This film moves at the slow pace of its central character Seibei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada, THE LAST SAMURAI), whose co-workers refer to him as Twilight, because he never goes out with them and comes to work unwashed and with torn clothing. He is a sad widower who is raising two daughters and taking care of his senile mother. As the title suggests, this is not a modern tale, but it still echoes the loneliness of modern workaholic Japan.
Seibei's daughter Ito (Erina Hashiguchi, film debut) narrates the film. She tells us that her father has learned that his friend’s sister Tomoe (Rie Miyazawa, BASARA - THE PRINCESS GOH) is divorcing her abusive husband. They were friends as children and seem to have had a crush on each other. Why Seibei doesn’t act on his feelings is typical, but has a profound twist that the people who know him wouldn't expect. What no one really knows is that Seibei has trained as a samurai. Though he is the lowest rank, he is still quite skilled. In the end, Seibei is blackmailed into confronting renegade samurai Yogo (Min Tanaka), who has already killed one samurai who was sent after him.
The tale is a character piece and a romance. The story is simple, but develops unique truths along the way. Once Seibei must go off to fight, the film doesn't turn the story off and focus on swordplay. It uses the first two-thirds of the film to develop the characters and then changes the setting to bring new depth to Seibei toward the end. The performances are wonderful. Sanada is perfect as the dutiful servant who works hard for his family, but doesn't expect any joy for himself. That's why the tenderness of Miyazawa's performance touches the audience so strongly, because we believe that he and her deserve better. The cinematography is beautiful with its muted colors. There is a sad tone to the film, but that doesn’t stop it from being ironically humorous at times and even iconic in some of the fight scenes.
Director Yoji Yamada is a legend in Japan, but little known in the States. He is best known for his TORA-SAN film series, which spans 48 installments over 26 years. His mastery of pacing and tone is perfect. He hits the right note at all times. I loved the artistic and unexpected conclusion between Seibei and Yogo. It reminded me a lot of Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando in APOCALYPSE NOW. It’s a beautiful film that should not be missed.
Buy "The Twilight Samurai" on DVD Here!
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
