When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002) User Reviews

Excellent first 2/3. Last 1/3 bad and sugary-sweet

[showa48 · 6/10 · 12 January 2005]

(There might be small inaccuracies in this review, because I saw the movie 1 year ago).

This movie starts out with a mini-mystery of a kind: Two seemingly non-connected persons (a modern, western-style doctor and an aging samurai) meets - and discover they do have a link, namely a third man: Kanichiro Yoshimura.

The plot thickens when we gradually find out that one of the men (the doctor) almost only knows the man for his good sides (unselfishness, family man, etc.), while the other man (the aging samurai) only knows the man for his bad sides (greed, cowardliness, being a ridiculous clown, etc.). This is in itself a very interesting way to start a movie, and a surefire way to keep the viewer wondering: What IS the truth about this man - if there is any single truth....

In the first (and good) 2/3's of the movie, these two views are gradually combined into one consistent picture of the enigmatic Kanichiro Yoshimura: He would do anything, no matter how low, to support his family back home. This part of the movie, with the gradual revelation of the Kanichiro Yoshimura's past is really well-made, and in itself deserves praise.

The bad part starts when we have watched about 2/3's if the movie, hence the headline of this review. For some reason the point-of-view changes to Kanichiro Yoshimura's. Suddenly he seemingly forgets everything about his family's survival (and the director forgets how the Kanichiro Yoshimura-character had been until then). He starts throwing himself into massed ranks of enemies with rifles, only armed with two swords. While he survives that, the movie doesn't quite "survive", and instead devolves into a series of sentimental tear-jerkers, involving both Kanichiro Yoshimura and the persons around him. I just ask: Where in the world did the old (...and WAY more fascinating and ambiguous) Kanichiro Yoshimura go?!?!? Wby this sudden change in character?!

Conclusion: A movie, which could have been good, had it not been for the strange character development and overt sentimentalism of the last 1/3 of the movie.

Vote: 6/10.

Mibu gishi den (2003)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 8/10 · 8 May 2005]

'When the Last Sword is Drawn' is a beautifully captured work of art. It also portrays the time it is set in, realistically and romantically. An ageing ex-samurai brings his grandson to the doctors. While there he sees a picture of a man from his past. He launches into a story of a greedy and embarrassing samurai who would do anything for money. However later we see the story from the doctors point of view. The doctor shows how this samurai would do anything to ensure the survival of his family. We see the protagonist Yoshimura as both a failure and a hero. This approach to the narrative is a novel and effective non-linear structure. It shows how different people have different opinion of others. The film starts of with a poetic sword fight. Well choreographed but not so much that it looks like a performance. It feels like a real fight. We get another fantastic sword fight not too long later, with a dark rainy setting, adding to the atmospherics. Later on in the film we deal with a number of battles. Battles that seem as though they are lost before they are thought. The air of tragedy but determination of the Shinsengumi is admirable and moving. Throughout the film Yoshimura must deal with many hardships, including leaving his clan, leaving his family and deciding upon loyalties. This is traditional jidaigeki with a hint of Kurosawa. Unfortunately towards the end it fails to have the necessary emotional impact, as Yoshimura dies from his injuries, he speaks almost directly to the camera. It is almost as though there is not enough faith in the subtext alone, and we as the audience are told how to feel. After Yoshimura's death the film becomes like a puzzle and one I failed to work out as there are many epilogue type endings. Each deals with a different character we don't really know or care for. It feels as though these moments could have been cut and actually improved the film. The film is no doubt a superior piece of film making only let down by the final quarter. The film also contains one of the most impressive screen decapitations ever.

The real samurai

[shotaroh · 8/10 · 19 May 2020]

I read the original book written in japanese which was so touching and purified my soul. So my expectation for this film was very high. This film really did the best to put the story in 2 hrs+ and it was as good as I expected. The samurai split and love for family beautifully pictured.

Exceptional but perhaps a bit confusing to Western audiences.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 6 February 2011]

This is a film best enjoyed by someone with a good understanding of Japanese history--in particular, the beginning of the Meiji period as the Shogunate is about to fall. If you have no idea what I just said, I'll try to explain, though there are MANY out there that know Japanese history much, much better than me and could explain it better. But,....her goes...

