(no actual plot specifics are revealed)
I had high hopes for this and was quickly brought down to earth. And interminable movie, made longer by an interminable preamble that did little to enhance anything with the meat of the movie.
Based on a book by Shuhei Fusjisawa, who's Twilight Samurai novel was so masterfully adapted by the talented Yoji Yamada, this is a glorified Harlequin Romance of love interrupted. And interrupted. And interrupted. The whole movie could have been cut by 40 minutes, including some scenes which were repetitive and others that made no sense. Perhaps it was even longer and the editor was at a loss?
Without revealing anything specific, suffice it to say that this chanbara movie builds up to the one big sword fight scene, doesn't even do it justice after all that foreplay, then falls back to more love interrupted. You feel like hurling your dime store romance paperback at the screen.
A few nice camera shots don't make up for endless preamble of furtive glances and halting touches. In fact, I don't think the two lovers touch more than three times their whole lives together. Any allusions to traditional Japanese customs in feudal Japan is bogus, because marriage and divorce was common then, especially in the samurai class.
Skip this and watch Twilight Samurai 2x instead to see how a real movie should be made.
I had high hopes for this and was quickly brought down to earth. And interminable movie, made longer by an interminable preamble that did little to enhance anything with the meat of the movie.
Based on a book by Shuhei Fusjisawa, who's Twilight Samurai novel was so masterfully adapted by the talented Yoji Yamada, this is a glorified Harlequin Romance of love interrupted. And interrupted. And interrupted. The whole movie could have been cut by 40 minutes, including some scenes which were repetitive and others that made no sense. Perhaps it was even longer and the editor was at a loss?
Without revealing anything specific, suffice it to say that this chanbara movie builds up to the one big sword fight scene, doesn't even do it justice after all that foreplay, then falls back to more love interrupted. You feel like hurling your dime store romance paperback at the screen.
A few nice camera shots don't make up for endless preamble of furtive glances and halting touches. In fact, I don't think the two lovers touch more than three times their whole lives together. Any allusions to traditional Japanese customs in feudal Japan is bogus, because marriage and divorce was common then, especially in the samurai class.
Skip this and watch Twilight Samurai 2x instead to see how a real movie should be made.