Samurai Films (19 page)

Love and Honour
is the third in Yoji Yamada’s recent trilogy of samurai films, and, like the two previous entries, benefits from his expert use of characterisation and exceptional attention to detail.

Like
The Twilight Samurai
and
The Hidden Blade
,
Love and Honour
focuses on one samurai, learning an important lesson through adversity. In many ways Shinnojo is reminiscent of Seibei and Munezo; he has Seibei’s modern attitudes to education (he plans to start a fencing school catering to people of all classes) and Munezo’s firm sense of samurai pride. Shinnojo, however, is far less attuned to the feelings of others around him than Yamada’s previous heroes, and this, in many ways, is the flaw he must overcome in the film. The Shinnojo we meet at the beginning of the film shows a lack of appreciation of those who care for him; he mocks both his loving wife Kayo and his loyal old servant, Tokuhei, failing to understand that these are the two most important people in his life. This makes Shinnojo considerably more flawed than both Seibei and Munezo, and thus his journey is a much harder one.

The simple plot of
Love and Honour
is both captivating and moving; only the hardest of audiences would fail to be moved by Shinnojo’s painful journey. When he loses his sight, he loses his reason to live; he believes he can no longer function as an effective member of society, and this is a huge blow to his pride. We watch Shinnojo give in to anger and then despair, before he is finally able to find a purpose in his life again. Also touching is the plight of Kayo, who makes huge sacrifices to help her husband, but only suffers herself as a result, as a distraught Shinnojo badly mistreats her. The counterpoint to both Shinnojo and Kayo is Toya Shimada, an evil man whose actions drive the plot forward to its violent climax.

This moving plot is greatly assisted by performances from a well-chosen cast. Takuya Kimura is utterly convincing in his role, and flawlessly ranges the gamut of emotions that Shinnojo goes through during his painful journey. Rei Dan is charming as Kayo, presenting a touching impression of a woman who cares deeply for her husband. The two share some beautiful scenes together, for example when Kayo lovingly nurses Shinnojo out of a fever. Takashi Sasano puts in a fine performance as Tokuhei, who functions as a source of gentle comedy throughout the film. Sasano perfectly captures the humorous aspects of Tokuhei’s character, when he practises fencing with a samurai child for instance, and skilfully conveys his dedication to Shinnojo and Kayo.

As in his other samurai films, Yamada creates an extremely realistic impression of Tokugawa-era Japan, showing us the daily routines of his characters. Shinnojo’s job as a food taster for his daimyo, a seemingly exciting role, is portrayed instead as a mundane job; the food tasters sit in a row, eat a single mouthful of a dish, and then the food is rushed away to the daimyo’s luxurious chambers. The domestic scenes involving Kayo and Tokuhei are similarly realistic, not only giving an interesting insight into times past, but also helping us to grow closer to Yamada’s characters.

The duel between Shinnojo and Shimada is particularly well handled. Yamada treats the idea of a blind swordsman more practically than the Zatoichi films; Shinnojo’s movements are entirely consistent with someone who has lost his sight; each time he attempts to strike his opponent he swings his sword multiple times, hoping to reach his mark. The duel’s conclusion is sudden and surprising.

Another strong film from Yamada, who should be applauded for making samurai films of such a consistently high quality. The genre will survive long into the future if more films of this calibre are made.

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Tackling a wide range of subjects from prominent directors, popular genres and current trends through to cult films, national cinemas and film concepts and theories. Kamera Books come complete with complementary DVDs packed with additional material, including feature lms, shorts, documentaries and interviews.

 

A promotional poster for
Seven Samurai. Seven Samurai
directed by Akira Kurosawa and produced by Sojiro Motoki for Toho Studios. Image provided by Toho Company Ltd. and Photofest. © Toho Company Ltd.

 

Takezo (Toshiro Mifune) is only interested in perfecting his swordsmanship.
Miyamoto Musashi
directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and produced by Kazuo Takimura for Toho Studios.

 

Musashi (Toshiro Mifune) and Kojiro (Koji Tsuruta) during their epic duel.
Duel on Ganryu Island
directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and produced by Kazuo Takimura for Toho Studios.

 

Two icons of the samurai film finally meet in combat: the Yojimbo (Toshiro Mifune) and Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu).
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
directed by Kihachi Okamoto and produced by Shintaro Katsu and Hiroyoshi Nishioka for Toho Studios.

 

Itto Ogami (Tomisaburo Wakayama), Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) and their deadly baby cart.
Lone Wolf  and Cub: Baby Cart on the River Styx
directed by Kenji Misumi and produced by Shintaro Katsu and Hisaharu Matsubara for Toho Studios.

 

Yuki (Meiko Kaji) is an instrument of vengeance.
Lady Snowblood
directed by Toshiya Fujita and produced by Kikumaru Okuda for Toho Studios.