The settings and photography in this film are not "grand" but give the impression of realism and the grittiness of life in feudal times. The storytelling devices and attention to detail are core to the feeling I took away from this film, which was one of dipping into a tiny slice of time but seeing a myriad of ageless issues (honour, duty, grief, non-ambition, family priorities). However, what really impressed me was the way the main part (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) grew through the film. At the beginning of the film he seemed physically smaller, his whole demeanour and features were weak and insignificant. Having never seen him act before, I felt I was going to struggle to relate to this man as a lead role. It was incredible to see him (partly through acting and partly through subtle directing) grow into the figure we see at the end; he's taller with wide shoulders and strong features, yet remains a gentle and humble man. This is a very touching film and one which I could definitely watch over and over.
120 Reviews
Twilight Samurai- a wonderful & profound film
jack75592 December 2005
Twilight Samurai exemplifies the commitments of duty and sacrifice to one's children and one's community. The father -Seibei Iguchi- struggles between the honor he owes to his family and the demands of his work & fiefdom in feudal 16th century Japan. His character is not one of superficial envy engaging in many swordfights and long action sequences, instead this story seems to be as realistic as possible and profoundly moving as the viewers heart can help but go out to Iguchi in his struggle. This is an excellent film for any age or nationality to enjoy. I highly recommend Twilight Samurai It is already one of my all- time favorite films.
A superb film
artzau6 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is an excellent film. It is pleasing cinema, rich with visual images, dark and somber and then bright and cheerful. The acting is likewise engaging with a minimum of staged sword-play with flashing blades. The focus of the story is on the characters' lives, each of which reflects a personal tragedy, yet not without some degree of hopefulness. The widowed father, deemed the "twilight" samurai because of his marginal existence, is a devoted family man who loves his daughters intensely and struggles to balance a heavy debt load and a meager income. Circumstances place him in a different light when his colleague vassals learn of his skills as a fighter which in turn permit him to revive a long held childhood love for a friends sister. Yet, he feels unable to pursue it due to his dire economic circumstances, much to everyone's dismay. His confrontation with his love interest's abusive husband enhances his mystique as a fighter, winning him great respect from his colleagues but opens a glimpse of a possible encounter with one of the higher ranking vassals. With typical modesty, he brushes aside the challenge by declaring himself an "unworthy" opponent.
This chance encounter with this shadowy samurai comes to a head when he is ordered by his superiors to kill him for political reasons. His refusal is rejected and he is compelled to carry out the orders. As he make arrangements for his death and the care of his family, he summons Tomoe, to help him prepare, only to find out that she has accepted another proposal. He swallows his disappointment and goes out to seal his fate, one way or another.
His confrontation with the rogue samurai is in a sense a battle with himself, as both men reveal themselves to be victims of a cruel and often capricious system. The resolution, in the long run is tragic but with a bittersweet irony, as the daughter who recounts the narration reassesses her father's fate.
As a tale, it is classic Japanese, as it deals with honor, duty and saving face. For Westerners, the frustration at not declaring emotions openly, may seem daunting, but when taken as a story unfolding at an explosive time in Japanese history, it works, and works well.
An awesome film. Check it out!
This chance encounter with this shadowy samurai comes to a head when he is ordered by his superiors to kill him for political reasons. His refusal is rejected and he is compelled to carry out the orders. As he make arrangements for his death and the care of his family, he summons Tomoe, to help him prepare, only to find out that she has accepted another proposal. He swallows his disappointment and goes out to seal his fate, one way or another.
His confrontation with the rogue samurai is in a sense a battle with himself, as both men reveal themselves to be victims of a cruel and often capricious system. The resolution, in the long run is tragic but with a bittersweet irony, as the daughter who recounts the narration reassesses her father's fate.
As a tale, it is classic Japanese, as it deals with honor, duty and saving face. For Westerners, the frustration at not declaring emotions openly, may seem daunting, but when taken as a story unfolding at an explosive time in Japanese history, it works, and works well.
An awesome film. Check it out!
Great Impressionist Film-making
FlickeringLight6 July 2004
I saw this film last night with my nephew, and chose it simply because the title was interesting and it was playing at the local art house, so I gave it a shot. As I am a bit disillusioned by the Oscars these days I don't pay much attention to them, I was unaware that this film was a huge success in Japan and received a Best Foreign Film nomination. What I received in return for my curiosity was one of the best foreign films that I have seen in a long, long time.
The crux of the film is the relationship between personal honor and social honor. Iguchi is indeed a most honorable man. He truly loves his children and his senile mother, and sacrifices his dignity and station to care for them. He works from dawn to dusk, attending his duties with the court by day and working on his farm by night, somehow finding time to also sell handmade insect/bird cages just to help his family get by. He does all this even though it soon becomes apparent that he has no equal as a swordsman, and in that right alone deserves the respect of those who deride him. We come to understand that selfless sacrifice is the single greatest act of honor, especially when one can still consider himself a blessed man. However, the personal honor that Iguchi wields even more skillfully than his sword becomes at odds with the social honor that his status as a samurai calls for. This conundrum is the heart of almost every scene in the film, and reaches its peak as the story moves toward its climax. Though Iguchi tells his best friend that he would gladly surrender his status as a samurai to become a simple farmer, he finds himself unable to resist his call to duty under the code of the samurai. He knows that to be honorable in his duty as a samurai, he must compromise his honor as a man. How can he kill a man to fulfill the unjust motives of his clan, especially when the man he is fighting is so much like himself?
The direction of the film is beautifully impressionist. Yamada crafts pictures of everyday life which gives us an inherent understanding of the life of Iguchi. In one scene, he sits dejectedly on his doorstep after coming home in the rain, lamenting the holes in his socks while his squire stands outside in the downpour. In another, he quietly applies his perfectionism to the construction of his cages in his dark and dirty living room while his family sleeps. In yet another, he shares a meal with his family as they laugh and enjoy each other's company. Yamada's eye for imagery, in combination with his patient and subtle storytelling, are reminiscent of great impressionist directors such as Ozu, Tarkovsky, and Malick. There are many other memorable images in this film, many of which depict the duality of nature. In one scene we see soldiers learning to fire rifles under the spring buds of a lotus tree. In another we see men fishing along a sapphire blue river, with golden fields behind them and a stunning, snow-capped Mount Fuji on the horizon-- and the bodies of starved peasant children floating down the river.
