Semishigure

Bunshiro, a young samurai finds himself on the wrong side of clan politics when his father is accused of plotting against the clan and forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide). He and his mother find themselves evicted from their home and forced to live in a hovel. But Bunshiro is a talented swordsman and after a time he is reinstated and becomes a magistrate, filling the same job as his father. As he tours the countryside he discovers the political maneuvering which led to his fathers death is still widespread, and his childhood love who is now one of the lord's concubines has become an unwilling pawn. She has given birth to a boy and a rival faction has decided to kill the boy and blame Bunshiro.

Based on a story by Shuhei Fujisawa, who also wrote the stories "Twilight Samurai" and "Hidden Blade", Semi Shigure is a personal and intimate portrait of the life of a lowly ranked samurai. For fans of the genre, it's a must see.

Mitsuo Kurotsuchi's tender love story, "The Samurai I Loved" is a beautifully shot and crafted gem of a film. Rather than streams of words, Kurotsuchi gives us nuanced emotion conveyed through few words, the actors' eyes, and supported by superb camera work and a soft color palette.

Closeups of natural scenes and ever present healing water become metaphors for the deep emotions in the film. Kurotsuchi pays a high compliment to his audience by not using easy gimmicks to get his message across. A master of subtlety, he draws in his audience through the camera lens allowing viewers to feel and intuit the emotions and thoughts of his characters which swirl just below the surface.

Applause to The Egyptian Cinemateque in Los Angeles for screening this sensitive film of feudal Japan. It deserves to be released on DVD.