Nominated as best foreign film this year at the Academy Awards and winner of nothing less than 12 Japanese Academy Award, one has to watch ”Twilight Samurai” – so much accolade demands attention.

Seibei is a petty Samurai in the time just prior to the Meiji restoration. Working as an accountant, he is without any ambition. The only thing he cares for is his two young daughters and his sick mother. In fact, he cares so little for anything else, that his clothes are torn and he rarely takes a bath. His colleagues laugh about him behind his back and give him the nickname “Twilight Seibei”.

When his childhood friend, and first love, is divorced because her husband, a wealthy Samurai, beats her up, she visits Seibei and the entire house lights up. Later, her brother, Seibei’s best friend, suggests that he marries her, but Seibei wont marry because of his poverty, even though both are in love with each other.

Where the classic Samurai films attacks the code as inhumane and have personal rebellion as its centre, the two recent Samurai films, “Twilight Samurai” and “When the last sword is drawn”, only has the code as a sub-motif. Far more important here is the depiction of a Samurai, who has lost all illusions about the code and who just tries to live: Important here in the modern Samurai film is the human drama, the code is part of the setting. In “When the last sword is drawn”, the protagonist is an over polite miser, only because he sends everything he earns home to support his family and secure them a good life. In “Twilight Samurai”, the protagonist puts himself so far aside, that his personal appearance and hygiene lacks, to support his family, even sitting up all night making small traps. These modern Samurai films also take place just prior to the Meiji restoration of 1868, where the classic Samurai film takes place in the 16th century. Both films also end with the protagonist dying in the Samurai uprising against the Emperor. One might say, that in the classic Samurai films, there was rebellion, because there was something to rebel against. Perhaps the Japanese mentality has changed so much over the last 50 years, that instead of following orders blindly or rebelling against doing so, the Japanese now has grown indifferent, accepted his fate and is struggling to support his family. Perhaps the tone of these films suggest, that Japan needs a new restoration. In any case, these two Samurai films represents something worthwhile investigating.

Unknown to most non-Japanese, the director Yamada Yoji, is famous as the director of the worlds longest running film-series, “Tora-San”. Despite being a stock director for Shochiku, he directs “Twilight Samurai” with great control, paying attention to the smallest detail. The professionalism and skill from making about 2 films a year for more than 40 years is visible. Equally visible is the at times breathtaking cinematography, which has a distinct feeling of early 50s Shochiku color film: Intended, I can’t say. But what makes “Twilight Samurai” such a great film, is its story, that while having a skeleton of romantic drama, reflects upon working in a dead end job supporting his family, daring not to dream, and puts it all versus a system where personal freedom doesnt exist. As such, there is a timeless quality about the film. A wonderful film.

Henrik Sylow