This is a great film. See it.
The crux of the film is the relationship between personal honor and social honor. Iguchi is indeed a most honorable man. He truly loves his children and his senile mother, and sacrifices his dignity and station to care for them. He works from dawn to dusk, attending his duties with the court by day and working on his farm by night, somehow finding time to also sell handmade insect/bird cages just to help his family get by. He does all this even though it soon becomes apparent that he has no equal as a swordsman, and in that right alone deserves the respect of those who deride him. We come to understand that selfless sacrifice is the single greatest act of honor, especially when one can still consider himself a blessed man. However, the personal honor that Iguchi wields even more skillfully than his sword becomes at odds with the social honor that his status as a samurai calls for. This conundrum is the heart of almost every scene in the film, and reaches its peak as the story moves toward its climax. Though Iguchi tells his best friend that he would gladly surrender his status as a samurai to become a simple farmer, he finds himself unable to resist his call to duty under the code of the samurai. He knows that to be honorable in his duty as a samurai, he must compromise his honor as a man. How can he kill a man to fulfill the unjust motives of his clan, especially when the man he is fighting is so much like himself?
The direction of the film is beautifully impressionist. Yamada crafts pictures of everyday life which gives us an inherent understanding of the life of Iguchi. In one scene, he sits dejectedly on his doorstep after coming home in the rain, lamenting the holes in his socks while his squire stands outside in the downpour. In another, he quietly applies his perfectionism to the construction of his cages in his dark and dirty living room while his family sleeps. In yet another, he shares a meal with his family as they laugh and enjoy each other's company. Yamada's eye for imagery, in combination with his patient and subtle storytelling, are reminiscent of great impressionist directors such as Ozu, Tarkovsky, and Malick. There are many other memorable images in this film, many of which depict the duality of nature. In one scene we see soldiers learning to fire rifles under the spring buds of a lotus tree. In another we see men fishing along a sapphire blue river, with golden fields behind them and a stunning, snow-capped Mount Fuji on the horizon-- and the bodies of starved peasant children floating down the river.
This is a great film. See it.
A beautiful, lyrical samurai movie
paulnewman20017 December 2004
I approached director Yoji Yamada's period film anticipating the usual brew of flashing blades, unfathomable codes of honour and majestic arterial sprays but found instead a gently melancholic and beautifully played story of unspoken love and ethical struggle.
Seibei (a mesmerising less-is-more turn from Hiroyuki Sanada) is a low-ranking widowed samurai with a senile mother and two daughters, working in the castle's stores and taking in piecework to get by.
Grief at his wife's death has led him to turn his back on violence but he is confronted with it nonetheless, firstly as a result of the return of a childhood friend for whom he has strong feelings and who is fleeing her abusive marriage and, finally, when the politics of the day overtake his clan and he is ordered to carry out an assassination.
Seibei's struggle is not for outward respect but to find integrity within a social order over which he has no influence, making the bursts of violence all the more jarring.
Yamada's film is rightly compared to Kurosawa's work and its thoughtful, lyrical tone and themes resonate powerfully.
Seibei (a mesmerising less-is-more turn from Hiroyuki Sanada) is a low-ranking widowed samurai with a senile mother and two daughters, working in the castle's stores and taking in piecework to get by.
Grief at his wife's death has led him to turn his back on violence but he is confronted with it nonetheless, firstly as a result of the return of a childhood friend for whom he has strong feelings and who is fleeing her abusive marriage and, finally, when the politics of the day overtake his clan and he is ordered to carry out an assassination.
Seibei's struggle is not for outward respect but to find integrity within a social order over which he has no influence, making the bursts of violence all the more jarring.
Yamada's film is rightly compared to Kurosawa's work and its thoughtful, lyrical tone and themes resonate powerfully.
Oh Sweet Samurai!
crypticcrytic5 June 2004
Twilight Samurai
'Twilight Samurai' is a very sweet film. Sorry, those words, sweet and samurai, may not be used together too much but believe it! With luck, 'The Last Samurai' was just that for Hollywood but please Jollywood bring on more of these.
'Tasogare Seibei' is a story about a low-level Samurai family headed by a widower raising two daughters and his mother who's lapsing into senility. What little action in this film shows how far Seibei (Hiroyuki Sanada) has drifted from his professional prowess. He earns his keep as a scribe and an insect trap maker. When he is called on to defend the honor of his clan, his skill is resurrected although his heart is not in it.
Beautifully filmed and dramatically staged, 'Twilight Samurai' will amuse, dazzle and delight you. Told from the perspective of his daughter reflecting on her life with father, this sentimental tale has the feel of allegory and even novices to this genre will enjoy it. My only criticism is the abrupt ending without a clear resolution. And my lack of Japanese language skills distracted me from this well-acted, set and costumed film.
Just another reason to learn the language.
'Twilight Samurai' is a very sweet film. Sorry, those words, sweet and samurai, may not be used together too much but believe it! With luck, 'The Last Samurai' was just that for Hollywood but please Jollywood bring on more of these.
'Tasogare Seibei' is a story about a low-level Samurai family headed by a widower raising two daughters and his mother who's lapsing into senility. What little action in this film shows how far Seibei (Hiroyuki Sanada) has drifted from his professional prowess. He earns his keep as a scribe and an insect trap maker. When he is called on to defend the honor of his clan, his skill is resurrected although his heart is not in it.
Beautifully filmed and dramatically staged, 'Twilight Samurai' will amuse, dazzle and delight you. Told from the perspective of his daughter reflecting on her life with father, this sentimental tale has the feel of allegory and even novices to this genre will enjoy it. My only criticism is the abrupt ending without a clear resolution. And my lack of Japanese language skills distracted me from this well-acted, set and costumed film.
Just another reason to learn the language.
10 out of 10, Yeah it is that awesome.
veganflimgeek11 August 2004
Twilight Samurai
I don't have a top ten list of all time favorite films but if I did Twilight Samurai would be on it. Nominated for best foreign film the same year that the Hollywood film the last samurai got a few nominations it is impossible not to compare the two. While I enjoyed the Last Samurai and it's message of questioning western cultural imperialism Twilight Samurai is a film on whole different level.