During the 1860s, Japan was changing rapidly as a result of the opening of Japan thanks to Admiral Perry's visit in the 1850s. Perry forced the country to open up to foreigners--something that had been banned for about 200 years. But, many in Japan longed for the old ways and a serious struggle ensued--like a civil war. The forces of change supported elevating the true power of the emperor (who had only held ceremonial power for hundreds of years). The traditionalists favored keeping the old ways--the expulsion of all foreigners and supported a strong Shogun (sort of like a "boss" who assumed power through diplomacy, skills and force). In the midst of these struggles, Japanese society was torn apart and chaos ruled the land. This is the background for the film--something the film assumed the audience knew--and if they were Japanese, this is probably true. But, this background is necessary and was never included in "When the Last Sword is Drawn".

Into this chaos came the Shinsengumi--a group made up of master-less samurai (ronin) who wanted to restore order in the land. They were traditionalists in many ways (hating foreigners and supporting the Shogun) but they also supported the Emperor--making them sort of like an independent force to ensure the peace. But, to do so, they needed to remain pure in spirit and deed as well as obey orders without question. This complete obedience is a theme throughout the film and several times their oath is put to the test, as followers were expected to kill themselves by committing ritual seppuku if they broke their oath.

Unlike some films from this period (such as "Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor" from 1969), this film really does not focus that much on the Shinsengami or its leaders but on two particular samurai within their ranks--but of the two, Kanichiro Yoshimura is clearly THE focus of the movie.

The film begins in 1898--well after the country has settled down to rule by the Emperor. Through a series of flashbacks that occur in a small medical clinic, you slowly start to learn the story of Yoshimura. However, the story comes out slowly and not always in a linear fashion. As a result, it can be VERY confusing. Now ultimately it's very rewarding that they did it this way, but once again, Westerners will most likely struggle to keep track of exactly what is occurring. I could say a lot more about the film but will leave that up for you to see for yourself. However, I liked it because it took an interesting slant on the idea of Bushido ('the way of the warrior'--literally the code by which the samurai lived). Unlike other films I've seen on the subject, Yoshimura's reasons for doing what he did are unique and you must see what this honorable man did for yourself.

Exceptional acting (I particularly liked the bit part played by Yoshimura's young daughter near the end of the movie), great swordplay, a nice deft direction as well as top-notch writing and sets make this among the best samurai films I have seen. If you like the genre, then you must see this film. But I do strongly recommend you first search the internet on the Shinsengumi to learn about them and their doomed mission before seeing the film--it will make things a lot clearer.

The real last Samurais

[LordofHavoc · 10/10 · 3 June 2004]

This movie is about the "Shinsengumi" (New Group) a famous group of Samurai in the last days of Tokugawa-shogunate that really existed.

At first they were a kind of police-company in Kyoto. Later on this group was fighting on the shoguns (Military head of state) side against emperor Meijis forces who stood for a modernized Japan. It is about the samurai system and their way that could not survive Japans transition into a modern state. But foremost it is a about people, emotions and honor.The characterization is fantastic and always believable and the swordplay is great.

If you have never heard anything about the Wolfs of Mibu (mibu no ogami(In Japan every child knows them)) you should not miss this movie, and if you know them, even better.

One of the best Samurai films ever

[choden · 24 August 2004]

One of the best Samurai films ever. Kîchi Nakai is an incredible actor and Koichi Sato supports him in the best way during the film. Mibu gishi den is one of the few films that bring you both joy and sorrow. What makes the film so touchy and significant is its realistic perspective; showing people with their different characteristics, a person can be a hero and a coward, at the same time but the last word and last sword are always for the heroes. Kanichiro Yoshimura is one of the crowd at first, we see him teaching in the classroom, we see him falling in love, we see him taking care of his kids. He's so real... We can smell the poverty and desperation when the trouble strikes. And the destiny takes him to Shinsen-gumi. He is so sincere and open hearted that he is not afraid of expressing his own feelings but deep inside he carries the heart of a very noble and brave warrior. Mibu gishi den's characterizations are marvelous, not only with Kanichiro and Saito Sensei, but also with the Kanichiro's childhood friend who is a rich landlord and the doctor we meet in the beginning of the film. Historical background of the movie is also interesting.

