Hana (2006) User Reviews

Deconstructs the Samurai legend

[howard.schumann · 7/10 · 9 October 2006]

Hana Yori mo Naho is a Samurai film in which there are no flashing swords or bodies leaping over walls. Hirokazu Koreeda's (Maborosi, After Life) latest is a gentle comedy-drama that deconstructs the legend of the brave Samurai warrior and the Bushido code of seeking honor through revenge. The title of the film means flower, and Hana wants to change the symbol of the cherry blossom associated with the warrior spirit to one that represents a peaceful and nurturing life. Engendered by the earthy humor of the underclass, the film has many laughs, a wonderful soundtrack of joyous Renaissance music, and colorful characters brought to life by an excellent ensemble cast, yet it meanders and lacks a single crystallizing moment that brings its point home.

Set in Edo (modern day Tokyo), Hana takes us back to the year 1702 where Soza (Okada Junichi), a young Samurai has come to the village to fulfill his father's dying wish and seek revenge against his killer, Jubei Kanazawa (Tadanobu Asano). Illuminating the conditions of the times, Soza lives in a dilapidated building that he shares with other impoverished residents: garbage collectors, fish peddlers, and debtors hiding out from collectors. Though he wants to restore honor to his family and collect the 100 Ryo reward from his clan to help his impoverished family, Soza lacks even the basic skills of a swordsman.

This becomes painfully evident when he is roughed up by Sodekichi (Ryo Kase), a local resident who resents the Samurai. A friend, Sadoshiro (Arata Furuta) also exploits the trusting Soza, claiming many times in restaurants that he has seen Kanazawa in order to have Soza buy his food. While seeking the man who killed his father, Soza establishes himself in the community, teaching the boys and girls in the village to read and write and finding much in common with Osae (Rie Miyazawa), a married woman who, with her eight-year old son, is waiting for husband to return. A satirical subplot questioning the legend of the 47 Ronin and the warrior spirit the story represents, complicates things as a group of samurai on their own mission of revenge, hide in the town disguised as professional people.

They distrust Soza, thinking that he is a spy and assign a fellow ronin to watch his every move. When the young Samurai finally crosses paths with his father's attacker, now a family man living with a widow and her child, he questions the Samurai code of honor and the ethics of revenge. Soza, sensitively portrayed by Okada - a band singer turned actor, is a good-hearted man who recognizes the need to better his society, yet Koreeda portrays him as a weakling and a coward, a role that undermines the film's anti-violence message. While Koreeda is to be congratulated for attempting a major stylistic departure and for condemning the endless cycle of violence, Hana falls short of his best efforts.

Flipside of the 47 Ronin

[poikkeus · 7/10 · 29 September 2009]

The subtext of this novel, entertaining period film comes from a unique treatment of the famed story of the 47 Ronin (itself the source for history texts, dramas, movies, and plays). Instead of showing the flowering of the Japanese spirit of revenge, HANA YORI MO NAHO takes a more pacifist point of view. In fact, for many of the characters, the main virtue of revenge may lie in its commercial exploitation; for the remainder of the cast - nearly all of them living in a dusty slum on the outskirts of town - revenge breaks apart families, instills instinctual hatred, and only promises generations of promise unrealized.

The screenplay is understated and loosely plotted. relying for the most part on light comedy to given texture to its potentially tragic subject matter. The story of the 47 Ronin has been told too often without offering any background on the common people hidden in the background. Sometimes ignoble, it's the people who rise above the violence who seem to have achieved something great - like the failed samurai who ignores his father's dying request to kill a rival.

The film's visuals are dusty and dirty, but always arresting,helping to make for a realistic but appealing narrative. All in all, HANA YORI MO NAHO is a much needed corrective on an oft- told story.

Are we ready for a cowardly samurai?

