Tasogare Seibei (2002)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Yôji Yamada

Writers:

Shûhei Fujisawa (novels)
Yôji Yamada (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

2 November 2002 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A 19th-century samurai tries to protect a battered wife.

Plot Keywords:

Samurai | Widower | Duel | Sheath | Seppuku

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 37 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Hiroyuki Sanada	...	Seibei Iguchi
Rie Miyazawa	...	Tomoe Iinuma
Nenji Kobayashi	...	Choubei Kusaka
Ren Osugi	...	Toyotarou Kouda
Mitsuru Fukikoshi	...	Michinojo Iinuma
Kanako Fukaura
Hiroshi Kanbe	...	Naota
Miki Itô	...	Kayano Iguchi
Erina Hashiguchi	...	Ito Iguchi
Reiko Kusamura	...	Iguchi's Mother
Setsuko Tanaka
Kii Mizuno
Yuuki Natsusaka
Astushi Maeda
Tsukasa Sugawara

Also Known As:

The Twilight Samurai (UK)

Runtime:

Germany:129 min | USA:129 min | Argentina:129 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:M | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Hakuhodo

Quotes:

Kayano Iguchi: Father, If I learn to do needlework someday I can make kimonos. But what good will book learning ever do me?
Seibei Iguchi: Well, it probably won't ever be as useful as needlework. But you know, book learning gives you the power to think. However the world might chagne, if you have the power to think you'll always survive somehow. That's true for boys and for girls. All right?
Kayano Iguchi: Yes.

Movie Connections:

References Apocalypse Now (1979)

Oh Sweet Samurai!

Twilight Samurai

'Twilight Samurai' is a very sweet film. Sorry, those words, sweet and samurai, may not be used together too much but believe it! With luck, 'The Last Samurai' was just that for Hollywood but please Jollywood bring on more of these.

'Tasogare Seibei' is a story about a low-level Samurai family headed by a widower raising two daughters and his mother who's lapsing into senility. What little action in this film shows how far Seibei (Hiroyuki Sanada) has drifted from his professional prowess. He earns his keep as a scribe and an insect trap maker. When he is called on to defend the honor of his clan, his skill is resurrected although his heart is not in it.

Beautifully filmed and dramatically staged, 'Twilight Samurai' will amuse, dazzle and delight you. Told from the perspective of his daughter reflecting on her life with father, this sentimental tale has the feel of allegory and even novices to this genre will enjoy it. My only criticism is the abrupt ending without a clear resolution. And my lack of Japanese language skills distracted me from this well-acted, set and costumed film.

Just another reason to learn the language.