La servante et le samouraï

Munezo is a samurai who serves closely with friends and peers Samon and Yaichiro. When Yaichiro goes far overseas to serve for the clan, Munezo is left with Samon, who becomes closer as he marries Munezo's sister Shino, leaving him at home with his aged mother and maid Kie. The years go by and when his mother dies, Munezo struggles with his studies of new Western weaponry and battle techniques and misses Kie – who has long since married into a merchant family befitting someone of her caste. A man of tradition and respect – Munezo is forced to act against inherited wisdom and practice when he learns of Kie's mistreatment and also of the dishonourable imprisonment of Yaichiro.

Some have warned caution of this film to those expecting an action film and they are right to do so, but to me the opposite applied. Screened late at night on BBC4, I recorded this film thinking it sounded interesting but could easily be a very dry film full of its own importance and depth, delivered with long shots for the sake of, stilted dialogue and every single bit of it screaming "restrained!" like the audience is an idiot. Suffice to say, I have been hurt before when it comes to such films! I needn't have worried though because The Hidden Blade manages to be about the restrained traditions of feudal Japan without making the telling or the film be dry and withdrawn into itself. Nor does the film labour the point in the way some similar works have, indeed it does give the audience food for thought in regards the pros/cons of both tradition and progress – neither of which is an entirely good or bad thing but has bits of both. To me this made it more worthy of my respect and interest but what made it so engaging was the amount of ground it covered. I am surprised to read that some found this film "boring" because to me the narrative is surprisingly packed with threads that cover friendship, relationships, loyalty and tradition across many aspects – all of which work really well. OK, I will give you that the final ten minutes could have been done with a bit more certainty but even this was only a minor thing because mostly there is plenty to watch. What surprised me most about it was that it did also have a good vein of humour running through it, my favourite moment of which was the men trying to catch a chicken with a basket – great little throwaway gag.

The script is the starting point for it as it builds conflicted characters with as much attention to them as to the world they inhabit. The visual construction of the film matches this as it feels very much in the period and I was quite surprised to find it was made as recently as it was because of how of its time it felt. The cast come good mostly even though I didn't think anyone really nailed it or dominated proceedings. Nagase is a strong actor with almost what the character needs in terms of expression and inner thought processes. He was not quite as distinctive as I would have liked the odd time but mostly he is a firm lead. Matsu overplays the "sweet little maid" role just a tad but the script is strong enough to make it work regardless and she does come over as charming and a character we care deeply for. The supporting cast around these are mostly good with turns from Ozawa (not given enough time though), Ogata, Yoshioka and Tabata among others.

The Hidden Blade may not be what you think it is going to be but, whether you assume it is action-packed or dry as a bone, it doesn't matter because the film performs really well at what it sets out to do. The plot builds the world and characters really vividly, providing thoughts on progress and tradition while also laying out both in terms of the relationships, positions and lifestyles of the main characters. It has humour, sadness and intelligence all delivered with professional direction and atmospheric design and cinematography. It is well worth seeing and rewarding with only a little patience required.

Prestigious recounting marked by evocative production design , unflinching plot , intense drama and fatalistic atmosphere . It is an incredibly detailed vision in its own right . Yôji Yamada masterful retelling of Samurai films transports the tale to XIX Japan and the world of Samurai . It stars a19th Century samurai , held in low esteem due to an action by his late father who committed suicide by seppuku . Well set , as it takes place during the time of change of the mid-19th Century ; as it is set in the fictional Unasaka domain . It resembles the real area of Yamagata prefecture which is in the Northern part of Japan , there Yaichiro (Yukiyoshi Ozawa ) is said goodbye by his fellow samurai Friends Munezô ( Katagiri Masatoshi Nagase) and Samon Shimada (Hidetaka Yoshioka) , as he leaves their clan on the northwest coast of Japan to take a fundamental rank within the shogunate in far away Edo . Munezo has lived modestly with his mummy and sister Shino after his dad was forced into suicide after being caught in a failed political intrigue as well as the failure of a bridge Project . Meanwhile , Kie (Takako Matsu) , a farm girl serves them as a maid at their home . As time passes, Munezo's sister marries Samon, his mother passes away , Kie is married into a merchant family, and he is required to learn use western weapons from an official sent from Edo. Learning that Kie is ill due to mistreating and abuse , Munezo rescues her . But Munezo is a bachelor man and is really criticized for her serving at his home , then Munezo sends her back to her father's farm. Shortly after , an official called Yaichiro falling in disgrace and imprisoned in solitary confinement . Later on , Yaichiro breaks out , Munezo is assigned an unfortunate mission : to kill Yaichiro , as he seeks the help of his old teacher , the sword master Kansai Toda. Swordsman Toda now teaches him a new technique to use , as Munezo prepares to take on Yaichiro who has taken hostages .

