The Twilight Samurai -Samurai der Dämmerung (Blu-ray)

This is a great movie, well desserving five stars. This story of a poor samurai, Seibei Iguchi, who struggles valiantly to take care of his sick wife, senile mother and two little daughters (and one devoted although not very clean servant), is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Because he doesn't laugh (or speak for that matter) a lot and never has time (or money) to drink with his fellow samurai, Iguchi earns finally the nick name "Twilight Samurai". A simple, calm, honest and gentle man, Iguchi never was very ambitious - he has however much more steel (and talent) in him than anybody expects... As you will see in the movie, the fate will accumulate more and more hardships on his way, until one day he finally has the possibility to greatly improve his material situation and his standing in the clan... but for a price which he is not ready to pay. No more details here. As it is strongly hinted at the very beginning of this movie, to understand it fully, we should consider some of the teachings by Confucius. There are two confucianisms - the original one, created by Confucius in V century BC and the official one (greatly stressing the obligation of blind obedience to the superiors), which was developped by court appointed officials under the emperor Han Wudi in II century BC. Here the original teachings are the main point of the movie. Confucius insisted a lot on the acceptance of one's situation and of his place in the society and encouraged to obey and respect the superiors - but on another hand he also called every person to cultivate the virtue, and precised that the higher is one's station in life, the greater should be his virtue. Obedience to superiors and personal virtue HAVE to collide occasionally and in this movie they do... even very much so. Confucius knew better than to try to give a ready procedure how to solve those conflicts - instead he recommanded a lot of common sense, patience and reflexion. He knew that there is no good solution in such a situation, but one can limit the damage... the best he can. And this problem is precisely described in this movie. And it is described with a breathtaking perfection! This is a long and slow movie, so if you lack patience, you will not like it. If you like martial arts displays, you will be disappointed too, because even if there are some (not much), this is REALLY not the point of this movie. However if you like great cinema and especially if you like great Japanese cinema, this is what you need to see! At least one of the female reviewers claimed that this is the kind of man, that every man should be, an example to everybody... but I believe she somehow missed one moment in the movie, during the conversation between Iguchi and Zenemon Yogo (this is the most important moment in the movie - do NOT miss it!). During this conversation, and especially at the end, you will see, that Iguchi is not as kind, simple and innocent you would believe... there is a part of the snake in this angel and there is some Dark Side in his Force... You will see it by yourself. I loved this movie very much and I recommend it with all my heart.

Utterly lovely film. Delightful cinematography, nice pace and story. Enjoyed every minute. Its not a classic like some Kurosawa films but a thoroughly enjoyable film.

Something of a modern classic. Hiroyuki Sanada is always good value for money. Don't hesitate to add it to your collection.

This is a lovely film - the telling of a simple story in a beautiful, well paced way. It's not an action film by any means. Whilst there are two 'action sequences' (although not in the Hollywood manner of things) they are perfectly placed in the context of the story of the male leads life - that of a simple samurai 'accountant' in the clan, trying to bring up his beloved daughters following the death of his wife. Taken for what it is (and not what you might expect) I can thoroughly recommend this movie.

Let me first say that this is a really great film perhaps only slightly spoiled by the ending. If the ending was as good at that for say 'The insider (the best ending ever in my opinion)'. I think a lot of stuff has been written by people about the beauty of Japanese poverty and about Japanese simplicity / nobility / restraint etc..I think that this commentary is a a little overdone. These things are not presented in the film in an abstract way; the simplicity and poverty is due to the unlucky life that Seibei (the main protagonist) has had with his sick wife etc.. and following on from this his low rank in the clan (which is why he is poorly paid). He's a single father really struggling to make ends meet doing the job of both parents and this holds back his career and keeps him in poverty. He's in the situation despite being a very handy swordsman; an illustration that the time of the Katana is over. In the midst of all this the film shows you the change that are occurring; there's a funny scene where soldiers are trying to get to grips with gunpowder; there's a poignant moment where Seibei's daughter is studying the Classics (Confucius) which at that time only boys were supposed to do. Seibei tells his daughter to read on because it will help her learn how to think; if she learns to do that she will always be ok whatever happens. There's the moment at the end when the erstwhile loyal captain of the guard Zenemon Yogo refuses to commit ritual suicide when he was ordered to by his clan, so goes rogue. Change, change, change. The funny thing is that Seibei; a man who has had to make do with ill luck , who saw his childhood sweetheart marry someone else because he wasn't well off enough; a man who when all his own dreams have been shattered sees a light in his children. This man gets an opportunity to make his dreams comes true by benefiting from this change. The building tension in the film is due to the growing realisation of both Seibei and you the viewer of this fact. The film toys with your emotions in this regard; Things are looking up for Seibei!! No, actually they're not. Yes they are!!! etc..etc.. Ultimately the film isn't about the big things (that films are generally always about, including The Insdier). It's about the fact that being s poor single father is ultimatley more heroic than being a famous swordsman. It's about how a person can deal with the real problems that life throws at you, and that dealing with them with grace and dignity may lead to joys and rewards long despaired of. Like many others, I've seen it more than once. I own a copy having bought it after I had watched a rented copy. I can't say that I do that for many films

