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27 out of 30 people found the following review useful: A cerebral tale of honour, duty and revenge in a time of change in feudal Japan, 8 January 2006 Author: Joe from United Kingdom
I've always enjoyed Asian movies as they seem to deal with emotional issues far better than we do in the West. This film is a great illustration of this, set in 19th Century Japan centring on a samurai called Katagiri with a strand of tales which cover restricted love, friendship, honour and killing.Duty and culture are the main issues for Katagari as he battles with them whilst they forbid him to live a happier life. The film though never treats these issues heavily but rather takes you on a journey for the viewer to understand the world they live in before making a rounded judgement. The beautiful rural setting for this film adds to the atmosphere, whilst the acting is understated but delightful befitting the reticent culture the main characters live within.Regardless of the title, there is actually no real battling at all until the end, and even then it is carefully controlled so as not to make this appeal to fans of sword fighting movies. If anything, the battle is only there as a side on to the rest of the movie whose themes are far more important.Overall, I would recommend this to everyone it is beautiful, interesting and a diversion from the usual fair we all watch on film and TV. You are unlikely to watch many other films as beautifully done as this one all year.
29 out of 38 people found the following review useful: another masterpiece by director Yoji Yamada, that is both entertaining and insightful, 26 April 2005 Author: torva-anser from Singapore
A story set in the mid 1800s, during the final days of the Shoguns and the Samurais, Hidden Blade is an authentically Japanese film, appropriately spliced with intelligent comic reliefs, with a controlled release of dramatic, humanly, sword fights. With tight sequences and brilliant character development, the film progresses at a balanced pace, keeping the viewer attentive and concerned. A presentation of Samurai culture and Japanese political and social structure, Hidden Blade is yet another masterpiece by director Yoji Yamada, that is both entertaining and insightful.
21 out of 23 people found the following review useful: The real last samurai., 10 May 2007 Author: (winner55) from United States
Fans of the common chambara (swordfigfht) film will be disappointed - this is not an action film. Tartan films is making a mistake by loading its marketing of this film in America with hints that it might be. In fact, this film probably could better distributed by Criterion, since it is the equal of any of the Japanese dramas it handles.This is a real throwback to the grand tradition of Japanese film - Ozu, Kurosawa, Mizoguchi. Flawless cinematography, almost painful care for detail, strong back story, meditative commentary on political history, and a passionate cross-caste romance, much as that captured in the "Samurai" trilogy. Sensitive acting and elegant direction. a romantic soundtrack that never becomes overbearing. Really a film for the ages.This is the film most people should be watching instead of the Tom Cruise farce "The Last Samurai". Indeed, sympathetic viewing of this film will at least make clear why many of us were outraged at the Cruise film - this has all the thoughtful reflection on the social tensions of that era that "The Last Samurai" lacked.A fascinating demonstration that the Japanese well know their own history and need no reminders from Hollywood - and can depict that history with a sweep and vision easily as grand and as beautiful as anything Hollywood can produce.
22 out of 25 people found the following review useful: The tale of a samurai who is reluctant to draw his sword, 15 January 2006 Author: wayward_sage from Palm Desert, CA
I originally went to this film at the Palm Springs International Film Fest expecting lot of samurai action. What I did get was a thoughtful, well directed drama about a samurai who had never drawn his sword and was coming to terms with the changes in his country during the 1800's. The actors do a masterful job, and the main character really makes you feel the conflict in his heart.There is very little swordplay in the film. Pretty much only in one scene toward the end. It plays out in a gut wrenching way for the main character. It took courage to tell the story of a Samurai who is reluctant to fight. The film deals with a very complex moral question: When is it okay to kill? The main character is put in a moral quandary when he's forced to do something that he is morally against. I felt director showed us a part of Japanese life that we're not used to seeing. The every day, domestic details of a honest, good samurai.If you get the chance to see it, please do.
