The Twilight Samurai

A melodramatic martial arts movie? Pull the other one. As unlikely as it sounds, that's precisely what the skilled Japanese director Yoji Yamada has fashioned with the beguiling Twilight Samurai. Loosely based around the acclaimed novels of Shuhei Fujisaw, Twilight Samurai tells the story of Seibei (Hiroyuki Sanada), a samurai warrior in 19th century Japanese society. After his wife dies, it is up to the hapless Seibei to look after his mother and his two young daughters. Things seem to be looking up for our boy when an old flame, Tomoe (Rie Miyazawa), runs away from her abusive husband and ends up back in the village. Soon she and Seibei begin a tentative relationship. Things don't stay sweetness and light for very long, as Tomroe's rather boorish husband comes looking for her, and challenges Seibei to a duel for the hand of his missus. When that doesn't quite go according to the script, Seibei finds himself back in favour with the samurai top dogs, but does he still want to follow the life of a warrior?

You might recognise Hiroyuki Sanada from the recent Tom Cruise vehicle, The Last Samurai, but he's a different class here, unshackled by the conventions of a Hollywood slice of myth building. Aside from the strength of the performances, it's the little touches which really stand out about Twilight Samurai. Yamada's not afraid of adding a bit of spice to the film with some beautifully choreographed fighting, but where the picture really soars is with the almost shy exploration of the relationship between Tomroe and Seibei, something which gives the film a telling maturity and grace.