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Starring
:
Hiroyuki
Sanada
Rie
Miyazawa
Nenji
Kobayashi
Ren
Osugi
Mitsuru
Fukokoshi
Hiroshi
Kanbe
Producer
:
Shigehiro
Nakagawa
Hiroshi
Fukazawa
Ichiro
Yamamoto
Director
:
Yoji
Yamada
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THE
TWILIGHT SAMURAI (2002)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Seibei
Iguchi, cruelly labelled 'Twilight Seibei' by his colleagues
due to his reclusive behaviour, leads a quiet life with his
two daughters and senile mother. Having recently lost his wife
to illness, Seibei finds the balance between working father
and family provider hard to maintain. His debts mount and his
general appearance becomes that of an unkempt beggar rather
than the noble samurai that his fellow workers aspire to.
Though his wealthy uncle tries to marry Seibei off to an
arranged wife, the widower refuses to disgrace the memory of
his wife with such a decision and continues resolutely despite
the harsh financial realties of his life. His life is
drastically altered when his former childhood sweetheart,
Tomoe, returns to town after divorcing her brutish ex-husband
and quickly wins over the affections of Seibei's children.
Tomoe helps to care for Seibei's two daughters while also
tending after his senile mother while he goes out to earn his
meagre wage. Unfortunately Tomoe's ex-husband Koda tracks down
his frightened wife and eibei is forced to protect her from
the ogre. In an ensuing duel, the dishevelled swordsman
surprises everyone by soundly beating his opponent while
upholding his customary dignity. The news of Seibei's
exceptional skills begins to spread and he finds himself a
minor celebrity because of it. Such fame has its price,
though, and Seibei is given an ultimatum when his clan
disintegrates around him.
Nominated
for an Academy Award and sweeping the board at the Japanese
equivalent of 'The Oscars', Yoji Yamada's lyrically, tenderly
woven tale of dignity is a triumph of substance over action.
Yamada has taken the principles of the classic chanbara
narrative and mixed it beautifully with the story by Shuuhei
Fujisawa while also drawing on the style of the Hollywood
Western. Such a blend as been used before, but rarely is an
audience treated to such a confident handling of such
diversely thematic material.
It's
easy to compare the character of Seibei Iguchi to the
archetypal stoic hero of the classic Westerns, keen as he is
no to fight or cause disturbance. However, the
characterisation is far deeper and more involving than such a
simple comparison would indicate. Seibei is primarily a family
man, a proud father who works endlessly to provide for his
beloved daughters while also caring for his elderly mother.
The kind of issues his character is forced to deal with - i.e.
bereavement, providing for his family - are far more resonant
to the 21st century viewer than the standard samurai
stereotype. While Seibei's colleagues look to material things
and ambitions to bring them happiness, the taciturn hero is
focused purely on his family and how he can provide them with
emotional support. It's truly endearing to see such a
character painted with the kind of subtle dignity he richly
deserves.
Yamada
can be applauded for generating an atmosphere of warmth for
the homely hero. The viewer is given ample opportunity to see
Seibei interact with his daughters, therefore helping the
obvious bond between them and the sacrifices the father needs
to make ultimately sympathetic. Although Yamada's direction
does verge on the ponderous in some scenes - especially the
middle section of the narrative - it is nevertheless a key
feature in 'The Twilight Samurai's enviable plaudits. The
casting of Japanese action cinema legend Hiroyuki Sanada is
certainly worthy of mention as he makes Seibei Iguchi a
character that the audience not only believes in, but also can
relate to on some level. With eyes humbly focused on the
ground and his demeanour appearing almost apologetic, Sanada
gives subtle indications of his hidden depths and gentle
nature.
Naturally
Sanada is the star who has perhaps garnered the most attention
for the film, but the supporting players are vital to the
confident nature of the production. Miyazawa is excellent as
Tomoe and scene where she meets Seibei before his closing duel
is a massive credit to both performers. Tomoe comes across as
a loving potential wife for Seibei and Yamada makes this whole
story thread fully engrossing. This subtle romance is the kind
of delicate statement that Eastern cinema does so well - all
Western film-makers should pay attention to how beautifully
this is handled.
'The
Twilight Samurai' is a film that richly deserves the critical
response it has received. Recalling the meticulous control
that Kurosawa displayed in his accomplished work, Yamada
creates a work that will appeal to a number of people who may
not have usually been attracted to the genre. True, the pacing
does miss a step in certain sections of the film and the final
voice-over may seem slightly unnecessary, but this is a
production that has been made with much care and attention.
The result is a 21st century samurai film that is mature while
never lauding its superiority over the audience. With a
welcome lack of pretension but a refreshing inclusion of
humanity, 'The Twilight Samurai' is highly recommended.
Rating:
 
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