Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kiichi Nakai's captivating performance of a true samurai, December 31, 2005
It is probably inevitable that American audiences will compare "Mibu gishi den" ("When the Last Sword is Drawn") with "The Last Samurai," in that both films deal the Meiji restoration. This is also a similarity between the two in that this 2003 Japanese film from director Yojiro Takita ("Komikku zasshi nanka iranai," "Onmyoji") also is concerned with a character learning the true meaning of being a samurai. The difference is that instead of an American mercenary played by Tom Cruise it is a city samurai, Hajime Saito (Koichi Sato), who learns much from Kanichiro Yoshimura (Kiichi Nakai), who he dismisses at first meeting as a "country" samurai.
The story here is told mostly in flashback from the perspective of 1899 when Saito, now an old man, brings his ailing grandson to see a doctor. In the home of the doctor there is an old photograph of a samurai that Saito recognizes, and the memories come flooding back to both the old man in the doctor (only the viewer is privy to both). The two samurai first met during the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, as clans were forced to choose between obedience to the Shogun, who wanted to maintain the old ways, and the Emperor, who favored opening Japan to the rest of the world and modernizing the country. The group to which Saito belong remained loyal to the Shogun, which dooms them as the troops of the Emperor take control of the country.
The civil war is creating a time of famine and poverty in Japan, so Yoshimura has left not only his clan but also his wife and children behind to find work so that he can send money home to his family. Since he is a mercenary Saito and the other samurai see Yoshimura as being dishonorable. When Yoshimura talks with love of the land from which he came, Saito, who cannot conceive of being loyal to a place rather than to a man, decides to kill Yoshimura. But the "country" samurai is too good with a sword and believes that Saito's attack is just a test. However, the key difference between the two is clearly established: Saito is alive because no one has killed him, while Yoshimura kills because he wants to stay alive.
It is clear that Yoshimura represents for Takita the personification code of Bushido. Time and time again my Western sensibilities intruded into this film because with his great love for his family and the land from which he comes, I kept expecting Yoshimura to simply go home, but eventually got it through my thick skull that the point here is that he cannot go home, for several reasons. Despite the brief battle and swordplay sequences, "Mibu gishi den" is really a character study and like Saito we come to recognize the true value of the strange samurai from the country, especially when the doctor finishes the tale and provide a sense of closure for the both old man and the viewing audience.
In the 2004 Awards of the Japanese Academy, "Mibu gishi den" won Best Picture with Nakai picking up the awards for Best Actor and Sato for Best Supporting Actor. It was nominated for eight other awards, but apparently in Japan winning the Best Picture award does not carry over into a lot of technical categories. However, I would certainly argue that it is Nakai's performance that elevates this film above the high levels of sentimentality that take up almost the entire final act. Quite simply his performance was what made me round up in the final analysis on this decidedly different samurai film.
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An enjoyable film, December 14, 2005
This was the closing film at the 2002 Tokyo International Film Festical. Yoshimura Kanichiro, "the wolf of Mibu", who toils through the end of the Shogunate era armed only with his sense of justice.
I have owned this movie for some time now and never tire of watching it again to pick out details of the story I had missed before. I find it has a rich mixture of sights and sounds that make it a story worth repeating. The characters are believeable and full of emotion. The action is well played. I've found it to be a keeper.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Heart of a True Samurai in an Incomparable Movie!, August 31, 2007
Comparing American-made The Last Samurai to Japan's When the Last Sword is Drawn is like comparing a Junior High School play to a great Broadway production. There is no comparison. Tom Cruise vs. Kichi Nakai? Please -- It's laughable and insulting to Nakai. Kichi Nakai gives the performance of a lifetime playing Kanichiro Yoshimura, the country samurai whose first and only responsibility is feeding his family amidst a famine which has struck his beloved homeland.
Yoshimura faces disgrace and banishment from his clan because he dares leave his homeland to find work to keep his family from starving to death. The jobs he takes are distasteful to him and morally wrong, but he is driven by his desire to take care of his family. Every little bit of money he earns, he sends back to them. He is made fun of because of his constant drive to earn more money for his family and is thought to be a weird samurai who does not understand the true nature of being a samurai.
This attitude is especially expressed by fellow samurai Saito who hates his quirky country samurai ways so much that he tries to kill Yoshimura. However, Yoshimura quickly reinforces his unparalleled swordsmanship, and Saito is put in his place rather quickly. Still, Saito continues to hate Yoshimura and fails to understand Yoshimura's greatness until they (the Shinsengumi) are faced with certain defeat from the approaching Imperial Army.
The last thirty minutes of the movie are so emotional that I challenge anyone not to cry during Yoshimura's final speech. This movie is so much more than a samurai movie. It's about what kind of person each of us should strive to be. Yoshimura is a perfect man in an imperfect world. He is so good, so loyal, so dedicated, so courageous and so loving. The movie is inspiring and must stand on it's own and never be compared to any other film -- because it is so superior in every way. The story is told brilliantly and is approached from an angle not seen before. The actors, most significantly of course -- Kichi Nakai -- are extraordinary. Koichi Sato as Saito is at first darkly menacing. However, later, because of his relationship with Yoshimura, he comes to know the true nature of what it is to be a real samurai. Sato's performance is so genuine and heart-felt that the viewer will also undoubtedly be deeply moved by his character.
In my opinion, this movie cannot be casually viewed. In other words, I can't imagine a person watching this movie and then immediately going to the club or out shopping. It's a movie to savor like a fine wine or a great piece of literature. It's a wonderful movie and should be on everyone's must see list.
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