The Twilight Samurai (2002)

As the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart.

Director:

Yôji Yamada

Writers:

Shûhei Fujisawa (novels), Yôji Yamada (screenplay)

Stars:

Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 38 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hiroyuki Sanada	...	Seibei Iguchi
Rie Miyazawa	...	Tomoe Iinuma
Nenji Kobayashi	...	Choubei Kusaka
Ren Osugi	...	Toyotaro Koda (as Ren Ôsugi)
Mitsuru Fukikoshi	...	Michinojo Iinuma
Kanako Fukaura	...	Yae Iinuma
Hiroshi Kanbe	...	Naota
Miki Ito	...	Kayano Iguchi
Erina Hashiguchi	...	Ito Iguchi
Reiko Kusamura	...	Kinu Iguchi
Setsuko Tanaka
Kii Mizuno	...	Tane
Yuuki Natsusaka	...	Gemba Hattori
Astushi Maeda
Tsukasa Sugawara

Storyline

Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai, leads a life without glory as a bureaucrat in the mid-XIX century Japan. A widower, he has charge of two daughters (whom he adores) and a senile mother; he must therefore work in the fields and accept piecework to make ends meet. New prospects seem to open up when Tomoe, his long-time love, divorces a brutal husband. However, even as the Japanese feudal system is unraveling, Seibei remains bound by the code of honour of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedences. The consequences are cruel.

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Plot Keywords:

japan | jidai geki | samurai | katana sword | 19th century | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of Japan for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 76th Academy Awards in 2004.

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Goofs

When Tozaemon (Uncle) come to scold Seibei for being unbathed and smelly, insect cages lying on the floor beside his left arm are on one row. In next shot cages are top of each other in two rows, even Tozaemon neither anybody else touch them.

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Quotes

Seibei Iguchi: I am ashamed to say that over many years of hardship with two daughters, a sick wife and an aged mother, I have lost the desire to wield a sword. A serious fight, the killing of a man, requires animal ferocity and calm disregard for one's own life. I have neither of those within me now. Perhaps in a month... alone with the beasts in the hills I could get them back. But tomorrow, I am afraid, is completely impossible.

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Connections

References Apocalypse Now (1979)

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Soundtracks

Kimerareta Rhythm
Performed by Yosui Inoue

User Reviews

10 out of 10, Yeah it is that awesome.

Twilight Samurai

I don't have a top ten list of all time favorite films but if I did Twilight Samurai would be on it. Nominated for best foreign film the same year that the Hollywood film the last samurai got a few nominations it is impossible not to compare the two. While I enjoyed the Last Samurai and it's message of questioning western cultural imperialism Twilight Samurai is a film on whole different level.

LS is a bloated Hollywood epic that delivers intense battles with huge numbers and a unrealistic unsatisfying bullshit love story. Do we really believe that the woman who lost her husband to Tom Cruise the smelly drunk white would fall in love with him?

Twilight Samurai is the opposite in everyway and in everyway it is a better film that is bound to move to tears the hardest of yall out there. It is the story of a petty samurai who after the long lingering death of his wife finds himself become a devoted father.

When Twilight comes and the other samurai go out to drink, he rushes home to clean the house, tend the field and care for his daughters. He has lost track of his imagine, he smells and all he cares about is what is best for his daughters.

When his childhood crush returns and revolution looms this petty samurai is forced into confronting his status as a samurai. Unlike last samurai the small battle between two samurai's at the end is more emotionally involved that any CGI enhanced battle could ever be. The romance in the film is so sweet, tender and believable that is makes the film special.

This could not be as special as it is without excellent acting, direction and above all writing. Holy crap see this movie.

Details

Official Sites:

Empire Pictures [United States] official site with message board [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

2 November 2002 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Twilight Samurai

Filming Locations:

Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,573, 25 April 2004

Gross USA:

$559,765

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,372,769

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eisei Gekijo, Hakuhodo, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai (Nippan) K.K.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1