Genre: Jidai Geki
Origin: Japan
Length: 132 min
Studio(s): Shockiku Co., Ltd.
Director(s): Yoji Yamada
Producer(s): Hiroshi Fukazawa, Ichiro Yamamoto
Action Director(s): n/a
Writer(s): Shuhei Fujisawa (story), Yoji Yamada (script), Yoshitaka Asama (script)
Cinematographer(s): Mutsuo Naganuma
Music: Isao Tomita
Rated: NR - strong violence
Cast:
Masatoshi Nagase ... Munezo Katagiri
Takako Matsu ... Kie
Yukiyoshi Ozawa ... Yaichiro Hazama
Hidetaka Yoshioka ... Samon Shimada
Min Tanaka ... Kansai Toda
Tomoko Tabata ... Shino
Ken Ogata ... Shogen Hori
Nenji Kobayashi ... Ogata
kungfucinema wrote:The Hidden Blade (2004)
AKA: The Samurai's Hidden Sword; Kakushi Ken, Oni no Tsume
Veteran director Yoji Yamada makes his second foray into the the samurai film genre, after Twilight Samurai, with this finely-crafted and beautifully shot period drama that draws together several stories from writer Shuhei Fujisawa. Like its predecessor, The Hidden Blade concerns one man's struggle to reconcile his own feelings with that of the dying, yet still rigid social structure of the samurai era in the mid-19th century. In many ways, The Hidden Blade is less of a follow up or continuation of themes presented in Twilight Samurai and more of a remake where much of the plot is virtually identical. This comes as a minor disappointment, as not only does Yamada fail to explore new areas, but his rehashed plot carries less impact and focus the second time around. That said, The Hidden Blade is still a wonderful film with a tightly woven mix of human drama, humor and suspense where Yamada's fine sense of detail for characterization comes forth.
Yamada, who is no stranger to directing jidai geki, or period dramas, manages to create a vibrant backdrop for the story of how one samurai is forced to weigh friendship against loyalty to his masters and social acceptance against his love for a servant woman. Munezo Katagiri (Masatoshi Nagase) is a modest samurai of low station, who spends his days with fellow samurai training in the use of new Western-style cannons while living in the shadow of his father's death by hari-kari. His one joy in life is the presence of Kie (Takako Matsu), a spirited servant girl being trained in his household. After Munezo sees his friend Yaichiro Hazama (Yukiyoshi Ozawa) off, who leaves his wife behind in search of higher stations in Edo, life turns gray when Kie marries off to a merchant, leaving Munezo alone with an elderly maid and a simple-minded man-servant. When it's discovered three years later, through his sister, that Kie is being mistreated, Munezo storms the merchant's household and carries her away. In his care, Kie soon recovers and sets to the task of caring for Munezo's neglected household. This situation is considered unacceptable by those around the pair and Munezo is forced to act against both their wishes, just as his old friend Yaichiro returns home in bondage and branded a traitor for plotting against the Shogun. When Yaichiro, regarded as the clan's top swordsman, escapes from prison and takes a family hostage, Munezo is ordered to face him in a duel to the death. The hitch is that both men have trained under the same sword master and Yaichiro is regarded as more skilled and has already killed several men, whereas Munezo has yet to test his skills against another man with a real sword, where life and death hang in the balance. His only advantage is in having learned a special technique by their master.
My initial impression of this film was one of disappointment in essentially seeing a very similar variation on Twilight Samurai, but where the love story and the fateful duel seemed even less connected. There is definitely a strong sense that Yamada is working with more than one story, as happens to be the case. He could have very easily split the film into two, especially considering the two-plus-hour running time. By not doing so, it does seem as though something is left out. Munezo's relationship with his friend Yaichiro is underdeveloped as their interaction is very limited. This makes their final encounter somewhat superficial. More time is spent developing his relationship with Kie and this is clearly where the film's central focus lies. Actors Masatoshi Nagase and Takako Matsu make a suitable pair as a couple forced to live a lie in order to uphold their honor to themselves and to the world. Yamada takes us through their ups and downs with a master's touch to leave his audience with a wholly satisfying love story.
As for the action, Yamada pays no more attention to martial heroics than he did with Twilight Samurai. This is not a Sonny Chiba chambara actioner by even the most remote definition. Then again, swordplay is still at the heart of the story, or should I state, at the heart of one of the film's stories. The idea behind the "hidden blade" is something to actually throw off the viewer a tad and doesn't come into play until much later than expected. We're briefly teased with the mention of a hidden technique taught to Munezo and jealously sought after by Yaichiro. But little time is spent developing this story. We end up with a scene where Munezo revisits his old master once he learns that he must face Yaichiro for some additional guidance. This last minute instruction comes into play later when the two friends face each other in the film's climatic duel, while surrounded by gun-wielding infantrymen. What swordplay is present is nicely choreographed, with no particular slant towards being stylized or deconstructed.
Although I was initially put off by the redundant nature of the story, it's hard not to like The Hidden Blade. There is a fair amount of low key humor effortlessly blended with the drama. The characters, particularly Munezo, are easy to warm to through solid acting and direction. Visually and audibly, the film is fantastic. Director of photography Mutsuo Naganuma, whose previous work includes Twilight Samurai and the final Zatoichi film to star Shintaro Katzu, presents an inviting and earthy look that beautifully captures lush scenery and detailed period settings. Of special mention is Isao Tomita's exquisite orchestral score. It's very memorable and majestic, the kind of romantic-styled film music capable of playing well on its own that has been sorely missing from many of Hollywood's recent epics.
It's a bit ironic that Yoji Yamada has emerged after years of directing the long-running Tora-San series of period comedies to become one of Japan's top samurai filmmakers. Of course, action always tends to translate better overseas. But even in Japan, where the local film industry struggles to match Hollywood budgets and the swordplay film has long since ceased to be a trend, one would be hard-pressed to find a more meticulously-crafted and rewarding period drama.
- Mark Pollard
http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/hid ... 090505.htm