LS is a bloated Hollywood epic that delivers intense battles with huge numbers and a unrealistic unsatisfying bullshit love story. Do we really believe that the woman who lost her husband to Tom Cruise the smelly drunk white would fall in love with him?
Twilight Samurai is the opposite in everyway and in everyway it is a better film that is bound to move to tears the hardest of yall out there. It is the story of a petty samurai who after the long lingering death of his wife finds himself become a devoted father.
When Twilight comes and the other samurai go out to drink, he rushes home to clean the house, tend the field and care for his daughters. He has lost track of his imagine, he smells and all he cares about is what is best for his daughters.
When his childhood crush returns and revolution looms this petty samurai is forced into confronting his status as a samurai. Unlike last samurai the small battle between two samurai's at the end is more emotionally involved that any CGI enhanced battle could ever be. The romance in the film is so sweet, tender and believable that is makes the film special.
This could not be as special as it is without excellent acting, direction and above all writing. Holy crap see this movie.
I don't have a top ten list of all time favorite films but if I did Twilight Samurai would be on it. Nominated for best foreign film the same year that the Hollywood film the last samurai got a few nominations it is impossible not to compare the two. While I enjoyed the Last Samurai and it's message of questioning western cultural imperialism Twilight Samurai is a film on whole different level.
LS is a bloated Hollywood epic that delivers intense battles with huge numbers and a unrealistic unsatisfying bullshit love story. Do we really believe that the woman who lost her husband to Tom Cruise the smelly drunk white would fall in love with him?
Twilight Samurai is the opposite in everyway and in everyway it is a better film that is bound to move to tears the hardest of yall out there. It is the story of a petty samurai who after the long lingering death of his wife finds himself become a devoted father.
When Twilight comes and the other samurai go out to drink, he rushes home to clean the house, tend the field and care for his daughters. He has lost track of his imagine, he smells and all he cares about is what is best for his daughters.
When his childhood crush returns and revolution looms this petty samurai is forced into confronting his status as a samurai. Unlike last samurai the small battle between two samurai's at the end is more emotionally involved that any CGI enhanced battle could ever be. The romance in the film is so sweet, tender and believable that is makes the film special.
This could not be as special as it is without excellent acting, direction and above all writing. Holy crap see this movie.
A film of amazing depth and refined beauty.
jeff-7644 October 2004
I had been waiting a very long time for this movie to be released in my area, so when the time came I was fairly excited. Often, when I expect a lot out of a movie I am disappointed and end up hating something that may not deserve it. In this case, however, it lived up to and exceeded my expectations. The story line, character development, framing, pacing and action were all absolutely top-notch in my opinion. The film stands as a stark contrast to many other movies set in the same time period in Japan and beyond that it also possesses a very universal appeal. It reminded me of other good dramas in its tone (at times even a bit like the film "In America") and it had funny moments as well as heart-wrenching sadness throughout. It was effective without being too melodramatic, and did a wonderful job of enticing the viewer to empathize with the main character. From a martial arts standpoint I thought that the techniques used were very realistically applied and not at all outside of the realm of what samurai in this time period would have been doing. The fights were tense but very realistic. The last duel was stylized to a greater degree, reminding me of certain moments in Kurosawa's films and by extension certain Kabuki influences. All in all it was a very strong film. It's deep enough that it could stand up to repeated viewing, and in the way of subtititled films it would actually get better each time. Even if the story doesn't interest you it would be worthwhile to see it for the natural beauty of the location and the shots anyway. One of the finest films about feudal Japan that I have seen, and one of the best films I've seen at all.
An unassuming Samurai drama.
aliasanythingyouwant30 March 2005
The Twilight Samurai is a drab, unassuming movie, and that's what's good about it. One expects heroics with a movie that has "Samurai" in the title, lots of blood and throbbing hooves, Toshiro Mifune jumping up and down like Yosemite Sam, but Yoji Yamata is too subtle a thinker for that, he finds hypocrisy in the vaunted Samurai code, and questions the very meaning of heroism.
Less Kurosawa than Ozu, the film zeroes in on the mundane details of life in feudal Japan for a low-rent Samurai with two young daughters, a dead wife and a senile mother. This Samurai-as-schnook conception is good just for its novelty value, but there's more to Yamata's film. Twilight, a crack-swordsman-turned-storehouse-laborer, is sucked back into the Samurai life, the violent, hierarchical existence he tried to leave behind. He approaches heroic action with a tentativeness quite out-of-step with the myths of classic Samurai films. Yamata, looking behind the myth, reveals the practical necessities behind heroism - Twilight is just trying to make a life for himself despite his low standing and small income, and violence is his only path.
This is not quite the stuff of legend, unless it's the legend of how feudal Japan stumbled into the era of individualism. Yamata has a questioning nature, and so does his Twilight Samurai. Behind the Samurai code-of-honor Yamata, and Twilight, find hypocrisy - that a man of low rank should be forced into violent duty, into "heroism", despite the clan's indifference to his domestic struggles. For Twilight there's no way out except back in, yet his reluctance serves as an example, his questions, unanswered, point the way to post-feudal modernity.
Yamata has the gift of clarity without simplicity, the ability to get his point across without spelling things out, without resorting to symbolism or movie tricks. The theme is embodied by the character of Twilight, his struggle to live and his reluctance to engage in violence in the name of an out-moded, bankrupt code. If the movie were more emphatic it might be considered iconoclastic, the way it knocks out the under-pinnings of Samurai myth, but Yamata doesn't try to jack you up like that, he's more gentle sage than fiery revisionist. The film's elegiac tone may recall Unforgiven, but its means of expression are far subtler than those of Eastwood, who leans on violence while trying to repudiate it. It's an anti-violence film that really denounces killing, rather than unwittingly glorifying it.
Less Kurosawa than Ozu, the film zeroes in on the mundane details of life in feudal Japan for a low-rent Samurai with two young daughters, a dead wife and a senile mother. This Samurai-as-schnook conception is good just for its novelty value, but there's more to Yamata's film. Twilight, a crack-swordsman-turned-storehouse-laborer, is sucked back into the Samurai life, the violent, hierarchical existence he tried to leave behind. He approaches heroic action with a tentativeness quite out-of-step with the myths of classic Samurai films. Yamata, looking behind the myth, reveals the practical necessities behind heroism - Twilight is just trying to make a life for himself despite his low standing and small income, and violence is his only path.