Good Samurai Flick

[thespeos · 7/10 · 24 May 2021]

For its genre, this film is actually pretty entertaining. While it's sufficiently peppered in sword-fighting and blood, there's a deeper human story here.

STORY: While this cannot compete with "Seven Samurai" for story, and how its told, it's still much better than most violent film genres. Sadly, most Japanese samurai film are hard for me to relate to: 1) Aside from martial arts, I'm unfamiliar with the culture, 2) Feudal Japan was a long and strange time ago.

ACTING: Good acting, especially when keeping the human drama woven through. Again, it's a samurai film so character and relationship isn't usually the focus, but done reasonably well.

TEMPO: Well-paced, but it drags out at the end.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Overall it's fine. Nothing stands out as especially good or bad.

DIRECTING: The only criticism is a general one for this sub-genre of violent film, there should be : 1) Better clues as to why people are making the (big) decisions they do, 2) Develop other characters more since so much focus on one or two feeds boredom.

Overall a good film for its type, better than most, but not without issues.

Excellent Samurai film

[simon_booth · 10/10 · 27 December 2003]

It's hard to believe that this is from the same director as the truly awful Onmyoji! WTLSID is an almost infinitely better film.

After watching THE LAST SAMURAI I was inspired to check out two recent Japanese films focussing on a similar time period, THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI and WHEN THE LAST SWORD IS DRAWN. It's interesting comparing the Japanese perspective of the Samurai with the Hollywood perspective - TLS romanticises the people and lifestyle far more than the Japanese films, though WTLSID is more misty-eyed than TWILIGHT when thinking about those Samurai whose world had left them behind.

Both Japanese films are much more character driven than THE LAST SAMURAI, representing the Samurai as much more human and complex people, and also giving a much less simplified view of the sociopolitical conditions of the time (though in both films the social conditions are much more in the background).

Of the three films, I think I enjoyed WHEN THE LAST SWORD IS DRAWN the most. The characters, acting, action, cinematography and soundtrack were all top notch - and though the end of the film is dragged out too much, it is very moving. I think all three films deserve to be seen though. I find it rather tragic that THE LAST SAMURAI is sure to play in every mainstream theatre in Japan, but TWILIGHT SAMURAI and WHEN THE LAST SWORD IS DRAWN will be lucky to play a couple of festivals and maybe a short art-house run in the US, with an R1 DVD likely to be years off if it comes at all. Those that have the bravery to check out the import DVDs for the Japanese films will definitely benefit from the experience, though!

Bit of a let-down

[Milo_Milosovic · 7/10 · 23 March 2014]

I was drawn to this 2003 Japanese film for a variety of reasons. a) it's director Yôjirô Takita was responsible for one of my favourite films in recent years, Departures (Okuribito) b) It's been mentioned in the same breath as the quite stupendous "Twilight Samurai" (Tasogare Seibei) and c) I'm just a sucker for 19th Century end of the Shogunate/ Rise of the Emperor guff.

All the ingredients are there in the set-up Yoshimura is a lower class Samurai who is struggling to support his wife and children. He abandons them in search of higher pay to support them and joins the notorious Shinsengumi clan. All the usual themes are here. The nature of honour; the conflict between family loyalty and clan loyalty; the passing of an era.

Unfortunately the film is hamstrung by a number of problems. Firstly, there is a level of sentimentality which teeters into the mawkish at times. Secondly, the narrative is framed by a dual character flash-backs which are unconvincing, confusing and jarring. Thirdly, whilst the two lead characters are deliberately set as opposites the performances of the two leads teeter into the realms of Samurai TV soap pastiche. Indeed when you compare them to the Hiroyuki Sanada's poised and subtle performance in the melancholic and restrained Twilight Samurai they fall-down badly.

Having said all that it's entertaining enough. Has some solid set-pieces and a suitably authentic feel. But that's just not enough. Ultimately, it's a major disappointment. The poster's great though.

Possibly not one to enjoy as such, but definitely one to watch!