[Chris Knipp · 7/10 · 1 May 2007]

In 'Hana' Koreeda has turned from modern times to make another samurai-going-out-of-style movie, set in 1701 when "sword fighting has flown out of fashion with the wind." The film focuses on the cute Soza, played by boy-band singer Junichi Okada, who's supposed to avenge the death of his samurai father (embarrassingly, in a fight over a go game rather than any battle), but would rather play go himself, soak in a hot tub, or teach neighborhood kids writing than practice his swordplay. Hana questions the very validity of revenge and war but unfortunately does so with an inept fighter and even a coward as a hero. Why this isn't a good way of presenting alternatives to warlike philosophy is obvious: a hero is needed who can say "I can do it but I choose not to," rather than one who must say, "I can't, so I better not." Despite the film's considerable charm in presenting a variety of colorful characters and incidents -- abetted by excellent acting, a realistic period tenement setting, and fresh-sounding western renaissance music -- its main character becomes an embarrassment and a disappointment rather than a revelation. Unfortunately the young star's appealing sweetness seems a mockery. As Mark Shilling of Japan Times has commented, Okada is "too handsome and cool to be a sympathetic coward. Too bad Bill Murray isn't 20 years younger -- and Japanese." Moreover (as Shilling also says) 'Hana's' lively incidents are rather meandering, don't interact very well, and don't add up to climactic moments: the story line "lacks anything major." The natural impulse is to want the climax of a real revenge, the one Sozo is supposed to enact. Defeating such conventional expectations, the film feels longer than it is.

It may be that Koreeda, whose films have created a unique mood, means for 'Hana' to make us uncomfortable, and the colorful characters and rude toilet jokes are an intentional effort to put us off our guard. Certainly when the moment first comes when Soza is beaten up by a local punk in pink, Sodekichi (Ryo Kase), it's horrifying and demoralizing because Soza up to then has been not only immensely simpatico, but a guy with a worthwhile function in the tenement house (nagaya) village -- which Koreeda has departed from film tradition in making realistically rickety. Soza says he's in the shabby place because (as introductory titles have told us) samurais are frequently undercover in such locations at the moment. When he learns his revenge-object, Kanazawa Jubei, is living nearby, it turns out one of his informants and café-pals knew it all along and the latter advises him to say nothing. "This samurai revenge thing is out of style," he adds. Besides, "with your skills" (i.e., the lack of them), "you're doomed." 'Hana' makes this sort of point too bluntly and repetitiously.

The setting, which compares (as Shilling notes) to that of Kurosawa's memorable flop 'Do-des-ka-den,' is a lively but pathetic community where people live selling scraps -- and their own excrement, sold for fertilizer to a landowner, is worth more than the fruit of their labors. It's a world where indignity is a constant, in which Soza's humiliations seem almost normal.

The interest of 'Hana,' despite its not being Koreeda at his best, is that it reflects contemporary Japanese demoralization -- a deep sense of the loss of traditional values as well as an equally strong sense of personal uncertainty in the old areas of machismo that once were strong. And it does this in a deceptively traditional-looking framework that shows how seductive and unavoidable Japanese tradition still remains. In that way, the director has been able to manufacture the same troubling unease that made his more powerful 'Nobody Knows' so riveting and disturbing. This still feels like a distinct misstep for the filmmaker -- but he has seemed capable of doing something completely different almost every time -- and no doubt what comes next will be a surprise, perhaps a more exciting one.

Shown as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival 2007.

Another ode to the dying samurai tradition, but in a way you wouldn't quite expect

[harry_tk_yung · 15 October 2006]

Director of "Dare mo shiranai" (2004) (which brought 14-year-old Yagira Yuya his Cannes Best Actor award) tackles his first samurai movie "Hana yori mo naho" the literal translation of which is something like "martial artist of flower". Following this title, the Hippie's "flower power" in the 60's is not such a far-fetched thought association. This "samurai movie" refuses to give traditional samurai movie fans even one single sword combat scene. Like "7 samurai", "Twilight samurai" and "Hidden sword and devil's claw" and "Shinobi", Hana depicts the dying world of samurai. Unlike any of these, however, it takes the lighter side, to the point of farce and parodies.