I have to say i am a new convert to films with subtitles. I stumbled on this film a while ago when it was on TV & struggled to find a copy. Now i have one i am really pleased to watch this film again. Not only is the scenary stunning but the acting is fantastic. i am stunned at how good this film actually is. The story line is so simple & unasuming that you just cant help but be drawn in to this lavish peice of film. In short i love this film & i think it's a story i could sit through again & again. I'm not a massive movie fan. I'm more a book reader so it's rare i rave about films....but if you have a love for beautiful visuals & stories without world saving explosions then give this film a go. I doubt you'll be dissappointed. Thanx for reading my review. Have a good day

Not a bad film, quite a good representation of the plight of samurai in the latter days of the Shogunate era. The story is alright and the acting perfectly acceptable, but really it's all a little bit slow and ponderous, not a great deal happens. Definitely lacking a certain something.

A beautifully filmed story of loyalty, love and honour as displayed by a down-at-heel widowed samurai, Seibei, struggling to make a living as a clerk with two children and a senile mother to take care of. He is mocked by his work colleagues for never joining them in their evening revelries preferring, instead, to devote his time to caring for his family. He becomes involved in a duel to protect a friend who has been insulted by the abusive and drunken ex-husband of the friend's sister, with whom Seibei is developing a close relationship. Through this brief encounter, Seibei is shown to be a skilful swordsman. This leads to his being called upon by his clan to defend their honour by confronting and fighting to the death another samurai who is also acknowledged as a skilled swordsman, but who has refused to commit suicide when ordered to do so by his master. Seibei, as a modest self-effacing man with an overriding concern for his family has no wish to become involved but is given no choice. The film illustrates the rigid structure of Japanese society of the time and the way in which authority is unquestioned. Had the same story been filmed in Hollywood the fight scenes would undoubtedly have been more violent and acrobatic and the love story more passionate and graphic. However, the handling of the story here is very sensitive and low-key. A wonderful film which I will undoubtedly watch over and over again.

Ho comprato questo film dopo che ne ebbi sentito parlare molto bene ed ero oltremodo curioso di saggiare questo atipico spaccato di vita di un samurai; devo ammettere che il film è sorprendentemente bello, tocca tematiche importanti nella vita di ogni sacrosanto essere umano degno di questo nome in maniera impeccabile ed oltremodo toccante! Il film non mostra quasi mai le tipiche scene votate ai duelli all'arma bianca che ci si aspetterebbe in ogni buon film di Samurai , ciononostante quello che trasmette è una profondità dei sentimenti, dell'onore e di tutte le qualità più buone e pure intrinseche in ogni buona persona! Un film triste ma tremandamente poetico, suggestivo e anche positivo, che mette in risalto i veri valori a discapito dei luoghi comuni e delle ambizioni troppo spesso votate al mero vil denaro! Un vero must a mio avviso per chi come me davvero apprezza la cultura nipponica e la figura del samurai! Consiglio di recuperare anche i restanti 2 capitoli della trilogia di suddetto regista, ovvero The Hidden Blade e Love and Honor, entrambi purtroppo mai sbarcati da noi e disponibili sottotitolati nella sola lingua inglese!

Magnifique film, peu de combat mais un scénario magnifique.une interprétation magistrale.je recommande ce film aux amateurs. la vision du Japon et de ses mœurs peu avant l'ère Meiji est excellente.

This Japanese Period drama, set in about 1865, 3 years before the Meiji Restoration, is among the best of its genre to be produced. Yoji Yamada wanted to make a period piece that was realistic, and not a "super hero" samurai story where 20 swordsmen are killed in 1 minute by a single non-scratched foe (especially the Japanese TV period dramas and Kurosawa to some extent). It follows the life of a lower level, 50 koku (30 to live on) accountant samurai in what is now Yamagata Prefecture, beginning with the death of his wife from tuberculosis ("consumption"). We learn later that he had to sell his katana (long sword) to pay for the funeral to meet clan standards, so he was a samurai who had sold the basis for his samurai life (the katana is the soul of the warrior). Heavily in debt, he is carried along by situations of his own and others' making, until he is forced into a conflict he wished to avoid. In some ways, he is the type of hero that you find in Eastwood's "Unforgiven." The story is slow but steady, and Sanada makes the character of Seibei one that a modern person can easily relate; someone caught inescapably in the rat race of his time. The DVD is OK with two interviews, one with Yamada and one with Sanada and 3 trailers (2 for other movies), but the subtitles are burned into the film. They are also only in English. This is unfortunate because the actors deliver Japanese that is understandable (compared with a Toshiro Mifune delivery-"Aba yo"), and you have to try to ignore the subtitles to concentrate on the Japanese. (I find myself even reading subtitles for an English movie.) I would be happier if the subtitles could be turned off. Even with the shortcomings of the DVD, this is a 5-star film.

