Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This movie is based on Jiro Asada's novel. This was the first samural novel for Asada, and it was also turned into a TV drama in 2002. The movie won the Japanese Academy Award of 2004.The story is about period leading up to Meiji reform in Japan. Japan was split into two faction. One side was supporting the Shogunate, and the other the Emperor. The story is told by Hajime Saito (Hiroshi Sato) who found a picture of Kanichiro Yoshimura (Kiichi Nakai) at the doctors office. A war partner he fought together during Meiji reform. The doctor was related to Kanichiro in that he married his daughter. Story is told by both the doctor and Hajime about what they know about Kanichiro.Jiro Asada got the idea for writing this novel because his daughter started attending college in Morioka which used to be the territory of Nanbu clan where Kanichiro used to live.The story to me makes no sense at all. Kanichiro thought about his family enough to run away from his lord's clan to find a better paying job outside. Why would someone like that take a suicidal route to be on the losing side to the end despite the fact that Hajime and others told him not to ? I also don't understand why his son decided to join the war as well. He needed to look after the family after his father.To me the story seems to rely on plot Japanese call "Shini ochi" where story ends by the character dying. This is convenient, because it draw pity from the audience, and brings to light the moral perfection of the one who dies.The movie attempts to be like Yoji Yamada's series of samurai movies, but fails because the original story isn't as well formulated as Shuhei Fujisawa's novels, and director didn't do the caliber job as Yoji Yamada. On the defense of director Yojiro Takida who directed this movie, originally this movie was supposed to be directed by Shinji Soumai but due to his sudden demise, Takida was called in to fill his role. This might not have given Takida enough time to get fully prepared.The story makes this movie not as entertaining as it could be. But execution is pretty good, so it's worth watching for its production value.

7/10, ***.5/4Kanichiro Yoshimura (Kiichi Nakai) is a samurai who was forced to betray his clan in order to save his family. His life goes on in a new clan until finally, he crawls back wounded to his first clan, only to be forced to commit hara-kiri before even seeing his family including the daughter he's never seen.The script was a bit confusing. Of course, I saw it with subtitles and I have never been to Japan, but still. Other than that, I liked the script, especially Yoshimura's death monologue at the end, although it dragged a bit.Speaking of dragging, that's my #1 concern with this movie. After the final battle at the end where Yoshimura refuses to back down even against 100's of guns, it gets a bit boring. The monologue is a bit long, and it could have been cut down. Everything else after his death could also have been cut down to a few minutes, instead of the 10 or 20 minutes that it was.The directing was incredible! Yojiro Takita takes the simplest shots and uses them to create a beautiful story! (There was one problem that I noticed: They didn't leave footprints in the snow.) I loved how he framed his shots and used only a few shots to create a scene.The acting was pretty good, although some of it was weak. Nothing that good or that bad. Just average.All in all, a movie you must see!

This is a very good movie with only a few minor flaws. The cast is exceptional, being many of Japans most better working actors today - the finest being Nakai Kiichi who brings a depth of character and sensitivity to his role which transcends any language barrier. The other main role played by Koichi Sato ( the son of one legendary Mikuni Rentaro )who also does an excellent job of drawing the audience into the fabric of story. For any viewer who is not familiar with Japanese history and the transition between the end of the Tokugawa Shogonate and the modern era which was ushered in with the Meiji Restoration, the back story will lose some of its richness. The Shinsengumi and its principle characters, though relatively unknown to the west, stand iconic to the Japanese and so much of the interplay between them and the two principle characters is understated and will slip by the average western viewer. I would recommend reading any of Romulous Hillsbourough's books before watching the movie only because the depth of the film will only be increased by doing so. This is a recommendation though not a prerequisite of course.This movie had a beautiful look and texture with some shots who color tones and composition are as precise as traditional woodblock prints. The sword play is some of the best ( and most realistic ) I have seen in a samurai film with Sakai Masato absolutely brilliant as Okita Soji. The fighting is brutal and bloody, well choreographed and stylish without being stylized. There is still a deadly dance quality to the swordplay, though it maintains its integrity and honesty to form.My only complaint with the movie is that it could use some minor cutting. The acting in Nakai Kiichi final scene is astonishingly beautiful, but it seriously goes on too long and will threaten even the most patient viewer to loose interest.In closing, let me say that this movie goes where the Last Samurai should have gone - straight to the heart and soul of a samurai.

This picture was nice and refreshing. I'm always searching for a samurai movie with a budget, that wasn't shot with a digital camera (like all of the t.v. dramas) and that has nice swordplay. I found one. Like most Japanese movies, an American viewer tends to think they must be watching the director's cut but it's definitely worth the watch. I'm not sure who (or even if) I'm supposed to be rooting for. The Shinsengumi is mostly romanticized in Japan but this picture shows them doing what they did. House raids, executions, etc. all in the name of the shogun. If you enjoyed the type of movie that The Last Samurai aspired (and in some instances was successful) to be, then I recommend this movie to you.