Hana no ato

Viewed at Namba Parks Cinema in Osaka, Japan.

It's a rarity when I'm given the opportunity to write the first IMDb review of a recent theatrically released film. Such is the case here as I was vacationing in Japan and decided to take in a movie. Since I don't speak Japanese, I based my selection off of the poster art alone. "Hana No Ato" (aka "After the Flowers") was the film that looked most worthy of consideration, so I gave it a shot and it turned out to be a thrilling period piece.

The storyline, from what I gather, concerns a woman (named Ito) who trains in swordfighting with her father. Ito at one point challenges a samurai acquaintance to a friendly, competitive duel involving bamboo sticks which ignites an attraction between the two. Subsequent to this event, a few conflicts involving honor and justice are introduced that drive the rest of the proceedings.

The most apparent observation regarding "Hana No Ato" is that it feels very similar to Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy – "Twilight Samurai" (2002), "The Hidden Blade" (2004), and "Love and Honor" (2006). So much so, in fact, that I was actually surprised to find out that Yamada did not direct this. The similarities, however, are no coincidence. The screenplay was adapted by a short story written by the late Shuhei Fujisawa, whose writings were the basis for Yamada's trilogy. "Hana No Ato" has a comparable focus on character/conflict development to effectively build anticipation for a final confrontation.

The storyline is a familiar premise, but the execution is so strong that it will almost surely impress fans of this genre. There is one training duel and one swordfight, both of which are excellent as they employ realism and proficient choreography. Acting is restrained with emotion expressed through slight mannerisms, and Keiko Kitagawa is entirely convincing as the lead. The cinematography and capturing of natural environments are also fantastic.

It's important to note that I was definitely not in the mood for this type of film when I sat down to watch it, yet it captivated me nonetheless. I plan to purchase it on DVD as soon as it's available.

Hana no Ato takes on the form of a story told by Ito in her advanced age to her grand children about episode she had when she was a young woman.

Ito (Keiko Kitagawa) is a young girl who is betrothed to Saisuke ( Masahiro Komoto). She's also a master swordsman who no one could beat. Magoshiro (Shuntaro Miyao) is head swordsman at a Haga kendo school. Just the other day, Ito challenged the students at Haga kendo school and defeated everyone there. Magoshiro was not present at the time, but he meets Ito at a cherry blossom festival in the castle. Upon meeting her, he requests to have a match with her. Ito eagerly accepts his request. Few days later Magoshiro comes to Ito's house for the match. They fight at the inner yard. Magoshiro bests Ito, and Ito is smitten by Magoshito's attitude of not treating her as a mere girl. From there Ito falls in love, but Ito is already engaged to Saisuke. Also Magoshiro is of low stature within the clan. Ito is from an upper class family, and they don't match. Few month later Magoshiro is forced to commit seppuku due to treachery of Kageiyu Fujii (Kamejiro Ichikawa). Ito learns about the truth behind Magoshiro's death from Saisuke, and decides to avenge his death by challenging Kageiyu to a duel.

The story is based on a short novel by Shuhei Fujisawa. Fujisawa has few other excellent samurai sagas such as Hisshiken Torisashi, Bushi no Ichibun, and Kakushiken Oni no Tsume all of which became excellent samurai movies. His signature style is mixture of human drama with unusual skills each of the main character possesses. The story in this movie is no exception.

Hana no ato is an excellent drama and is recommended for viewing along with other movies based on Fujisawa's novels.