The Hidden Blade (DVD)

The Hidden Blade is Yoji Yamada's follow-up samurai film to 2004's Twilight Samurai. Now before I get into the movie let me tell you right now that if you are a fan of samurai films, if you are a fan of westerns or how about this: do you like great movies? If so, Twilight Samurai is a can't miss. It was one of my favorite films of last year when I caught it on DVD and the best way I could quickly describe it is that it's the Japanese answer to Eastwood's Unforgiven.

Not unlike Twilight, Blade focuses on an unglamorous, low-ranking samurai, this time a squire named Katagirl (played with raw honesty by Masatoshi Nagase). He is something of a monument to a dying age as friends and kin leave his life either by death or to live their own. He has difficulty grasping the western methods of warfare being imposed on the samurai at the end of the Edo era. He is torn by the seemingly lack of samurai values by his brethren, especially those of higher rank. Katagirl's sense of honor and duty toward his clan are as tested as much as they are debatably compromised. Meanwhile, subconsciously he wonders what kind of life he would have with one of his house servants (the beautiful Takako Matsu). It's enough to drive a man mad. But Katagirl is a very even tempered individual and certainly nobody's fool.

All of this is back story and it is only halfway through the film that Katagirl is asked to kill Hazama, a lethal samurai who is said to have been assisting an underground rebellion against the emperor. At this point the film was a merely adequate and romantic piece of entertainment but once Hazama and Katagirl meet, it becomes great. Hazama and Katagirl were once good friends, training under the same sensei. There is a certain level of respect between the two and you can sense our protagonist's mix of fear and regret when they meet again. But before they fight to the death, Katagirl he knows he needs help, for Hazama is easily the most deadly swordsman in the clan. He returns to his master Toda and learns a few very specific moves (no, not "the Hidden Blade" as the film states more than once "the Hidden Blade is not used in a swordfight"). All of this is done matter-of-factly which only heightens the tension when their duel finally takes place and as you watch Katagirl repeat the movements his old master taught him, you know what is about to come and it makes it all the more exciting and intense. Just wait till you see his sword lower, a packed audience would be cheering at the screen. Katagirl meets here his greatest test but even if he passes it, how can he set his mind at peace when treachery and betrayal of the samurai code surrounds him?

As you can probably tell, The Hidden Blade is not heavy on plot and if I made this film sound completely humorless that is not only inaccurate but a tribute to the film's power. Watching the samurai attempt to act like western soldiers, their reaction to how silly a western man's march appears will bring a smile to your face.

There is a short behind-the-scenes with Yoji Yamada on some of the aspects in making the film. Frankly, the aspects they chose to focus on are a bit odd all things considered. The disc has a featurette of Yamada bringing the film to the Berlin Film Festival and an additional press conference where the director is asked to reflect on his career. The Japanese and U.S. trailer are also on hand.

But really, who cares. Get this DVD to own the movie. While I still prefer Twilight Samurai, Tartan Video's release of The Hidden Blade is one of the better movies you missed in 2005.