The simply main plot depicts how a young samurai called Suza (Odaka Junichi), financed by family fortune, come to a poverty-stricken village in search of an "adversary" (that's what the local sub-title says) to revenge his father's death. While it does not go to anti-hero proportions, it soon becomes evident that Suza's interest is not in traditional samurai values of bushido and revenge, but in trying to help the local kids (and adults) to become literate. Like "7 samurai", "Twilight samurai" and "Hidden sword and devil's claw" and "Shinobi", Hana depicts the dying world of samurai. Unlike any of these, however, it takes the lighter side.

This samurai-turned-teacher also develops an honourable attachment to a beautiful widow (Miyazawa Rie) and her bright 8-year-old son, becoming something akin to the surrogate head of the family. When the "adversary" (Asano Tadanobu) appears on the scene, with his own family that include a 7-year-old son, the score is not settled by the expected duel-to-death, but unexpectedly through the friendship of the two little boys.

But this is not all, far from it. True to the Kurosawa tradition, to which great tributes have obviously been paid, this movie portrays an ensemble of common, simple, "little" people, at least a dozen of them, probably more. Simply but honestly told, some of these stories are familiar – such as a parted young couple ended up with the girl marrying a rich man, or two lonely old folks finding love and comfort with each other. More adventurous is a rather daring spoof of the much revered legend of the "47 ronins". You'll find even a trace of Shakespeare (Midsummer night's dream) in the rehearsal of a play in the movie. However, without the usual commercial elements, this movie may bore uninformed audience seeking a thrill, despite the fact that it is crisply shot, contains some funny moments and sustains by lively music that sounds almost Scottish.

Okada Junichi, not generally known even to regular followers of the Japanese movie scene, does justice to the character of the gentle, troubled young samurai. Miyazawa Rie, in her beguiling beauty that is all at once both fragile and strong, creates a different but equally memorable character as the abandoned wife in "Twilight samurai". Asano Tadanobu's fans may be disappointed because what he has in fact amount to almost cameo role (although not an unimportant one).

In conclusion I can do no better that quoting the introductory literature in the Toronto International File Festival: "Vivacious and strewn with humour, HANA speaks the language of today and conveys a message of hope and serenity that crosses the boundaries of its temporal setting. Without imposing heavy moral judgments, it asserts a clear ethic and renders a colourful portrait of human weaknesses and strengths - its rich narrative texture is variegated as the precious fabric of a regal kimono."

Light and enjoyable

[paulmartin-2 · 6/10 · 5 August 2007]

This film was produced by Shochiku, a studio that I'm told is renowned for it's middle-of-the-road part-comedy/part-pathos films. Hana fits squarely in that territory and is Kore-eda's most commercial film to date.

Set in the slums of 1702 Edo (now Tokyo), the cinematography and attention to period detail were excellent. The story itself is fairly lame. A young samurai, incompetent with a sword seeks revenge for his father's death, but finds himself unable to carry out the act.

There's no doubting the competence of the director and the film's visuals are a joy to behold. It's not something that particularly engages me, but is the sort of film I would love to take my six year old son to. The blend of humour and almost slapstick action would certainly be enjoyed by him. Mind you, this is not really a children's film, even though it has the appeal of a Japanese version of a Disney film. Many adults would enjoy it, but it's not my thing.

Reviewing the validity of the samurai philosophy of revenge, violence, and associated monetary/financial outcomes

[JuguAbraham · 6/10 · 7 May 2021]

A film that redefines the falling cherry blossoms' association with the samurai tradition. What Kore-eda does here is examine the validity of the samurai philosophy of revenge, violence and associated monetary/financial outcomes. A pacifist film, where education dominates over swordplay. The lead performers are endearing, so is the Renaissance type music composed by Jun Kawabata. The production design is laudable. A film that parallels William Fraker's oft forgotten "Monte Walsh" (1970) which looked at the Westerns and the lifestyles of its heroes. Kore-eda adds wistful comedy, while Fraker dealt with wistful nostalgia. Both deal with changing values and economies.

