The Twilight Samurai
The title and setting of this film might suggest a two hour helping of superhuman swordplay, cheesy bravado-laden dialogue and blood-soaked violence; if that’s the only kind of samurai film that floats your boat you might as well stop reading now. The Twilight Samurai is a remarkably touching and tender take on the life of the samurai during the twilight years of their culture during the middle of the 1800s from veteran director Yoji Yamada.
Seibei is a low-ranking samurai who has recently been widowed and devotes all of his free time to his two young daughters and senile mother. As a result of this, he earns the nickname of the film’s title at the hands of his friends, who are all disapproving of his lack of ambition or desire to remarry. The daily struggles of Seibei’s life are played out in a time of great social and political upheaval, and more far-reaching events encroach on his relatively uneventful life.
Having not seen any of Yamada’s extensive back catalogue I had little idea of what to expect from this film; as with the more commercial effort The Last Samurai that also deals with the turbulent times that precede the Meiji Restoration, it portrays a significant period of Japan’s history through the eyes of the samurai and those close to them. Fortunately little historical knowledge is required to appreciate the drama portrayed here since it is a very human and personal account, and a very authentic-looking one at that.
You can really get a feel for how life was like for ordinary people during these times: hungry people look hungry, dirty locations look dirty and war-weary warriors look and behave war-weary. The central character is a humble, honest and hard-working man whose policy of putting his family first in the face of his work as a junior samurai is tested time and time again and conflicting duties force him to defend his honour on several occasions. There are only two fighting scenes in the entire movie but they are choreographed in a realistic way that is fitting for the film’s overall style and serve to highlight the nature of the characters and situations.
Seibei is a warrior but is more comfortable with tending to his crops and raising his children, a way of life that is a constant bone of contention for his fellow samurai who are a dying breed trying to find a place in changing world; similarly his daughters’ desire for schooling is a sign of new ideas that are still frowned upon by their father’s superiors. At the same time there is a romantic story arc between Seibei and his childhood friend Tomoe, which complicates and enriches his life (and the film’s story) further. During its duration The Twilight Samurai succeeds in portraying historical events, everyday drama and hearfelt romance in one thoughtfully written piece that seems to have received considerably less recognition than it deserves.
In Summary
Emotional, dramatic with striking period authenticity, The Twilight Samurai is impressive both visually and thematically. The perfectly paced storyline, excellent acting and atmospheric photography make this film an outstanding piece of historical drama.
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