This is not quite the stuff of legend, unless it's the legend of how feudal Japan stumbled into the era of individualism. Yamata has a questioning nature, and so does his Twilight Samurai. Behind the Samurai code-of-honor Yamata, and Twilight, find hypocrisy - that a man of low rank should be forced into violent duty, into "heroism", despite the clan's indifference to his domestic struggles. For Twilight there's no way out except back in, yet his reluctance serves as an example, his questions, unanswered, point the way to post-feudal modernity.
Yamata has the gift of clarity without simplicity, the ability to get his point across without spelling things out, without resorting to symbolism or movie tricks. The theme is embodied by the character of Twilight, his struggle to live and his reluctance to engage in violence in the name of an out-moded, bankrupt code. If the movie were more emphatic it might be considered iconoclastic, the way it knocks out the under-pinnings of Samurai myth, but Yamata doesn't try to jack you up like that, he's more gentle sage than fiery revisionist. The film's elegiac tone may recall Unforgiven, but its means of expression are far subtler than those of Eastwood, who leans on violence while trying to repudiate it. It's an anti-violence film that really denounces killing, rather than unwittingly glorifying it.
A Masterpiece
claudio_carvalho6 August 2008
In the Nineteenth Century, in Unasaka, Province of Yamagata, in the Feudal Japan, the widow samurai Seibei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada) works in the warehouse of the local Commissioner during the day and handicraftsman building cages in the night to have an income of 50 koku (meaning "a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year"). Seibei raises alone his two daughters, the five year-old Ito (Erina Hashiguchi) and the ten year-old Kayano (Miki Itô) and his senile mother (Reiko Kusamura) in a simple property, and has a debt of 20 koku due to the expensive funeral of his wife, who died of tuberculosis, imposed by her family and can not afford to have another wife. His colleagues in the warehouse pejoratively call him "The Twilight Samurai" to express his life without glory. When Seibei meets Michinojo Iinuma (Mitsuru Fukikoshi), his childhood friend tells him that his sister Tomoe Iinuma (Rie Miyazawa) has just divorced from he brutal husband Toyotarou Kouda (Ren Osugi). Seibei reencounters Tomoe, for whom he has been in love since he was a child, but Tamoe is member of a family of 400 koku and Seibei believes their difference of classes makes their marriage impossible. When Kouda challenges Iinuma to a duel, Seibei accepts to replace his old friend and needs to use his skills of swordsman again.
"Tasogare Seibei" is a masterpiece from the director and writer Yôji Yamada, who is unfortunately unknown for me. I am not sure whether other films of Yôji Yamada have been released on VHS or DVD in Brazil. The humanistic story takes place in the period of the Feudal Japan and discloses a totally different samurai, who has a heart full of love for his daughters and mother. I believe that persons like my daughter that has a deep knowledge on the rich and beautiful history of Japan will appreciate this gem much more than me, since they are aware of the social system and code of honor of this period. Nevertheless I loved this film that exposes the end of an era using many metaphors, and which is in the level of Akira Kurosawa or Yasujiro Ozu production. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "O Samurai do Entardecer" ("The Twilight Samurai")
"Tasogare Seibei" is a masterpiece from the director and writer Yôji Yamada, who is unfortunately unknown for me. I am not sure whether other films of Yôji Yamada have been released on VHS or DVD in Brazil. The humanistic story takes place in the period of the Feudal Japan and discloses a totally different samurai, who has a heart full of love for his daughters and mother. I believe that persons like my daughter that has a deep knowledge on the rich and beautiful history of Japan will appreciate this gem much more than me, since they are aware of the social system and code of honor of this period. Nevertheless I loved this film that exposes the end of an era using many metaphors, and which is in the level of Akira Kurosawa or Yasujiro Ozu production. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "O Samurai do Entardecer" ("The Twilight Samurai")
Nice alternative to the usual Samurai film with modern-day resonance
d-woodford-17 January 2007
A worthwhile and alternative addition to the vast range of Samurai films that have come out of Japan. It is a realistic and touching story of a low-level Samurai in feudal Japan with believable yet non-stereotypical characterisations.
It is slowly but satisfyingly paced with pleasant and effective use of music, sparingly used. The story develops believably with a satisfying ending. Narrated by its five year old character, now an elderly woman, it must resonate with modern day Japan with its recent economic upheavals, job insecurities and family strains - surely intentional by the writer/director.
A worthwhile couple of hours but not a classic
It is slowly but satisfyingly paced with pleasant and effective use of music, sparingly used. The story develops believably with a satisfying ending. Narrated by its five year old character, now an elderly woman, it must resonate with modern day Japan with its recent economic upheavals, job insecurities and family strains - surely intentional by the writer/director.
A worthwhile couple of hours but not a classic
Lyrical masterpiece
golosadis16 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Rarely can films make any influence on our lives and change our attitudes and opinions. We are "bombarded" with mainstream Hollywood production which consists mainly of sequels, prequels and remakes of previous box office successes. It seems that world is full of superheroes who save the world at least twice a week. With some rare exceptions, such as Terrence Mallick (Thin Red Line), Michael Mann (Heat), Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) and Brian De Palma (Carlito's Way) there are no authors in recent US production, who can scratch the surface and go really deep with exploration of human soul. However, in other parts of the world films appear from time to time, that possess such credibility that are able to shake our hearts and minds and force us to reassess our moral values and priorities in life. This is one of such films. What to say after seeing such a masterpiece. An ordinary viewer, used to usual parade of attractions and special effects attacking all his senses (but leaving his soul untouched) is probably in a small shock, after realizing, at the beginning of this film, that director (Yoji Yamada) neither will nor has any intention to indulge viewers with low taste and turn this melancholic and philosophic film into a superficial action-packed soap opera. Instead of superhero warrior, we can see Seibei Iguchi, widower, low-class samurai with even lower income, in a struggle to ensure existence to his two daughters and senile mother. And when his graceful female friend from childhood comes and viewers expect light at the end of a tunnel for Seibei, he rejects her without explanation, although he has strong feelings for her. Actually, he thinks that with his low income he can not offer to her quality of life that she deserves. As film progresses to its end, we realize that he is not a pathetic loser as he might look from the viewpoint of the Westerner but a real hero. Exposed to the twists of fate, finding out that life is not a rose garden, he embraces what destiny brings to him with fatalistic patience (influence of Zen Buddhism is obvious) knowing that there is only one thing that he can not afford to lose: his honour. Led by "starry sky above me and moral law within me" Seibei (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a "larger than life" character, not because he is supernaturally strong, brave or perfect, but because he is not and yet he sets for himself so high standards that few men would be able to achieve. He has his doubts and yet he does what a man has to do. We feel that such people with high moral standards, although rare, do exist among us, even in these modern times when virtue seems to be just a burden, and that fact gives us hope.
