, it is Raizo when in his first time show up his desertion to
Ozunu Clan with blading one of eyes of Ozunu’s father after he asked by father of
Ozunu to killed the Ninja girl who have a mistake. And the climax in this film is
when Raizo kills the father of Ozunu in house of Ozunu Clan. This is the picture
and the dialogue below between Raizo and father of Ozunu that showing how
Raizo is so hate and avenge to father of Ozunu.

Picture 14 (01:24:50)
Father of Ozunu

: All this loss, this waste…because you put yourself
before your family.
Raizo
: This is not my family. You are not my father.
And the breath I take after I kill you… will be the
first breath of my life.
(Minute 01:24:25 – 01:24:50)

The statement that Raizo said is too desert to his Ozunu Clan. He is so
hate him and said that Ozunu is not his family and father of Ozunu is not his
father. And this is the picture when Raizo killed him.

28

Picture 15 (01:27:05)

Picture 16 (01:27:23)

Picture 17 (01:27:29)
Raizo in Ninja Assassin film is to be a betrayer ninja. He kills his brothers
in Ozunu Clan because of love and humanity. He also destroys the master of
Ozunu Clan and all over the Ozunu Clan. Finally, it can be concluded that there
are some characteristics of Raizo’s character in Ninja Assassin film from the
beginning till the end and overall has been changing as a round character. It can
be seen that characteristic from him are a handsome man, diligent, strong,
hardworking, loyal and obedient person, and till the final as a betrayer for the
Ozunu Clan.
In reality about character of ninja, Stephen Turnbull explains that:
According to some observes Ninjutsu, Ninja skills are not murder, but an
intrusion. Ninja comes from the Japanese language meaning that reads “Nin”
is infiltrate. Thus, special expertise is a ninja infiltrate with or without sound.

29

Ninja usually immediately associated with skilled martial figure, a round
infiltrate and mysterious as seen in the film or manga. In fact, the appearance
of the all-black ninja is true, but if it was thought that the ninja is identical to
the brutal killer, cold-blooder, troublemaker, artisan sabotage, that is all not
true.32

It is clear that actually the Ninja job is not to be a murder or killer, but
because he revenge to his brother and master, he has to do that to feedback all.
From the explanation above, I can conclude that this film represents Ninja as a
good boy, a handsome man, diligent, strong, hardworking, loyal and obedient
person, but till the final he is a betrayer for the Ozunu Clan. so, this film makes a
new representation of Ninja.

2. Representation of Ninja through the Appearances
In modern movies and comic books, ninja is portrayed in all-black
clothing from head to toe, with only their eyes showing. This costume, however,
comes from the kabuki theater. Like in the Ninja Assassin film, Raizo and all of
the member of Ninja are depicted in uniform of Ninja. The