It's the waning twilight of samurai in the 19th century Japan. The old warrior class is being forced to adapt to the changing times and many of them have become common workers within their clans, while still clinging to their traditions, habits and systems of honour. One of these lower class samurai is Iguchi Seibei, who struggles in the samurai hierarchy because he cannot participate in their activities outside of work because he has to take care of his sick mother and his two young daughters, his wife having died of tuberculosis. They're poor, struggling financially, but things take a turn when Seibei is forced to fight against another samurai armed with only a wooden stick, yet emerging victorious. Also entering the story is his childhood sweetheart Tomoe, the sister of a high- ranking samurai within his clan.
The Twilight Samurai transports you directly into a fascinating era where old and new order struggle for dominance. Samurai are done, their time is finished, but like all remarkable things, they cast a long shadow. This duality is explored through Seibei, whose very life is cast out of balance due to expectations both old and new. And within him we see the needed seed to survive, perhaps even prosper. The quiet dignity, quite separate from the judgement of his peers, which guides him. The understanding of priorities, of what's truly important in life. What is enough. What is needed.
It's also at times quite an intense film. The final confrontation, where Seibei is forced to act on the behest of his clan, is quite a scene, filled with moments of raw fury, which in turn give room for quiet conversations about values.
It's definitely a film worth seeing. Historically interesting, beautifully acted and with a story that has the strength to reach across cultures with its message.
The Twilight Samurai transports you directly into a fascinating era where old and new order struggle for dominance. Samurai are done, their time is finished, but like all remarkable things, they cast a long shadow. This duality is explored through Seibei, whose very life is cast out of balance due to expectations both old and new. And within him we see the needed seed to survive, perhaps even prosper. The quiet dignity, quite separate from the judgement of his peers, which guides him. The understanding of priorities, of what's truly important in life. What is enough. What is needed.
It's also at times quite an intense film. The final confrontation, where Seibei is forced to act on the behest of his clan, is quite a scene, filled with moments of raw fury, which in turn give room for quiet conversations about values.
It's definitely a film worth seeing. Historically interesting, beautifully acted and with a story that has the strength to reach across cultures with its message.