Yamada's direction is subtle and brilliant, as well as acting, camera-work and music. Film is full of memorable scenes. Modesty, patience, honour, for many of us have become just meaningless words, unfortunately completely detached from real life. See this film if you want to find out about their real meaning.
Yamada's direction is subtle and brilliant, as well as acting, camera-work and music. Film is full of memorable scenes. Modesty, patience, honour, for many of us have become just meaningless words, unfortunately completely detached from real life. See this film if you want to find out about their real meaning.
By our deeds are we measured
Vartiainen4 January 2017
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.
Sigh...yawn
adrongardner17 January 2005
From the massive praise this film seems to command, I have to say this was a snoozer. While its only a bit over two hours, three and a half hours of Seven Samurai positively flies by comparison. Twilight Samurai is one of those movies that is so bland one wonders how so many people could rave about it.
Is it a bad movie? Absolutely not. The film is very well acted and has a beautiful score, but I never really got into the story. I never felt much more than this was another movie that has the hero walk home to his kids at the end. Guess what? I didn't like Unforgiven either, but at least that film had some general entertainment rolled in. The windowed father/hero is about as cliché as it gets, I was surprised they just didn't go all the way and ask Mel Gibson to play the part. He has that widowed father/hero part on monopoly.
Twilight Samurai would have made a good book, but its just a white bread bland movie. It seems more like a PBS mini-series that has been horribly chopped from 6 hours to 2. The narration of the daughter is redundant and unnecessary. It seems the film was supposed to be told from her perspective, however so little of the little plot revolves around the girls or their view point that the voice-over seems quite unwelcome and out of place. This story has been told before, it's been done and in better ways. That jump from the dad coming home to the funeral block with the daughter and flowers is quaint, neat, and quite abrupt. They were in a hurry to get it over with, but by the end I can't blame them, I was falling asleep.
I am a follower of everything Kurosawa so I am aware of things that may be considered "Japanese," things that may not translate visually or story wise well to westerners. I also do not compare this movie as high as some of Kurosawa's best, but even to lesser movies, Twilight Samurai isn't up to snuff. Despite the good performances, this one was a flat bore. Pass.
Is it a bad movie? Absolutely not. The film is very well acted and has a beautiful score, but I never really got into the story. I never felt much more than this was another movie that has the hero walk home to his kids at the end. Guess what? I didn't like Unforgiven either, but at least that film had some general entertainment rolled in. The windowed father/hero is about as cliché as it gets, I was surprised they just didn't go all the way and ask Mel Gibson to play the part. He has that widowed father/hero part on monopoly.
Twilight Samurai would have made a good book, but its just a white bread bland movie. It seems more like a PBS mini-series that has been horribly chopped from 6 hours to 2. The narration of the daughter is redundant and unnecessary. It seems the film was supposed to be told from her perspective, however so little of the little plot revolves around the girls or their view point that the voice-over seems quite unwelcome and out of place. This story has been told before, it's been done and in better ways. That jump from the dad coming home to the funeral block with the daughter and flowers is quaint, neat, and quite abrupt. They were in a hurry to get it over with, but by the end I can't blame them, I was falling asleep.
I am a follower of everything Kurosawa so I am aware of things that may be considered "Japanese," things that may not translate visually or story wise well to westerners. I also do not compare this movie as high as some of Kurosawa's best, but even to lesser movies, Twilight Samurai isn't up to snuff. Despite the good performances, this one was a flat bore. Pass.
Sanada's Brilliant Performance
artist_signal7 June 2004
Hiroyuki Sanada (Western audiences may recognize him from his recent turn as Ujio from The Last Samurai, 2003), carries this film with his masterful acting, making the portrayal of "Tasogarei Seibei" (a.k.a. a samurai jokingly called "Twilight" by his colleagues), a poignant and memorable portrayal of a true hero.
Sanada plays Seibei Iguchi, a poor, 50-koku ranked samurai who has to support his two daughters and a senile mother, due to the passing away of his wife. The structure and plot turns of the story are simple, but fascinating to watch unfold, and it is perhaps the simplicity and novelistic grace of the narrative that makes the film so remarkable. Seibei works as a scribe with his fellow samurai, and always has to rush home after work to attend to his duties as a father. He lets hygieine slowly slide into second priority (resulting in rather unkempt clothes and socks), but in general, he doesn't seem to care: his two daughters he treasures above all other things. When a woman named Tomoe, a childhood friend that Seibei was particularly fond of, suddenly re-appers into his life, Seibei makes certain decisions that he ultimately ends up regretting later. The rest of the story is full of very interesting plot develoments, playing with the audience's expectations (especially with the relationship between Tomoe and Seiebi), and although the film is not a traditional samurai film in that it does not have alot of action scenes, the composition of the tale, and its "storytelling" invocation (one of the daughters narrates) is good enough to keep you watching.
Hiroyuki Sanada playing Seibei is really a marvel to watch; he adds a very sensible depth and modesty to the character, and infuses it with some understated comic acting as well. At the end of the film, after the climatic final battle, Sanada is able to make the character of Seibei resonate with a very unconventional but nonetheless strong and beautiful heroism. Sanada is really a very talented thespian, and in this film, you may get to sample the sheer range of his great technique. For the world-class acting work he did in this film, he won a Japanese Academy Award, and the film also got noticed by the Oscars (nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, 2004). If there's a chance your able to catch this film in a local theatre (usually, it plays at Landmark) do so, you won't regret it. You'll be able to watch an excellent story unfold, and also see some of the finest acting in world cinema today.
