Plot: The war between the shogun and the samurai is running on its last legs. Two friends return to their hometown to resume their lives. Three years later, they're called back for one final battle. The samurai are given Western artillery. It's just one of the many ways in which their old live styles and morals are being challenged.
Watches
October 02, 2024
My rewatch of The Twilight Samurai wasn't the biggest success, so I expected The Hidden Blade to have lost some of its shine too. And right I was. It's an extremely old-school take on the samurai genre. It's nice to see a film that focuses more on the mundane and pedestrian parts of their lives, but that isn't enough.
The performances are good, but that's no surprise with Nagase in the lead and Takako Matsu in a strong supportive role. The presentation is rather static and lifeless though, even bordering on cheesy. The film is also too long, but there are still some moments of beauty scattered throughout. Just not enough to make it a great film.
May 15, 2005
[review pending]