山田洋次の時代劇初監督作品。 徹底したリアリティを突き詰めながらも良質な時代劇エンターテイメントの作品である。 その要因は、映画創りに一切手抜きがないこと。 例を挙げればキャスティング。 主演は真田広之、宮沢りえ、果たし合いの相手に田中泯。このような主要キャストは当然ながら、ナレーターに岸恵子（最後にちょっと顔を出すが）を贅沢に使う。そして脇役から子役まですべての役柄に、その役に合った俳優が慎重に検討されているのが判る。 下級武士の貧しい生活、幕末を控えた世相、当時の風習など時代考証が徹底され、リアリティのある時代劇でありながら、ドラマとして清兵衛と朋江の恋模様、田中泯との真剣勝負の果たし合いなど、エンターテイメントとしての要素が匠に織り込まれている。 音楽は冨田勲、歌は井上陽水。と、ここまで拘って作れば傑作になるのも当然か。 新しい時代劇の一面を見せる素晴らしい作品。

Zur DVD: Da ich den Film bereits 2006 gekauft habe, bin ich mit dieser neuen Edition sehr zufrieden. Wer sich über mangelnde Bildqualität oder wenige Extras ärgert, sollte bedenken, dass dieser Film bereits über 10 Jahre alt ist und mit einem viel kleineren Budget gedreht wurde, als sämtliche Hollywoodstreifen zu jener Zeit. Vielleicht sollte man sich auch einfach auf das wesentliche konzentrieren, die Inhalte und das Schauspiel der Darsteller. Die deutsche Synchronisation wirkt auf mich immer noch fehl am Platz, ist jedoch schon wesentlich besser, als der schreckliche deutsche Trailer es vermuten lässt. (Ein Fehler der Synchronisation ist übrigens, dass in der Szene am Fluss "China" erwähnt wird, wo es natürlich "Japan" heißen sollte.) Wer atmosphärisch ganz in den Film einsteigen möchte, sollte sich ihn auf jeden Fall nochmal auf Japanisch mit Untertiteln ansehen. Zum Film: The Twilight Samurai spielt Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts in der "Bakumatsu"-Zeit (Ende des Bakufu) im Nordosten Japans. In dieser Übergangszeit findet der Wechsel von der Shôgunats/Bakufu-Regierung zur Regierungsepoche des späteren Meijikaisers statt. Generell eine sehr unruhige und durch viele Veränderungen geprägte Zeit, spiegeln sich in "The Twilight Samurai" diese Veränderungen im Leben des niedrigeren Samurai Seibei Iguchi wieder. Als Samurai, dem Ehre und Ruhmestaten eigentlich viel weniger bedeuten als Familie und eine gute Ernte, wird er von anderen eher belächelt. Das ändert sich, als er eines Tages eher ungewollt in ein Duell gerät und sich hervorragend schlägt. Doch dadurch gerät er tiefer in die Wirren der Zeit hinein und steht letztlich in der Pflicht, einem unbesiegbar geltenden Gegner gegenüber zu treten. Doch wer nun auf einen Samurai-Film im Martial-Arts Stil oder ein episches Monument wie Last Samurai hofft, der wird auf etwas ganz anderes stoßen. Auf eine ganz ruhige, beinah alltäglich scheinende Weise erschließen sich einem die Eigenheiten japanischer Kultur in dieser Epoche und die Charaktere schaffen es, zu berühren. Besondern der Hauptcharakter Seibei Iguchi und seine kleine Tochter Itô, die einen ganz eigenen Charme besitzen, aber auch die schöne und selbstbewusste Tomoe und der gescheiterten Yogo sind herausragend. Trotzdem würde ich sagen, dass Seibei Iguchi, hier gespielt von Hiroyuki Sanada, der Dreh- und Angelpunkt dieses Filmes ist und sich Stärke der anderen Charaktere immer im Umgang mit ihm zeigt. Der Film lebt durch diese starken, einfühlsamen Charaktere und durch die authentische Darstellung des japanischen Alltags zu jener Zeit. Selbst mein Mann, der historischen Filmen wenig abgewinnen kann, gefiel der Film aufgrund der überzeugenden Darstellung der japanischer Kultur. Für jeden Japan-Liebhaber und auch für geschichtlich interessierte Menschen ist dieser Film eigentlich ein Muss - und ein Genuss!