Sanada plays Seibei Iguchi, a poor, 50-koku ranked samurai who has to support his two daughters and a senile mother, due to the passing away of his wife. The structure and plot turns of the story are simple, but fascinating to watch unfold, and it is perhaps the simplicity and novelistic grace of the narrative that makes the film so remarkable. Seibei works as a scribe with his fellow samurai, and always has to rush home after work to attend to his duties as a father. He lets hygieine slowly slide into second priority (resulting in rather unkempt clothes and socks), but in general, he doesn't seem to care: his two daughters he treasures above all other things. When a woman named Tomoe, a childhood friend that Seibei was particularly fond of, suddenly re-appers into his life, Seibei makes certain decisions that he ultimately ends up regretting later. The rest of the story is full of very interesting plot develoments, playing with the audience's expectations (especially with the relationship between Tomoe and Seiebi), and although the film is not a traditional samurai film in that it does not have alot of action scenes, the composition of the tale, and its "storytelling" invocation (one of the daughters narrates) is good enough to keep you watching.
Hiroyuki Sanada playing Seibei is really a marvel to watch; he adds a very sensible depth and modesty to the character, and infuses it with some understated comic acting as well. At the end of the film, after the climatic final battle, Sanada is able to make the character of Seibei resonate with a very unconventional but nonetheless strong and beautiful heroism. Sanada is really a very talented thespian, and in this film, you may get to sample the sheer range of his great technique. For the world-class acting work he did in this film, he won a Japanese Academy Award, and the film also got noticed by the Oscars (nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, 2004). If there's a chance your able to catch this film in a local theatre (usually, it plays at Landmark) do so, you won't regret it. You'll be able to watch an excellent story unfold, and also see some of the finest acting in world cinema today.
By your leave, I'll write....
Cinema_Fan31 May 2006
The Twilight Samurai: Warrior; Worker; Widower; Father:
This "Way of the Warrior", this Samurai, is different, a clan-retainer and Samurai of the lower rank. Working hard, too hard, both in his professional and personal capacities, Squire Seibei Iguchi struggles to maintain the standard of living befitted to the Samurai. In debt and in conflict with his peers, Seibei Iguchi finds comfort and warmth in his deep devotion for the simple life of farming his land, fatherhood and the love of his two young daughters.
Cruelly nicknamed "twilight" because of his reluctance to join fellow workers at the local saké house, he joins his family, not to wallow in self-pity, but to be the contented, proud and lucky father that he knows himself to be.
Directed and screen-played, from the late Shuuhei Fujisawa novel, by the then seventy-one year old Yôji Yamada. His work here is of majestic beauty, beauty as in the sense of self-worth, and that nothing else matters, except the heart and the home that it resides in.
This suburb movie reflects the extreme hardships of the single parent and the repercussions that it can deliver, such as the loneliness of bringing up a family in 19th Century Japan. Trying also, ones best to retain ones own pride and self-respect with the constant struggle with the malicious Leaders and seemingly prejudiced villagers that one has to cohabit along side. Yôji Yamada, here, has made the connection between the life of the lonely family man and the human need to reach out and feel for the necessity for companionship, once more. Done with a wondrously timeless and seamless feel, a pace that has you also connecting with poor Seibei, and his family, we are invited into his home, to join them, to have a clear and concise insight of a very much-loved husband, son and father and his unfortunate predicament.
The Twilight Samurai contains a visual splendour; the work of Mutsuo Naganuma won him the Award of the Japanese Academy for Best Cinematography in 2003. It really is no surprise, for The Twilight Samurai is a beauty to behold, with the green rolling landscapes to the majestic and proud snow tipped mountains and hills, this is a land of vast magnificence, beauty and vigour, with its panoramic backdrops, to the perspective views of deep focus, this cinematography is both extremely rewarding and colourful. To perpetuate this image of both natural grandeur and story telling through its directorship, is a partnership that has delivered one of the most stunningly picturesque and sentimental accounts of early Japanese cultural society.
Along side Mutsuo Naganuma's splendid work, The Twilight Samurai has also had to accept numerous other rewards, besides from Awards of the Japanese Academy, such as Best Actor, Actress, Direction, Editing, Film, Music Score and Screenplay, Sound, Supporting Actor then Best New Comer of the Year (for Min Tanaka). Nominated too, for Best Foreign Language Film: Japan, at the 2004 Academy Awards. The Awards do not stop here, for The Twilight Samurai has a universal appeal, winning the hearts and minds of counties such as Germany, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Italy, Spain, and the USA and with several Japanese trophies well and truly giving The Twilight Samurai the respect it deserves.
The Twilight Samurai is a marvellous story of love lost and love needed, and love found, the story telling of a great man who has nothing, who lives the simple life, but has the love of his daughters, mother and his childhood friend Tomoe. With these magical ingredients, along with an interestingly precarious and threatening sub-plot, there was never a richer and happier man than the Twilight Samurai.
The Twilight Samurai: Respect Him; Befriend Him; Envy Him; Watch Him.
This "Way of the Warrior", this Samurai, is different, a clan-retainer and Samurai of the lower rank. Working hard, too hard, both in his professional and personal capacities, Squire Seibei Iguchi struggles to maintain the standard of living befitted to the Samurai. In debt and in conflict with his peers, Seibei Iguchi finds comfort and warmth in his deep devotion for the simple life of farming his land, fatherhood and the love of his two young daughters.
Cruelly nicknamed "twilight" because of his reluctance to join fellow workers at the local saké house, he joins his family, not to wallow in self-pity, but to be the contented, proud and lucky father that he knows himself to be.
Directed and screen-played, from the late Shuuhei Fujisawa novel, by the then seventy-one year old Yôji Yamada. His work here is of majestic beauty, beauty as in the sense of self-worth, and that nothing else matters, except the heart and the home that it resides in.
This suburb movie reflects the extreme hardships of the single parent and the repercussions that it can deliver, such as the loneliness of bringing up a family in 19th Century Japan. Trying also, ones best to retain ones own pride and self-respect with the constant struggle with the malicious Leaders and seemingly prejudiced villagers that one has to cohabit along side. Yôji Yamada, here, has made the connection between the life of the lonely family man and the human need to reach out and feel for the necessity for companionship, once more. Done with a wondrously timeless and seamless feel, a pace that has you also connecting with poor Seibei, and his family, we are invited into his home, to join them, to have a clear and concise insight of a very much-loved husband, son and father and his unfortunate predicament.