[keith_g · 9/10 · 6 June 2005]

One acid test for a movie is that of whether or not you find yourself caring for (any of) the characters as you watch it. This superb study of human personality and of self-sacrifice, honour and duty in difficult circumstances passes that test like almost no other film I've seen.

I've read many of the comments here that want to split this film into good parts and bad parts and would only say that I, for one, cannot see the join - from start to finish the film is well-paced with a series of events that will make you laugh at times and may well make you cry at other times. For me, it was uncomfortable a lot of the time, as I wasn't much pleased with the way the story unfolded and the direction the events took - with just about everything going against the way I would have liked it to! (Risk of a spoiler prevents me being too specific here!) Too many personal chords were being struck for me to actually *enjoy* the film at times but it maintained an unusual integrity in sticking to its own uncomfortable/unsatisfying course and reaching its own rather superb conclusion in a way that many movies seem unable to do without pandering to their audience's expectations in some way.

Technicalities were mostly excellent: The acting (possibly because of the non-familiar faces) was impeccable, the soundtrack was excellent and all other aspects were most satisfactory despite a slight air of claustrophobia with much of the film taking place in a somewhat shut-in environment with only the briefest picture-postcard views of Japan. Also, with the copy I saw, the colour could have been better at times, as could the lighting of the interiors...

The temptation to say avoid this film and any disquiet it might bring you is strong, but instead I say watch it and I have no qualms in giving it 9 out of 10 - it's worth it!!

A Powerful Moving Story!...That Drags ON & ON!!!

[jerrythecow · 7/10 · 4 June 2006]

7/10, ***.5/4

Kanichiro Yoshimura (Kiichi Nakai) is a samurai who was forced to betray his clan in order to save his family. His life goes on in a new clan until finally, he crawls back wounded to his first clan, only to be forced to commit hara-kiri before even seeing his family including the daughter he's never seen.

The script was a bit confusing. Of course, I saw it with subtitles and I have never been to Japan, but still. Other than that, I liked the script, especially Yoshimura's death monologue at the end, although it dragged a bit.

Speaking of dragging, that's my #1 concern with this movie. After the final battle at the end where Yoshimura refuses to back down even against 100's of guns, it gets a bit boring. The monologue is a bit long, and it could have been cut down. Everything else after his death could also have been cut down to a few minutes, instead of the 10 or 20 minutes that it was.

The directing was incredible! Yojiro Takita takes the simplest shots and uses them to create a beautiful story! (There was one problem that I noticed: They didn't leave footprints in the snow.) I loved how he framed his shots and used only a few shots to create a scene.

The acting was pretty good, although some of it was weak. Nothing that good or that bad. Just average.

All in all, a movie you must see!

Excellent movie that deserves more recognition

[loco12 · 9/10 · 13 October 2004]

I watched the DVD of Mibu Gishi Den last night after it was lent to me by a friend. I had never heard of it before so watched it with no idea what it was about, other than I was told it was a story about he Samurai.

Well it blew me totally away. Like many foreign movies, I struggled at first with the names of the characters, and as they were dressed similar and all had the same haircut, I had a bit of trouble working out who was who!

Nevertheless I persevered and after 30 minutes had more or less followed the plot. It certainly got easier as the film unfolded and in the end there was a tear in my eye. I won't give away the plot of the film, as others have already done this. Just to say at the end as the titles rolled there was a lump in my throat. Repeated viewings will make the movie a better experience.

This DVD is available on region 3 now and certainly well worth owning. It is a far superior Samurai film compared to The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise.

Don't pass up the chance to see this remarkable movie. The two leads are excellent actors, and though I have never heard of them before, I should imagine they are very well known in their native Japan.

Grade A.

Stingy samurai

[olcayozfirat · 6/10 · 30 September 2022]

2002 samurai movie. I swear to you, who did what in the movie, who fought to protect whom, what was the purpose of the samurai, did the woman cheat on the man, why the man was asked to do harakiri, I did not understand anything. Let me explain it simply. An old man carries his sick grandson on his back and brings him to a doctor. He sees a photograph of a samurai at the doctor's house. It turns out that this old man was a samurai with that man. The doctor tells as much as he knows in his own life, and the old man tells about the times he lived together. I looked for The Swordsman flavor in the movie but couldn't find it.

