Review: Twilight Samurai (*** 1/2)

TWILIGHT SAMURAI
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2


A blend of a Jane Austen comedy of manners with a Shakespearean romantic
tragedy and told with a Kurosawa-like appreciation for cinematic subtleties,
Yoji Yamada's TWILIGHT SAMURAI (TASOGARE SEIBEI) is an exquisite tale of
domestic life in nineteenth century Japan. A movie that might have been
better titled RELUCTANT SAMURAI, it quite rightly swept the Japanese Academy
Awards, winning twelve awards, including all of the major ones (Best
Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress).



Seibei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada), who works as a clerk in a Dickensian
office, isn't able to drink after hours with the guys because of his heavy
family responsibilities. After the death of his wife -- who never let him
forget that she was of a higher station than he, he has been left strapped
with old debts for her treatment. He has two young daughters to raise, as
well as his senile old mother. His coworkers call him the Twilight Samurai
behind his back since he did once train as a Samurai and since he has to
scurry home at twilight rather than partying with them.



Iguchi is advised to take some ugly but sturdy woman for a wife so that she
can take care of his household and bear him more kids. Although his lowly
position may preclude marrying a more beautiful wife, he rejects the advice
to find an ugly one. The one he'd really like to marry is the lovely Tomoe
(Rie Miyazawa), a recently divorced woman who was his childhood friend. His
girls, one of whom narrates the story in flashback as an adult, take an
instant liking to Tomoe when she visits them.



Iguchi is challenged to a swordfight by Tomoe's ex-husband. Having sold his
sword and not wanting to kill anyone, Iguchi tries to solve his predicament
by using a large stick instead, which may make American audiences recall the
awful WALKING TALL. But, there is nothing awful about TWILIGHT SAMURAI. In
Iguchi's stick battle, he wins but hopes that no one will ever find out
because his ambition is to be a farmer, not a fighter. He reasons that "a
whipped dog doesn't bark," so he figures that Tomoe's ex will never say what
happened.



The breath-taking production ends in what appears to be a setup for a HIGH
NOON-like conclusion. Instead, Iguchi ends up just as surprised as the
audience as to what occurs.



TWILIGHT SAMURAI is a romantic and touching film that takes us on a journey
to a land and time where we rarely get to travel. Our voyage is nothing
less than sublime.



TWILIGHT SAMURAI runs 2:09. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles.
It is not rated but would be an R for brief moments of strong violence and
would be acceptable for teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, May 14, 2004. In
the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.



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