24 out of 30 people found the following review useful: Wonderful return to the themes of Tasogare seibei, 24 February 2005 Author: Jaakko Saari from Finland
I was watching this film in plane while returning from Japan. I noticed there is Yoji Yamadas' latest film showing, so naturally I went off watching it. The film has very beautiful sceneries and the music and atmosphere is really nice. The camera-work is usual style of Yoji Yamada. It hides more than shows. Acting is good, especially Masatoshi Nagase (Stereo Future) acts surprisingly well as a strong minded, modest samurai. I was personally surprised the choice of Takako Matsu. But since she has proved herself in her earlier films such as Shigatsu Monogatari, I knew to expect a good result from her. The plot follows pretty much the same line with Tasogare Seibei and it doesn't offer much surprise. Yet, I rate this movie 9, since it has the wonderful style of Yoji Yamada. It is a great samurai movie, and Masatoshi Nagase fans will not be disappointed.
19 out of 22 people found the following review useful: Japanese idea of love is very touching, 30 July 2005 Author: wisteria_pearl from Japan
While this movie is set in a samurai period, it's definitely not all sword fights and battle. In fact, there is little to none (sorry all you samurai-anime fans!). But if you would like to get a very good insight into the ideals of Japanese romance and love, I recommend this. It may move slow for people who aren't too in to romance in general, but both men and women can enjoy the relationship that unfolds between the two main characters, with the political sub-plot and climatic fight scene blending in perfectly, and not overrunning the love story. I would also like to add that while younger audiences can enjoy this movie, the fight scene is a bit gory...
12 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Yamada Gives Us Another Brilliant Samurai Movie, 7 November 2006 Author: Hal-900 from WA, USA
The title of the movie suggests another action-packed "Crouching Tiger" wannabe, but this could not be farther from the truth. Minus one swordfight near the end of the film, there is hardly any action here. But the slow-burn narrative is a true blessing because it gives the viewer time to understand characters and historical background, which are the most important elements here anyway. The movie examines honor, loyalty and above all, the consequences of violence in feudal Japan. And there is a sort of basic moral logic operating here that you do not see often enough in movies nowadays. I'm not getting into the specifics because I do not want to take the risk of spoiling a few surprises, but I think it is safe to say that director Yamada has somehow managed to create a period piece that has the power to resonate with modern viewers. What you see feels not only authentic, but also relevant to our modern life, a rare accomplishment in a movie of this vintage. If you enjoyed Yamada's profoundly moving "The Twilight Samurai," I'm sure you will love this movie too.
12 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Individuals vs. Society Beautifully Portrayed in the Closing Age of Samurai, 12 July 2006 Author: noralee from Queens, NY
"The Hidden Blade (Kakushi-ken: oni no tsume)" is filmed in a deceptively old-fashioned and leisurely style to make pointed observations of Japanese society, much as "Far From Heaven" did for the U.S. Director/co-writer Yôji Yamada again adapts Shuuhei Fujisawa stories as he did so beautifully in "Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei)". Taking place just a few years before Hollywood's "The Last Samurai", this feels like a rebuke and response to that very Westernized interpretation of some of the same issues of how changes in military technology impacted feudalism and imperialism, as well as visually referencing many classic Japanese samurai films, but from a more individualized point of view then Kurosawa, Kobayashi or InagakiThe first half of the film establishes the complicated domestic life and frustrating work of the struggling samurai (a solid and sympathetic Masatoshi Nagase, channeling Toshirô Mifune). The broadly comic scenes of fumbled rifles and cannon training recall similarities with the "Sharpe" TV series of the just a bit earlier Napoleonic wars. Particularly lovely are household hearth scenes of warmth between generations and between master and servants.But this is not the idyllic village where Tom Cruise sojourned, as darker abuse is revealed and the samurai flaunts rigid social protocols to do right by those he cares for, especially the young maid "Kie" (Takako Matsu channeling the three little maids from "The Mikado" a bit too much). He is slow to reveal emotions or take action (the romance goes beyond Jane Austen in its cross-caste sidling and very slow resolution), suppressing vivid childhood memories we see very briefly in flashbacks in contrast to his voluble friend who rebels, including against traditional suicide.The emphasis throughout the film is on generational conflict, as elders who are to be venerated are constantly shown to be fools or much worse -- old uncles complain about younger people (whose names they can't keep straight) using the new Western weapons, but place a higher priority on eating; a mother-in-law viciously mistreats her daughter-in-law to increase profits; a corrupt senior retainer (the feudal titles do not seem well-translated in the subtitles) lies and manipulates while enjoying geishas and complaining about his prostate problems. But