Hana vs See You Tomorrow, Everyone

[politic1983 · 6/10 · 1 April 2018]

Limited, small community settings are more the focus for television soap operas than cinema, well, more commercial cinema at least. Lacking in action and excitement, two films that look more at the inner workings of the human condition rather than delivering out-and-out entertainment are Kore-eda Hirokazu's 2006 "Hana" and Yoshihiro Nakamura's 2013 "See You Tomorrow, Everyone".

"Hana", Kore-eda's sole dip into the period drama, is set in a small community of early Eighteenth Century row houses. Souzaemon moves into the community as an obvious outsider: a middle-class samurai, he has no place being among society's low reaches. But his reason for being there is to seek out the man who murdered his father: the head of his clan.

Souzaemon, however, is far from his father, clearly as out of place as a sword-carrying samurai as he is in the Edo milieu he finds himself in. Despite having located the murderer, he stays where he is, teaching the neighbourhood children and gradually integrating himself into part of the community, much to the chagrin of his clan back in Matsumoto who demand action for the regular funds supplied to him.

Nakamura's "See You Tomorrow, Everyone", an equally slow-paced film, follows Satoru and his seemingly meaningless life living in a Tokyo project. Since leaving school, Satoru has spent his days doing his patrols, essentially keeping tabs on all the other inhabitants of the artificial community. One-by-one, those close to him move away to start new lives, leaving him alone, unemployed and with little prospect of a life beyond idolising his karate heroes.

Feigning purpose with his daily rounds of his neighbours, his meddling soon upsets those around him and he is forced into making choices: he starts a job at a cake shop within the complex; gets engaged; and befriends a young Brazilian girl with a troubled home life, though again his interfering is unwelcome.

Both are films set in low-income housing, though at different periods in time. "Hana" is set in a peasant dwelling, where people just about scrape enough money together to not pay the rent. These are people seeing little hope of a better life, and so accept the lot of where they are. "See You Tomorrow, Everyone", however, is a modern day equivalent: once seen as the artificial community of the future, it is now becoming a baron wasteland populated by single mums, the elderly and immigrant workers. People only see their future in escaping from it, something which Satoru cannot face-up to.

The two leads are reluctant heroes: their situations both caused by a single violent act. Souzaemon is expected to follow the samurai tradition and seek revenge for the murder of his father, but never a swordsman of any skill, he stands little chance of carrying out his proposed destiny, as well as lacking any will to cause harm to his fellow man.

A social problem in Japan, Satoru imprisoned himself at home in the projects after a school knife attack left him fearful of the outside world. Life has become theory that fails to ever get put into practice until a meeting with a young Brazilian girl who is outcast by her mother's Japanese boyfriend sees him look after their home and stand-up to the bad guy.

Both have a villain to face, but where Satoru finally learns to stand-up to his enemy, Souzaemon makes the decision to befriend his father's killer and build a new path for his life. Both have found themselves in situations in which they were comfortable in life, too comfortable. Souzaemon found it easier to teach local children, living off the funds sent to him - funds for him to enact revenge. He hides from his social status as samurai and suffers from the inner conflict of his desire to be kind-hearted against his clan's expectation that he will fulfil his duty.

Satoru's fears of the outside world keep him trapped in a prison of his own making. Ever since that day at school, he has been unable to step outside his self-imposed boundaries, oblivious to what is actually happening around him, despite believing himself to be the guardian of the complex. The world will move on until he is left behind and alone.

Souzaemon's actions are considered and he is becoming a man - though different from what is expected - who chooses to lead his own life. Satoru, however, is unconscious in his life. His fears have seen him create his own world and his place within it, and while he insists on staying inside it, everyone else has chosen to leave. The act that sees him eventually break free from this world is an unconscious reaction without a moment's thought.

Despite being a different setting for Kore-eda, "Hana" fits his usual slow-paced style, though perhaps with a bit more tomfoolery than usual. "See You Tomorrow, Everyone" is very slow in pace and development, though the timing of revelations are well worked and is a strong point of Nakamura's developing of the story.

But being a period piece, there is a little less social comment at work than one would expect from Kore-eda. "Hana" looks at close community and as the film develops, Souzamon's friends increase in number. This is the opposite for Satoru, however, who can count the numbers reducing by the day. Nakamura comments on the gradual loss of community: the sad result on what was once considered to be the bright, hopeful environment of the future. People only want to move away and escape with little or no real knowledge of those who live around them. Those still there are the ones ignored by society and hidden away.

