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The Twilight Samurai Director: Yôji Yamada Number of Items: 1 Format: Color, Closed-captioned Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Studio: Empire Pictures Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2004-12-28 Buy from Amazon

From Amazon.com Slow-paced and subtle in presentation, The Twilight Samurai captures a side of the famed samurai that is rarely seen. Set in a northeastern province (Shonai) of late nineteenth century Japan, the film tells the story of Seibei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada)--a low-ranking, debt-ridden samurai who, after losing his wife to consumption, struggles to care for his two young daughters and senile mother. Emphasizing the conflicts between duty and family, and love and class rank, director Yoji Yamada has created a film that is deeply engaging on several levels: a classic tale of honor, love, and courage. Winner of 12 Japanese Film Academy Awards, as well as an Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, The Twilight Samurailives up to its billing. But don’t expect an action-packed, samurai-fighting film, or you will be sadly disappointed (there are only two modest fight scenes). --Joel Berman

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.5 "A Rarity: A Genuine Modern Masterpiece" This film is seamless. It flows perfectly, reveling in the details of characters' lives, as well as in the details of 19th century Japan. "Twilight Samurai" is both gorgeous to look at and wonderful to experience. It draws the viewer in, making her/him well acquainted with the characters, with their motivations. It is almost impossible not empathize with the main character, "Twilight" Seibei, which is what his coworkers call him because they feel he is strange and no fun. He won't go out and drink with them, though they ask him each evening. He instead rushes home to his daughters, whom he loves dearly, and his aging mother, who often does not know her own son. "Twilight" struggles with the vagaries of everyday existence, attempting to make ends meet by engaging in piecework. As a result he has time for little else, including personal maintenance. He is often unbathed, and smells funny as a result. His friends poke fun at him, though we, the viewers, quickly realize what an absolutley loving and honorable man "Twilight" really is. When "Twilight," who happens to be a petty samurai, is ordered to fight another samurai to the death, our familiarity and affection for the characters comes into full blosom. We do not want "Twilight" to die any more than he wants to fight. He hides the fact that he is a gifted and skilled fighter (though out of practice), for he loves his daughters dearly and wishes to avoid challenges to duel. He would rather live simply and tend to his land. Those looking for "Lone Wolf and Cub" style sword-wielding mayhem will likely here be disappointed. The two duels in this film are brief and realistic. The climatic fight scene is one of the most realistic samurai duels I've seen in any film. Neither of the characters are killing machines; they are both real men full of emotion, and neither wants to die. This film is amazingly good, and the director knew that simplicity is best. Watching Seibei interacting with his daughters, discussing Confucious with his eldest daughter, and revealing his true feelings to his childhood fried Tomoe is heartwarming. Five stars all the way--watching this film is truly a rewarding experience. "A "Samurai" In The "Twilight" Of His Years" Yoji Yamada's "The Twilight Samurai" is a different kind of samurai movie. Samurai films as I'm sure all fo you know are the equivalent of westerns in American cinema. When we keep this in mind we can then compare this film to such westerns as "3:10 to Yuma" or "High Noon". In all three films deal with violence in a different way then is expected in the genre. But perhaps I'm jumping ahead of myself. "The Twilight Samurai" is about Seibei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada) a low ranking samurai who has two children a sick mother and is in debt due to his wife's death. Some people look down upon him other feel sorry for him. He has no time for himself. He must run home after work and take care of his family while others make fun of him behind his back either because they don't understand his responsibilities or they don't care. That is how he has earned the nickname "twilight" from his co-workers because if his refusal to go out for a drink with them after work. As the movie progresses Seibei finds out his childhood friend Tomoe (Rie Miyazawa) has divorced her abusive husband after her brother arranged her marriage. Seibei thinks perhaps now he may be able to win her heart. But I don't want to give too much away. "The Twilight Samurai" has said before takes a different approach to this material than one might expect. The movie does though carry many of the traditional traits. It is about a man's struggle within himself. It is about tradition. And it's "showdown" scene I found spellbinding. Here the movie takes a different approach. The movie is not about their swordfight but is more about the people who fight. "The Twilight Samurai" earned much praise from critics including Roger Ebert, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune. It also went on to receive 12 Japanese Academy Award nomination. Here is a very special movie that I hope future viewers will enjoy has much as I did. Bottom-line: A powerful, thoughful film that takes a very different and dramatic approach to its material. This is the kind of movie that has a long lasting power. "Astonishingly good" Reviews here did not make this film sound interesting, but I never argue with 4.5 stars and, so, gave it a try. Simple descriptions of what this movie is about simply do not do it justice. I was blown away by this incredibly intimate and emotionally-driven story. Iguchi is a widowed man who loves his two young daughters (both incredibly adorable) and his ailing mother (who rarely remembers who he is). He is stretched to the bone trying to support them all on the most meager of wages. He risks his well-being and his honor to provide for them. He is a disgraced member of society, but he doesn't care. He doesn't seek recognition or increased social status; all he cares about is his daughters. Yoji Yamada's screenplay is a beautiful one which explains itself slowly, instead of the Hollywood mode of hitting you over the head so that you can't possibly miss the point being made. For example, early in the film, we see Iguchi working in the garden after coming home from work. We assume that's what he likes doing, like many of us do, but we find out later in the film that he must grow and sell his crops to supplement his wages and stay afloat. There are dozens more examples like this that you need to discover for yourself. Watching this film a second time would yield whole new meaning for dozens of scenes. I am just shocked at how good this film is, especially since I had zero expectations. This is now my favorite samurai film after Seven Samurai. It is a slow piece, very unlike typical Samurai films, but a real treat if you have the patience for it. It is, without a doubt, a very special movie. If you're a fan of Japanese cinema (new or old) or just great filmmaking in general, I highly recommend giving this terrific film a viewing. One quick comment about the DVD: English subtitles are burned into the picture, meaning that they can't be turned off or changed. Perhaps another publisher like Criterion will eventually give this great film the treatment that it deserves. "pretty good...." a somewhat glossed-over bummer narrated ending in a way ruins the whole finish of the movie, but the rest of it was very well done. "it's really cool.....da way they act, da way they fight" actually i really like this movie it's cool ya ain't gonna regret it..........go 4 it 'n' buy it....it ain't a waste of money................