The Twilight Samurai contains a visual splendour; the work of Mutsuo Naganuma won him the Award of the Japanese Academy for Best Cinematography in 2003. It really is no surprise, for The Twilight Samurai is a beauty to behold, with the green rolling landscapes to the majestic and proud snow tipped mountains and hills, this is a land of vast magnificence, beauty and vigour, with its panoramic backdrops, to the perspective views of deep focus, this cinematography is both extremely rewarding and colourful. To perpetuate this image of both natural grandeur and story telling through its directorship, is a partnership that has delivered one of the most stunningly picturesque and sentimental accounts of early Japanese cultural society.
Along side Mutsuo Naganuma's splendid work, The Twilight Samurai has also had to accept numerous other rewards, besides from Awards of the Japanese Academy, such as Best Actor, Actress, Direction, Editing, Film, Music Score and Screenplay, Sound, Supporting Actor then Best New Comer of the Year (for Min Tanaka). Nominated too, for Best Foreign Language Film: Japan, at the 2004 Academy Awards. The Awards do not stop here, for The Twilight Samurai has a universal appeal, winning the hearts and minds of counties such as Germany, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Italy, Spain, and the USA and with several Japanese trophies well and truly giving The Twilight Samurai the respect it deserves.
The Twilight Samurai is a marvellous story of love lost and love needed, and love found, the story telling of a great man who has nothing, who lives the simple life, but has the love of his daughters, mother and his childhood friend Tomoe. With these magical ingredients, along with an interestingly precarious and threatening sub-plot, there was never a richer and happier man than the Twilight Samurai.
The Twilight Samurai: Respect Him; Befriend Him; Envy Him; Watch Him.
One of the best movies I have seen lately
roadrunner2n28 July 2004
Warning: Spoilers
The title says it all...I do not wish to give spoilers here just to write what my sister said when she saw this movie :
"This is something you don't see in a movie"...well this is true: I have never saw something like this before... It's a shame movies like this go so quietly (no advertising for it) and instead we are served a lot of "entertaining" ,very low (below sea level I'd say) in quality terms, Hollywood movies.
My point is proved if you only check the number of reviews made here on IMDb or just check the number of votes given to this movie.
So if you haven't seen this movie yet go buy/rent it you will not be disappointed
"This is something you don't see in a movie"...well this is true: I have never saw something like this before... It's a shame movies like this go so quietly (no advertising for it) and instead we are served a lot of "entertaining" ,very low (below sea level I'd say) in quality terms, Hollywood movies.
My point is proved if you only check the number of reviews made here on IMDb or just check the number of votes given to this movie.
So if you haven't seen this movie yet go buy/rent it you will not be disappointed
Jane Austin - Japanese Style
badmanllp8 May 2004
Slowly building up to what a friend described as a 'High Noon' style climax, this is an astonishing period piece that is both serene and gripping.
Readers of Jane Austin will recognise the society depicted - heirarchical, ruled by family ties, customs and obligations.
The structure, pace and execution of the movie are almost flawless.
If you love film - please go and see this movie. If you make film - please, please go and see this movie and learn something from it!
ps It occurs to me that Twilight Samurai is probably the single best antidote to "Kill Bill" known to man. :-))
Readers of Jane Austin will recognise the society depicted - heirarchical, ruled by family ties, customs and obligations.
The structure, pace and execution of the movie are almost flawless.
If you love film - please go and see this movie. If you make film - please, please go and see this movie and learn something from it!
ps It occurs to me that Twilight Samurai is probably the single best antidote to "Kill Bill" known to man. :-))
Re the flic "Twilight Samurai."
upyerzgwb21 January 2006
My favorite film for the past twelve months. Incredibly engaging performances by the modest lead Hiroyake Sanada, his (in the film) lifelong friend and romantic interest, Rie Miyazawa, his children and the supporting cast. This movie defied all the stereotypes of "samurai" films, portraying the gritty day to day details of staying alive during the tumultuous years composing the decline of Japanese feudalism while explaining the overriding cultural tradition of filial piety and duty engendered by their class ridden society.
Only two sword fights, made all the more powerful by their realism and restraint. As a former student of martial arts my adrenaline was really flowing during the scene where H. Sanada warms up in preparation for his first sword fight in many years. That scene's verisimilitude was quite genuine and powerful in it's depiction of his sudden reversion from being a struggling farmer to the samurai he'd previously been.
I could go on at length, but the previous comments by others quite succinctly captured the essence of the film.
However, I feel compelled to address the spirited portrayal by R. Miyazawa of a pre-feminist woman. Her independence and bravery in repeatedly breaking free of societal strictures was a good foil for H. Sanada's similar behavior. This making all the more poignant their ultimate submission to forces beyond their control.
By the film's end which, thankfully, defied my expectations, I was weeping due to my over-identification with the protagonists. The only discordant note of the whole film was the horrid "kareoke" song played over the final credits.
I'll admit that I'm prone to perhaps be overly taken in by truly three dimensional characters who experience the expected joy and tribulations of life... All I can say is, "Tom Cruise, go suck an egg."
Only two sword fights, made all the more powerful by their realism and restraint. As a former student of martial arts my adrenaline was really flowing during the scene where H. Sanada warms up in preparation for his first sword fight in many years. That scene's verisimilitude was quite genuine and powerful in it's depiction of his sudden reversion from being a struggling farmer to the samurai he'd previously been.
I could go on at length, but the previous comments by others quite succinctly captured the essence of the film.
However, I feel compelled to address the spirited portrayal by R. Miyazawa of a pre-feminist woman. Her independence and bravery in repeatedly breaking free of societal strictures was a good foil for H. Sanada's similar behavior. This making all the more poignant their ultimate submission to forces beyond their control.
By the film's end which, thankfully, defied my expectations, I was weeping due to my over-identification with the protagonists. The only discordant note of the whole film was the horrid "kareoke" song played over the final credits.
I'll admit that I'm prone to perhaps be overly taken in by truly three dimensional characters who experience the expected joy and tribulations of life... All I can say is, "Tom Cruise, go suck an egg."
Another good Japanese movie
geo-546-61692519 June 2013
The film was very good, even though I expected it to be better. It is well directed and I especially liked the protagonist's performance. It's a bold drama piece, focusing on the characters' thoughts and feelings.