Perhaps reflecting the difference of the period settings, "Hana" sees Souzaemon find a home, as well as himself; while "See You Tomorrow, Everyone" finds Satoru needing to escape the prison modern society has created.

politic1983.blogspot.co.uk

One of high points of TIFF

[kovalsky-1 · 10/10 · 17 September 2006]

It's one of those films you come out of smiling a wide happy smile - it's so delicate and subtly funny (alright, it does feature a lavatory, but none of the "standard" toilet humor), it's also kind to characters and makes its point(s) in a sly, unobtrusive manner.

It's a celebration of human values over the way of the samurai, especially as it has been presented in Japanese and Western popular culture in the past few decades. A joy to watch visually, too. I thought it might be Koreeda-san's best film so far, although some viewers may find it a bit more conventional/Westernized than, say, Nobody Knows or Maboroshi (which is not at all bad).

I will deliberately leave it at that, to avoid revealing any of the plot, which often overturns expectations.

It was the second film out of 17 I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it still remains a highlight for me.

Major Disappointment

[b5erik · 5/10 · 1 February 2022]

I bought Hana on CD because it had been compared to some of the great modern Samurai movies (Twilight Samurai, When The Last Sword Is Drawn, The Hidden Blade, Love and Honor, etc). I love those movies, so I was very enthusiastic about this one.

And then I watched it.

There is very little plot here. It's a character driven movie, and, in truth, it isn't a samurai movie at all. Sure, the main character is a samurai, but he's kind of a samurai who has given up on the Bushido code and dropped out of that life. He's directionless, aimless, and, really, a bit of a coward.

The biggest problems with this movie are that it's boring and the characters are almost all unlikeable (including the main character). Being a character driven movie that second problem is a major flaw.

It's not a horrible movie, it's just horribly flawed and utterly boring. It's tedious. The humor falls flat, and the story takes place in a bleak, unpleasant setting with characters who have little to offer the story.

If you're looking for something different, and would find a movie about people in 1700's era Japan who live in abject poverty interesting, then this one may be for you. But if plot and character matter it would probably be best to skip this one.

missing the point about real heroism

[screaminmimi · 9/10 · 5 April 2007]

I think the first reviewer misses the point of Kore-Eda's work. He has an almost documentarian's way of showing human behavior. It's decidedly not theatrical. His characters are flawed, real people. Soza-sensei's abhorrence of violence is not undercut by his fear of being sliced up. He discovers the strength to be a real human being amid what he comes to recognize as counterproductive posturing.

The 47 Ronin subplot is not a distraction. It's a mirror of Soza's choosing life over revenge. Susumu Terajima hits just the right note as the surviving Ronin. If you don't know Japanese history and myth-making, it might seem like a distraction, but it is the point of the whole story, that a slavish devotion to the ideals of Bushido is in conflict with living an authentically human life.

Besides, Rie Miyazawa is a total hoot in the play within a play. It is a pleasant surprise that Kore-Eda can do comedy and still keep it real. I was beginning to think that he was only good at grimness, but I was reminded of the small comic touches in "Nobody Knows" and "Afterlife." I can't remember if there was anything funny in "Mabarosi." I just remember how depressing it was.

Boring, dry humor, utterly pointless.

[Luv2Spooge · 3/10 · 2 January 2022]

I watched this one because the two female leads were from 2 of Yoji Yamada's film - Twilight Samurai and The Devil's Claw. However, this film was a complete disappointment. I already knew going in that this is not a traditional samurai film, but it is geared towards comedy and drama. Sadly, it failed even in that regards. The humor were tasteless, such as the toilet humor, and much of the drama was dry and boring.

I thought it would be closer to something like When the Last Sword Is Drawn, which was a great combination of drama, romance, action, and comedy. However, Hana was unbearable to watch and ultimately put me to sleep.