a teacher derided as a "crazy old man" who can still best the young swordsman passes on more useful stealth techniques than the martinet drill sergeant who has inherited the honorific "sensei" with his British guns.While as usual in such films, I simply cannot follow the Byzantine shogun politics even with a superfluous narration, as I've never studied Japanese political history, the second half ironically builds on the iconography of the genre with unusual sights and sounds. Macho conflicts are filmed voyeuristically, with sidling camera angles that indicate a passing from mano a mano duels to the anonymity of modern weapons, and thus justifying the use of the titular vengeance.The exquisite cinematography and sound design create a special environment. With a look of faded epic cinematography like the passing of an age, we see snow falling on parasols, cherry blossoms on the path and rain fall on unrequited love. We hear them too, as the breezes, wind, crickets, birds, rain and the household sounds of tools and crackling fire punctuate long silences and dominate more than the conventionally soaring score that is used judiciously. But a prison and eventual bloody fights in a heavily symbolic fog are not minimalized.The production design is much more elaborate in showing us traditional architecture than most such Japanese films. I'm sure some of the social and historical commentary just goes by a Western audience unfamiliar with particulars, but the themes of individuals caught up in social proscriptions who rebel and seek love, respect, peace and, most of all, control over their lives is universal and very involving.
12 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Not reaching the stupendous height as Twilight Samurai does, but still a splendid film on its own merits, 31 March 2005 Author: Harry T. Yung (harry_tk_yung@yahoo.com) from Hong Kong
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
In May 2003, I posted a rather long report on Twilight Samurai, which was the very first IMDb comment posted on this exquisite film. Earlier this year, when I saw that another film by director Yamada Yoji is among the gala screenings in this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, I was overjoyed. Yet I was realistic enough to recognize that the level of cinematic excellence in Twilight Samurai is almost impossible to repeat, let alone surpass. Having now seen "Hidden Blade, Devil's Claw", I know that I have been proved right. Hidden Blade is no Twilight Samurai. But I was not disappointed. Taken on its own merits, Hidden Blade is a marvelous film. And I must resist the temptation of comparing it with Twilight Samurai which has attained a height that few can scale.Hidden Blade is constructed on the same two themes as in Twilight Samurai: a tender love story and the perils of being a samurai. In Hidden Blade, samurai Munezo (Masatoshi Nagase) has been in love with household maid Kie (Takako Matsu), maybe without being conscious of it himself, when she is married off according to custom to someone belonging to her own lowly caste. When the family she married to proves to be abusive, he brings her back to continue serving as his maid. The other story line involves a fellow swordsmanship student, who is even better than Munezo, becomes an escaped convict. Being a low-ranking samurai, albeit a good one, Munezo has no choice, when ordered by the clan, but to risk his life in trying to kill his former pal. I have simplified the synopsis considerably but I think it suffices to illustrate the similarity of the plot between Hidden Blade and Twilight Samurai.Dashingly handsome Nagase does not have the depth of Sanada, nor teenage idol Matsu the indescribable charm and poise of Miyazawa. But here, I sinned on comparing again. Both Nagase and Matsu do splendidly in Hidden Blade, moving the audience with their simple sincerity. Although at times tending to be melodramatic, Hidden Blade has all the ingredients to make watching it a joyous experience: script, score, photography. It even has some pretty funny scenes which, depending on how you look at it, could be seen as highly entertaining or somewhat disjointing. And yes, there is a happy ending which looks almost like something coming out of Hollywood.A word on the title, "Hidden Blade, Devil's Claw". Faced with the frightful challenge of the duel with his former pal, Munezo goes back to their teacher who gives him more guidance, as well as instructions on his deadly "hidden blade, devil's claw" technique which he has hitherto not taught either of them before. When Munezo finally wins the duel, his opponent, in his dying breath, asks if his has been defeated by the "hidden blade, devil's claw". To the audience's surprise, the answer is negative. But don't worry. We do eventually get to see the devil's claw in action and I, for one, find it quite satisfying. This little bit of suspense and mystery, which is also the title of the movie, adds considerable pleasure to watching this movie.In a recent interview, director Yamada Yoji intimated that his samurai films are very different from those from Kurosawa. He talks about the Shochiku (the dominating Japanese movie company in the 50's and 60's) tradition of depicting family life, which is reflected in "Hidden Blade". Kurosawa's samurai films (e.g. Yojimbo), he pointed out, never touched upon the family. On the same subject, he also made an interesting observation that the tatami never appears in Kurosawa's films but makes extremely frequent appearance in Ozu's.
