SAMURAI FICTION

Episode One

It's a black and white movie and it's a period film made in 98'. I don't think trying to recapture that feeling of old Kurosawa movies was the intention, but in any case, it works. There are patches of color here and there which was an interesting touch. The dialog was at times charming, funny and moving. Plus there were ninjas and samurai. All good things.

Lord Kanzen Inukai is given a precious sword from the shogun but is stolen by the not necessarily evil Kazamatsuri. The lord's son, Heishiro, along with his friends go on a mission to retrieve the sword to save face and retain their honor. On there journey however, he is wounded and his friends are killed by the very man who stole the sword. A swordsman travelling on the same road intervenes and after the confrontation, Heishiro is taken under the care of this Good Samaritan. While in the care of a swordsman, his focus changes from retrieving the sword to revenge. The swordsman tries to talk him out of avenging his friends but becomes involved nonetheless.

The thing about this movie is that it has a nice balance of everything. Nothing is so overdone that it leaves a bad taste. It takes a few humorous stabs at samurai and ninjas but it's all in good fun. The characters are memorable and the movie was well paced. By the end, you're left feeling good about life and the message it leaves about inner peace. And that's something we all need once in a while.

Director: Hiroyuki Nakano
Genre: Comedy Drama
Year: 1998
Rating: 7/8
On DVD at HKFlix