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

Flipside of the 47 Ronin

The subtext of this novel, entertaining period film comes from a unique treatment of the famed story of the 47 Ronin (itself the source for history texts, dramas, movies, and plays). Instead of showing the flowering of the Japanese spirit of revenge, HANA YORI MO NAHO takes a more pacifist point of view. In fact, for many of the characters, the main virtue of revenge may lie in its commercial exploitation; for the remainder of the cast - nearly all of them living in a dusty slum on the outskirts of town - revenge breaks apart families, instills instinctual hatred, and only promises generations of promise unrealized.

The screenplay is understated and loosely plotted. relying for the most part on light comedy to given texture to its potentially tragic subject matter. The story of the 47 Ronin has been told too often without offering any background on the common people hidden in the background. Sometimes ignoble, it's the people who rise above the violence who seem to have achieved something great - like the failed samurai who ignores his father's dying request to kill a rival.

The film's visuals are dusty and dirty, but always arresting,helping to make for a realistic but appealing narrative. All in all, HANA YORI MO NAHO is a much needed corrective on an oft- told story.

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