16 out of 21 people found the following review useful: A Nutshell Review: The Hidden Blade, 16 April 2005 Author: DICK STEEL from Singapore
The Hidden Blade The Hidden Blade refers to a dreaded samurai sword skill, which you will see only towards the end of the film. Folks, who like me initially thought that this is one of the usual samurai slugfest, may be disappointed that it's not. But like mentioned in the movie, killing is only a last resort, and even samurais themselves are fearful of death in duels.But hey, don't jump the gun (pun not intended) just yet. This film has a story to tell, and a poignant one at that. Simply put, it tells of a story about a small town samurai whose village is caught in the transition period of Japan's modernization and introduction of western arms (guns and cannons) and fighting tactics. While struggling to understand the rapid changes taking place in the nation, he has to deal with relationships of the heart with his family's maid, whom he adores but afraid to own up to, and the dilemma of being ordered into a duel with one of this long time friends, whom has gone off the right track.This film explores many themes, one of which is the samurai code of honour, where committing suicide via disembowelment (hara-kiri) is widely accepted as a practice of maintaining that honour. We also see the bastardization of this honour, of corruption, which brings to mind George Orwell's Animal Farm, where some animals are created more equal than others. The protagonist samurai Munezo often put his head on the line while maintaining that code, even when all else around (including his superiors) put pressure on him into making compromises. How many of us will rigidly uphold our values and principles when faced with adversity? Or will we bow to that pressure and be apologetic for it? We are also shown the caste system in feudal Japan, which proved to be a stumbling block between the relationship of Munezo and his family maid Kie. The village clan frowned upon and gossips about Munezo's rescue of Kie from her abusive marriage. While the motive may seem justifiable, we all know Munezo's real reason - that he loves her and cannot bear to see her being abused, and ultimately losing her life. Both know that with the caste system, they can never be together. Or can they? The caste system doesn't only apply to relationships of the heart. Even within samurais, this system applies. Munezo is a small samurai in a small village, and is given little respect by samurais belonging to larger clans and cities. Think of it like the army, where foot soldiers have to "Yes Sir" every officer's instructions - even when it means given the order to kill an old friend who has gone fugitive. Munezo again struggles with this, but knows that as long as he's a samurai, orders are to be obeyed.Change and modernization is central to the story. And in this film, there are numerous hilarious moments as the samurais in training as a modern army come to grips with strange rituals like foot drills, the handling of modern weaponry, and even the way they run. It's something like Tom Cruise's Last Samurai, only that the training's more comical here, and subtly highlights the dangers losing of one's cultural values when the world moves rapidly in change.And finally, for those really waiting for a slugfest, there are 2 fight scenes in the entire movie. One is when Munezo seeks his old master for new guidance, and is being taught a new skill / trick. The other is when Munezo meets his longtime friend for a final showdown. Do not expect "wuxia" styled swordfights. Think Star Wars: A New Hope, the duel between Darth Vader and Obi-wan Kenobi. The duel happens with measured strokes and strategy, rather than fast paced action everyone's used to these days.But again, the emphasis here is not on violence. It's a simple tale with powerful themes, and you will applaud when The Hidden Blade is finally used, justly.
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