What most people expect from a samurai film is bloody fights with katana, but this movie has little action. Thus some may call it boring. Perhaps the second fight scene could be a little more impressive, but the first battle is really nice.
All in all, Twilight Samurai is a nice drama. I highly recommend watching it late in the night, due to its quiet atmosphere and interesting plot.
What most people expect from a samurai film is bloody fights with katana, but this movie has little action. Thus some may call it boring. Perhaps the second fight scene could be a little more impressive, but the first battle is really nice.
All in all, Twilight Samurai is a nice drama. I highly recommend watching it late in the night, due to its quiet atmosphere and interesting plot.
A down-to-earth picture of the struggles of a widowed and poor samurai in late Tokugawa Japan
ptuffley18 October 2006
I think this is a great movie, giving a really human and unglamourized "slice of life" picture of petty-samurai life in Bakumatsu Japan -- rang historically true. As a student of that period of Japanese history, I really revelled in the atmosphere.
Great plot too, weaving a very human story into the historic setting. Down-to-earth touches like one of the kids taking gran to the toilet, or the corpses of starved peasants found in the river, add to the sense of gritty realism. The language of the dialogue was also excellent -- enough dialect and archaism to convey a sense of time and place, without overdoing the archaism, and without making the dialect too impenetrable.
Also it was great to see Miyazawa Rie in action (one of my all-time favourite Japanese actresses from the time I first saw her in TV dramas in the early 1990s. It's wonderful to look at how she has matured through the struggles she has had in her life.
Great plot too, weaving a very human story into the historic setting. Down-to-earth touches like one of the kids taking gran to the toilet, or the corpses of starved peasants found in the river, add to the sense of gritty realism. The language of the dialogue was also excellent -- enough dialect and archaism to convey a sense of time and place, without overdoing the archaism, and without making the dialect too impenetrable.
Also it was great to see Miyazawa Rie in action (one of my all-time favourite Japanese actresses from the time I first saw her in TV dramas in the early 1990s. It's wonderful to look at how she has matured through the struggles she has had in her life.
Well done, touching, film. Not as slow as I was led to believe
livinatthemovies27 July 2006
Having read a few of the reviews I was expecting a long, slow, perhaps even boring, character exposition. But honestly I felt the movie moved right along. There was the emperors visit, the early duel, then the increased involvement of the romantic interest, Tomoe. All leading up to the battle. Overall though I wasn't as carried away as some of the reviewers here. Its a good film but not great. I think they went to far at time's in their effort to make Seibei sympathetic. His initial refusal to fight at the end was silly, no samurai would ever refuse any direct order. But I liked the romantic tension and the realistic samurai fights. A solid 7 especially for those like myself who enjoy these sort of 'end of an era' dramas.
near perfect
LunarPoise13 October 2006
Often when Japanese films are praised as 'slow,' I find it covers a multitude of sins from lack of discipline in the editing room (see After Life), to apparent lack of an editing room altogether (see Eureka). However, in the case of Twilight Samurai, we have a perfectly-paced film exploring the plight of a humanist samurai in the late Edo period. Sanada, a favourite of mine ever since his portrayal of the flawed high-school teacher in the TV drama 'Koko Kyoshi,' gives a career-best performance as the impoverished retainer. One minute he has you laughing as he explains his contentment at being a single father to his uncomprehending uncle, the next you are choking back tears in the marriage proposal scene. The lives of the characters are compelling enough, but there is also the allegorical element of Japan itself about to undergo change from an isolated, warrior nation, to an international leader advocating pacifism. This is a film that works on every level and will not disappoint.
A Subdued Departure from Expectations
cemozdogan15 August 2023
Despite my high expectations, I encountered a film that deviated from what I had envisioned. Technically, it lacked the vivid contrasts I associate with effective color correction. This deficiency in visual dynamics seemed to echo in its narrative, which unfolded with minimal contrast. The absence of notable peaks and valleys left me somewhat unfulfilled, failing to evoke the anticipated emotional resonance.
While I had anticipated a more action-driven samurai film, the movie's focus skewed towards drama. This unexpected shift undoubtedly contributed to my sense of disconnect. The film's somber, introspective tone overshadowed the anticipated vigor of samurai clashes.
Nonetheless, the film is not devoid of merit. Its meticulous attention to historical detail and the internal struggles of its characters added depth. The subdued performances aptly portrayed the quieter dimensions of the samurai's life.
In essence, "The Twilight Samurai" challenges genre expectations. While not the anticipated action spectacle, its subdued approach offers an alternative view of the samurai world. Though it didn't resonate as expected, its unique direction merits consideration beyond its initial impact.
While I had anticipated a more action-driven samurai film, the movie's focus skewed towards drama. This unexpected shift undoubtedly contributed to my sense of disconnect. The film's somber, introspective tone overshadowed the anticipated vigor of samurai clashes.
Nonetheless, the film is not devoid of merit. Its meticulous attention to historical detail and the internal struggles of its characters added depth. The subdued performances aptly portrayed the quieter dimensions of the samurai's life.
In essence, "The Twilight Samurai" challenges genre expectations. While not the anticipated action spectacle, its subdued approach offers an alternative view of the samurai world. Though it didn't resonate as expected, its unique direction merits consideration beyond its initial impact.
Booooooooooooooooo IT SUCKS
Rexxx25 January 2006
OK, i'm a heavy watcher of eastern movies, i.e. The House of the Flying Daggers, but this movie is just lame :/.
I watched it with a bunch of my friends and about every 20 minutes the movie was playing we were like ... let's turn it off and watch something else. But then somebody defended the movie like it would get better soon, it couldn't be that bad for the entire movie ... it WAS.
The story is BS, the cast is imho bad, and the directing is just as boring as the rest of the movie. Don't watch it. Or do watch it. You'll never doubt me the next time.
peace out
I watched it with a bunch of my friends and about every 20 minutes the movie was playing we were like ... let's turn it off and watch something else. But then somebody defended the movie like it would get better soon, it couldn't be that bad for the entire movie ... it WAS.
The story is BS, the cast is imho bad, and the directing is just as boring as the rest of the movie. Don't watch it. Or do watch it. You'll never doubt me the next time.
peace out
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