There are no nudity or sexually explicit scenes in the movie.

Far too sentimental

[marcus-w-chan · 2/10 · 10 January 2005]

I watched this film twice. And it was surprising how my opinion changed after watching it the second time. After the first time, I came out feeling really sad and feeling a lot of sympathy for the lead character. However, I also noted that the film owed much of its style and storyline to Tasogare Seibei. After watching it the second time, I came out with a completely different opinion. Instead of feeling sympathy and understanding for the lead character, I found myself extremely confused. Here's why:

1. The lead character (who'll be called "Yoshimura" from now on) is a low-ranked samurai and yet he makes it into a high rank position in the Shinsengumi. How? I mean, if he was a good swordsman, he would surely have been high-ranked to begin with.

2. We learn quite early on that Yoshimura is a money-grubber who tries his best to get the best deal in order to support his family. And yet, he turns down the rebel offer of twice his allowance. Why? If his loyalty is to supporting his family, he would surely have taken the rebel's offer.

3. Supposing the answer to (2) is because he is a loyal servant to whoever he serves, then I'm utterly confused by his loyalty. First, he leaves his clan because he has to support his family. Ignoring the fact that he's betrayed his loyalty to his clan, we find him serving the Shinsengumi to the bitter end. When he crawls his way to Jiraemon Ono's base near the end, he begs to be allowed to return to Oshu. Again, I am confused by his loyalty since, as Ono points out, if he was a true samurai he would support the remainder of the Shinsengumi. So is Yoshimura a coward? This implies he is. Or he wants to see his family. Either way, this then asks the question: Why did he stand up to the Emperors's army if he was a coward or he wanted to see his family?? It just does not add up.

4. We see Yoshimura's character as a kindly family man. But what I found unbelievable was the way his character suddenly changes to one of cold ferocity. Sorry but I don't buy that at all.

I'm so glad that another reviewer commented on the film's over sentimentality because I completely agree with him. It seemed that the Director depended on this virtue to give the film its merit. After watching Tasogare Seibei for the second time, I was of the opinion that it was on the verge of over sentimentality as well but fortunately, it does not cross the line - but only by a whisker. Unfortunately, "When the last sword..." crosses the line by miles and fails to deliver a convincing storyline. The last 20-30 minutes was completely cringe-worthy and should have been cut out. I was practically laughing when the two boys were holding hands like two lovers reuniting after many years...

Going through the (e)motions...

[poe426 · 9/10 · 2 July 2013]

With starvation ravaging the land, Yoshimura's wife offers to commit suicide so their family can have meat on the table... Yoshimura elects instead to leave his family of three (soon to be four) in search of gainful employment. Before you can say wandering ronin, he's teaching swordplay to the Shogun's men and dispatching them what needs dispatching. His buddy Saito, however, doesn't really like him and friction develops between the two. Saito even attempts to cut Yoshimura down, taking him by surprise, but the latter proves too adept at swordplay to be so easily dispatched. They develop a reluctant friendship (at least on the part of Saito), with Yoshimura attempting at every turn to cash in on what he knows so that he can send the money back home. In one of the film's most interesting scenes, Yoshimura examines the body of a fellow samurai who has been killed and determines that the dead man was slain by a left-handed swordsman. Saito is a lefty. Rather than risk the wrath of higher-ups, Saito pays Yoshimura to keep his mouth shut. In another scene, their divergent philosophies are made clear. "I'm only alive because no one will kill me," Saito laments. "I kill because I don't want to die," the ever-practical Yoshimura responds. At one point, someone sums up the whole notion of duty and conscience: "A real samurai apologizes by spilling his guts." There are a couple of great fx shots in WHEN THE LAST SWORD IS DRAWN and the two leads are outstanding. The filmmaking is superb. The one and only complaint I have is the long, drawn out ending: it has to be the longest crying jag I've ever seen in a samurai movie.

Excellent!

[knutt · 10/10 · 8 February 2004]

This movie was recommended to me after I went to see "The Last Samurai (2003)" and was deeply captivated with that story.

