This is a long and, frankly, not very interesting Samurai film, set in the mid-19th century. Shogen Hori (Ken Ogata), the Chief Retainer, is a crafty, self indulgent type who takes advantage of people at every turn. Yaichiro Hazama (Yukiyoshi Ozawa), a Samurai retained by Hori, leaves to join a Shogenate in Edo. But he returns in disgrace, having been mixed up in an aborted palace coup in Edo. Hazama is imprisoned, but then escapes.
The central protagonist, another Samurai, Munezo Katagiri (Masatoshi Nagase), is then required by Hori to prove he was not in league with Hazama by killing him. When they practiced long ago, Hazama was the better swordsman of the two. But this time Katagiri buffs up his skills with his old master teacher, who gives him a couple of new tricks to use.
The whole business is complicated, and Mr. Nagase doesn't seem to have the chops to sustain his central role in a manner that compels interest. He's not the fascinating character that was played by Hiroyuki Sanada in Yôji Yamada's earlier film, "Twilight Samurai." As in that film, "Hidden Blade" observes a lot about marriage and domestic life of the Samurais but offers very little combat, and that only at the end, so Samurai action junkies are forewarned that this might not be the movie for you. My grade: low B 6.5/10.
The central protagonist, another Samurai, Munezo Katagiri (Masatoshi Nagase), is then required by Hori to prove he was not in league with Hazama by killing him. When they practiced long ago, Hazama was the better swordsman of the two. But this time Katagiri buffs up his skills with his old master teacher, who gives him a couple of new tricks to use.
The whole business is complicated, and Mr. Nagase doesn't seem to have the chops to sustain his central role in a manner that compels interest. He's not the fascinating character that was played by Hiroyuki Sanada in Yôji Yamada's earlier film, "Twilight Samurai." As in that film, "Hidden Blade" observes a lot about marriage and domestic life of the Samurais but offers very little combat, and that only at the end, so Samurai action junkies are forewarned that this might not be the movie for you. My grade: low B 6.5/10.