The impressive flick blends moving drama , violent fights , emotion , a love story and results to be pretty entertaining , as well as thought provoking, and in which a Samurai must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend .Dealing with thoughtful themes as impossiblity marriage due to different castes , fidelity , Modern Times with use of methods of warfare such as the utilization of artillery and firearms and mutual affection and respect among people . The film confirmed Yôji Yamada's greatest strength and his innovative handling of the popular Samurai genre and this interesting story was created by the novelist Shuhei Fujisawa . The movie title comes from a Samurai master , an expert swordsman who entrusted the secret of the "Hidden Blade" to starring Munezô Katagiri/Nagase . It is incredibly detailed vision in its own right , as the Deep impact of the action and combats on this provoking Samurai film , whose main representation was ¨Seven samurai¨ by Akira Kurosawa , it opened the floodgates for the huge numbers of samurai films that made fortunes for their producers in the sixties and early seventies . Dramatically staged sword-plays occur on and off throughout the plot . Enough budgeted production , with appropriate setting , lots of mood , and sad atmosphere . Masatoshi Nagase gives an extraordinary acting as the upright lord who receives a difficult mission , as he is ordered to prove his innocence from complicity by killing his old friend . It contains stunning fight scenes , fine performances, adequate sets , exciting drama in which all of the fire , ambition, and doom of the Samurai films come brilliantly to life .

The motion picture was well directed by Yôji Yamada , though slow-moving . He is a good craftsman who in 1969 launched the popular "Tora-san" series, the world's longest theatrical film series. "The Twilight Samurai" (2002) marks his 77th film as well as his 41th year as a director since his first film in 1961: Nikai no Tanin (Stranger Upstairs). This movie is the second installment to director Yôji Yamada Samurai trilogy. 'The Twilight Samurai' being the first, 'Love and honor' being the third.

While this movie is set in a samurai period, it's definitely not all sword fights and battle. In fact, there is little to none (sorry all you samurai-anime fans!). But if you would like to get a very good insight into the ideals of Japanese romance and love, I recommend this. It may move slow for people who aren't too in to romance in general, but both men and women can enjoy the relationship that unfolds between the two main characters, with the political sub-plot and climatic fight scene blending in perfectly, and not overrunning the love story. I would also like to add that while younger audiences can enjoy this movie, the fight scene is a bit gory...

I've always enjoyed Asian movies as they seem to deal with emotional issues far better than we do in the West. This film is a great illustration of this, set in 19th Century Japan centring on a samurai called Katagiri with a strand of tales which cover restricted love, friendship, honour and killing.

Duty and culture are the main issues for Katagari as he battles with them whilst they forbid him to live a happier life. The film though never treats these issues heavily but rather takes you on a journey for the viewer to understand the world they live in before making a rounded judgement. The beautiful rural setting for this film adds to the atmosphere, whilst the acting is understated but delightful befitting the reticent culture the main characters live within.

Regardless of the title, there is actually no real battling at all until the end, and even then it is carefully controlled so as not to make this appeal to fans of sword fighting movies. If anything, the battle is only there as a side on to the rest of the movie whose themes are far more important.

Overall, I would recommend this to everyone it is beautiful, interesting and a diversion from the usual fair we all watch on film and TV. You are unlikely to watch many other films as beautifully done as this one all year.

A story set in the mid 1800s, during the final days of the Shoguns and the Samurais, Hidden Blade is an authentically Japanese film, appropriately spliced with intelligent comic reliefs, with a controlled release of dramatic, humanly, sword fights. With tight sequences and brilliant character development, the film progresses at a balanced pace, keeping the viewer attentive and concerned. A presentation of Samurai culture and Japanese political and social structure, Hidden Blade is yet another masterpiece by director Yoji Yamada, that is both entertaining and insightful.