Not like Maboroshi, or Distance

[dumsumdumfai · 8/10 · 20 September 2006]

A good film, not a masterpiece like Maboroshi, not nearly as enigmatic as Distance, not as charming as Aftelife .. but far more audience friendly.

There are many characters, and it is a period piece, and is described as "A samurai movie without sword fight" by the director himself at TIFF.

In fact, compared to his other movies, there are so many things going on I was ill-prepared. But the script is well thought out, there is reference to the solution early on in the film. But there is a sub-plot which I do not understand except maybe to convey regret -- that is what the hero of the film is so serious of finding how not to have in his future, when looking back at this time in his life ..later on???? There is so much comedic relief that you could say this is a comedy. But I think it is drama through and through. And a well executed one at that.

Life & Times Of Obsolete Samurai.

[net_orders · 4/10 · 26 August 2016]

Viewed on DVD. Costume design = six (6) stars; set decoration = four (4) stars; cinematography/lighting = two (2) stars; subtitles/translations = one (1) star. Director Hirokazu Koreeda delivers a small-scale tail of slum dwellers in Edo (before it became Tokyo) living in mostly rice-paper "row houses." This is a tight little subculture where lack of privacy provides a constant (and addictive) source of home entertainment for a community of peeping toms (both native and newly arrived). A substantial number of slum dwellers are low-level/inept samurai in the process of joining the dinosaurs. There is fine character acting all round with humorous situations and amusing one-liners NOT lost in translation due in part to facial expressions and body-language acting. Actress Rie Miyazawa's creative and skillful deployment of the art of Japanese nuance adds much to enrich the narrative. Koreeda's fixation on scatological humor quickly becomes tiresome. The Director often seems to be grasping at plot straws including his murky incorporation (more or less) into the narrative of the fantasy legend of the forty-seven Rounin. Costuming is well done. For slum dwellers, their wardrobes appear to be pretty extensive and expensive! Exteriors are mostly limited to a back lot street set you have likely seen many times before. Slum dwellings are confined to a very short portion of this standing set street (it looks like you could easily split from one end to the other!). Cinematography (semi-wide screen, color) does not help matters much, since the same camera placements are repeatedly used as if photographing a stage play rather than a movie. Interior and nocturnal scenes are usually under lit to the point that the viewer can only guess what is happening. The score is a mixed bag with a predominance of music more appropriate for settings in the Scottish Highlands than Edo! Then there is the matter of subtitles and translations. It is close to impossible to both watch the actors and read the subtitles. An either/or situation. If you are a first time viewer and consider yourself to be "reasonably" fluent in Kansai conversational Japanese, turn off the subtitles to dispatch a major source of scene disruption and eye irritation. If you feel you need subtitles, turn off the audio, and just read the subtitles like you would a book. Be always ready to hit the pause and rewind buttons on your remote, since many 10 word (or more) subtitles appear on screen for literally less than a second!). The undisciplined/amateur subtitle writer (or unedited software program output) for this movie has utterly failed to apply grammatical rules to enable the viewer to read subtitles that summarize what is being said and also watch the movie. Instead the subtitle writer/program has tried to translate EVERYTHING that is being said! Word for word. Some signs are translated. Credits are not translated which seems to be an especially disrespectful action by the film's producers directed at all those who contributed to the making of this movie! Not especially recommended. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Caste of castoffs...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 10 March 2012]

With its caste of row-house poor, HANA reminds one in many ways of Akira Kurosawa's classic, DODESKADEN (Mago, in particular, who brings to mind the young "star" of Kurosawa's movie). Samurai Soza's lack of pretension certainly sets him apart from most of the samurai we see in most samurai movies: he gives it the old bushido try, but, soundly trounced in front of the other row-house denizens, he doesn't suck it up and work toward avenging the insult (nor, ultimately, does he follow through on his avowed mission to avenge his father's death at the hands of another samurai). At first we see him ostensibly looking for a reason to kill; by film's end, he's looking for a reason to live. The final shot of the movie sums it all up so beautifully (and simply). If you're interested in flawless filmmaking, here it is: HANA never misses a beat.