Kakušiken: Oni to cume
Directed by:
Yōji YamadaCinematography:
長沼六男Composer:
Isao TomitaCast:
Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Tomoko Tabata, 倍賞千恵子, Ken Ogata, Nenji Kobayashi, 田中泯, Reiko Takashima, Toshiki Ayata (more)Plots(1)
Munezo Katagiri (Masatoshi Nagase), an honest and low ranking samurai is trapped in a state of personal and professional imbalance. Secretly in love with his family’s maid, Kie (Tomoko Tabata), Munezo begins an uneasy courtship with her, knowing that a relationship is impossible. Raised to respect traditions from the past and the demanding moral code of the samurai, circumstances have now forced Munezo to look to the future. Required to master western military strategies, particularly the art of artillery, Munezo is ordered to find and kill Yaichiro, a former friend, samurai, and brilliant swordsman. Munezo knows that he cannot beat Yaichiro with fire power alone, so he enlists the help of his old teacher, Kansai Toda, a master swordsman who entrusts Munezo with the secret and power of The Hidden Blade. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (1)
A slower and artistically crafted look at the vanishing samurai community during the reforms and modernization in the second half of the 19th century in the Japanese empire. Yamada avoids the usual mythology surrounding samurais and their art of wielding a sword. Thus, viewers expecting fierce battles and dozens of villains slain by the hero's weapon will be disappointed, as the director instead offers a tragically resonant duel, portrayed realistically. It is more of an ideological conflict between characters that characterize Japanese society of their time. Firearms are clearly infiltrating the weaponry of Japanese units, and despite the conservative resistance of feudal elites, it is clear that the era of samurais is coming to an end. I was slightly bothered by the nature of the main protagonist, who, with his naivety and honesty, somewhat resembled Lemonade Joe. His conversation with the province administrator revealed the boundary where principles turn into impractical foolishness. Overall impression: 65%. With a faster pace and "more European" acting, it would have gotten a stronger 4 stars.
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