Hana (2006)

A troubled young samurai seeks revenge for the death of his father.

Director:

Hirokazu Koreeda

Writer:

Hirokazu Koreeda

Stars:

Jun'ichi Okada, Rie Miyazawa, Arata Furuta

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jun'ichi Okada	...	Aoki Souzaemon aka 'Soza'
Rie Miyazawa	...	Osae
Arata Furuta	...	Sadashiro
Jun Kunimura	...	Isekan
Katsuo Nakamura	...	Shigehachi
Tadanobu Asano	...	Jubei Kanazawa
Yoshio Harada	...	Junai Onodera
Teruyuki Kagawa	...	Jirozaemon Hirano
Tomoko Tabata	...	Onobu
Yui Natsukawa	...	Oryo
Renji Ishibashi	...	Shozaburo Aoki
Ryûhei Ueshima	...	Otokichi
Yûichi Kimura	...	Magosaburo
Seiji Chihara	...	Tomekichi
Ryô Kase	...	Sodekichi

Storyline

In 1702, set against the backdrop of a long-delayed and insatiable revenge, a reserved samurai, Aoki Sozaemon, leaves his hometown in Matsumoto to come to bustling Edo in search of his father's killer. Unaccomplished as a swordsman, with his funds quickly drying up, Sozaemon must honour his clan's demand to avenge a disgraceful death, however, when he finally finds his target, he will have to make a difficult decision before a crushing dilemma. Is the way of the samurai stronger than the way of the heart?

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Plot Keywords:

samurai | revenge | 18th century | japan | 

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Taglines:

To Kill or Not to Kill, That is the Question.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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User Reviews

missing the point about real heroism

I think the first reviewer misses the point of Kore-Eda's work. He has an almost documentarian's way of showing human behavior. It's decidedly not theatrical. His characters are flawed, real people. Soza-sensei's abhorrence of violence is not undercut by his fear of being sliced up. He discovers the strength to be a real human being amid what he comes to recognize as counterproductive posturing.

The 47 Ronin subplot is not a distraction. It's a mirror of Soza's choosing life over revenge. Susumu Terajima hits just the right note as the surviving Ronin. If you don't know Japanese history and myth-making, it might seem like a distraction, but it is the point of the whole story, that a slavish devotion to the ideals of Bushido is in conflict with living an authentically human life.

Besides, Rie Miyazawa is a total hoot in the play within a play. It is a pleasant surprise that Kore-Eda can do comedy and still keep it real. I was beginning to think that he was only good at grimness, but I was reminded of the small comic touches in "Nobody Knows" and "Afterlife." I can't remember if there was anything funny in "Mabarosi." I just remember how depressing it was.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [South Korea]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

6 May 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hana: The Tale of a Reluctant Samurai

Filming Locations:

Kyoto, Japan

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$566,097

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shochiku

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1