(no subject)
Kakushi Ken Oni No Tsume / The Hidden Blade
Yamada Yoji
2004
I don't have much to say about this one other than how interesting it is when compared to something like The Last Samurai (Edward Zwick, 2003). Both films deal with the decline of the samurai class and fundamental change in Japanese society around the time of the Meiji Restoration. The latter deals primarily with a very direct glorification of the samurai "ethos" and in turn the glorification of violence in the name of idealism. The Hidden Blade deals with the issue more subtly and in the end provides a more complete experience. Yamada Yoji's pacing is fairly slow and he spends much of the film dealing with issues only tangentially related to the ultimate climax of the film. Even though many of the characters remain fairly one-dimensional, they seem more genuine than the caricatures that appear in Epic Film Experiences like Zwick's work. Similarly, the film doesn't seem to try to make the audience "understand" the meaning of a certain class or phenomenon like The Last Samurai and Memoirs of a Geisha (Rob Marshall, 2005) did. Rather, it provides glimpses into the lives of a few people who happened to be shaped very deeply by the greater historical events occurring around them. The film seems to suggest that any broader conclusions should be made with care. These aspects help make The Hidden Blade seem like a more genuine offering.
The Hidden Blade has action, but it is certainly not an action movie. It has romance, but it is not a romantic film. It has something to say about class and the social and military implications of Westernization, but it's not obsessed with those issues. And even though it's title evokes a certain mystical martial arts feel, it's certainly not one of those movies. As long as you don't go into it expecting it to be one of these things, I think you'll be pleased.
Yamada Yoji
2004
I don't have much to say about this one other than how interesting it is when compared to something like The Last Samurai (Edward Zwick, 2003). Both films deal with the decline of the samurai class and fundamental change in Japanese society around the time of the Meiji Restoration. The latter deals primarily with a very direct glorification of the samurai "ethos" and in turn the glorification of violence in the name of idealism. The Hidden Blade deals with the issue more subtly and in the end provides a more complete experience. Yamada Yoji's pacing is fairly slow and he spends much of the film dealing with issues only tangentially related to the ultimate climax of the film. Even though many of the characters remain fairly one-dimensional, they seem more genuine than the caricatures that appear in Epic Film Experiences like Zwick's work. Similarly, the film doesn't seem to try to make the audience "understand" the meaning of a certain class or phenomenon like The Last Samurai and Memoirs of a Geisha (Rob Marshall, 2005) did. Rather, it provides glimpses into the lives of a few people who happened to be shaped very deeply by the greater historical events occurring around them. The film seems to suggest that any broader conclusions should be made with care. These aspects help make The Hidden Blade seem like a more genuine offering.
The Hidden Blade has action, but it is certainly not an action movie. It has romance, but it is not a romantic film. It has something to say about class and the social and military implications of Westernization, but it's not obsessed with those issues. And even though it's title evokes a certain mystical martial arts feel, it's certainly not one of those movies. As long as you don't go into it expecting it to be one of these things, I think you'll be pleased.