This movie takes place during the confusing times when the Emperor attempted to modernize Japan and the time of the samurai warriors and their shogun masters was ending. It tells the story of the "lesser" samurai Kanichiro Yoshimura and his rival Hajime Saito. This is more of a drama than an action movie, and that is where it scored high with me. Call it a samurai movie with a twist - or, if you like, one that probably is more historically correct and pays more respect to the proud samurai warriors.

My face did get wet, I admit that. I really did have empathy (and sympathy for that matter) with poor, hard-working, misunderstood Yoshimura. 10/10!

A little disappointing

[clay5601 · 30 November 2004]

This film looked really promising, but I was put off by the clichéd sentimentality (flashbacks in soft focus!) and confounding choices of tragic hero Kanichiro Yoshimura. Frequent flashbacks and flash-forwards attempt to liven up the limp plot, but don't do much for narrative momentum. The film drags terribly towards the end, and could have done with some more judicious editing.

Last Sword really didn't deserve to beat Takeshi Kitano's fantastic Zatoichi for best film at the 2003 Japanese Academy Awards, but I can't begrudge the best actor nod for Kichi Nakai, who gives an amazing performance. In all, nearly worth the two and a half hours at the cinema.

Interesting movie, but not without its flaws

[adnarish · 7/10 · 23 December 2013]

When the Last Sword is Drawn is one of the more interesting depictions of Japan's last generation of samurai. However, this context immediately introduces a problem, because the Boshin War and its implications on Japanese society are not generally understood by non-Japanese audiences. Doctors moving to China, samurai being mowed down by primitive machine guns, the Emperor and the Shogun at war, people being tied to a clan or a 'land'? These elements all play a role in the story, and add to it, but a (superficial) knowledge of them is taken for granted by the director.

The movie itself starts off well. The introduction of the characters, their motivations, and their places within the story are handled to-the-point in a series of tightly scripted and edited scenes that switch between present (1899), past and pre-past, so to speak. As the story unfolds, the relations between the characters develop along interesting lines, as motivations become more clear and emotions start to ramp up on all sides.

After the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January 1868, these emotions become somewhat problematic. The melodramatic scenes following this event are drawn out, repetitive and lack the focus and tightness of the first hour or so of the film. In the final sequences, the connection between the past and present is made, and while the 'surprise' did indeed make me grin, I'm not sure it was really necessary to take so long to build up to that one short moment.

Nevertheless, this is a film well worth seeing. Kiichi Nakai is excellent as samurai Kanichiro Yoshimura, and Koichi Sato makes a convincing Hajime Saito. Takehiro Murata, Atsushi Ito and Yuji Miyake make for an interesting Ono family, and Sansei Shiomi and Masato Sakai are a great bunch of samurai. Yui Natsukawa isn't on screen for long, but portrays the difficulties of Shizu's position as the wife of the 'traitor' Yoshimura very well indeed. Finally, what's not to like about Miki Nakatani as Nui? Her story as an orphaned and traded-around girl is quite tragic in and of itself, and it was great to see Nui, as a woman, get involved in the main, male-dominated, series of events.

Great movie

[a18221 · 9/10 · 4 February 2004]

A great movie about samurais, full of historical details and deep feelings, is a story of a brave samurai that put´s love and family first.But when samurai code and family mixed together, emerges a number of moral questions like honor and loyalty and how thin is the line that separates the traitor from the hero.Society in hour days seems different but people still use political and religion arguments to convince others to serve their thirst for power.On the end what really matters is love and some of us learn that by the hard way.

;) "A must see masterpiece"

The tragedy of the Shinsengumi

[UberNoodle · 7/10 · 7 August 2006]

I saw this film a while ago, and thought that I should comment on it, now that it appears to have been "discovered" outside Japan.

Many have critised Mibu Gishiden (When the Last Sword is Drawn), but I think that seeing the film from the POV of Japanese people might change their opinions.

The film is very melodramatic, and manipulative, and perhaps if I didn't live in Kyoto, and work next to Mibu Temple (Yes, where the Shinsengumi (the Mibu ro) often were), I would also be more dismissive of this film. But I have seen Kyoto's fascination for the tragedy of the Shinsengumi, and their futile battle against an unstoppable chain of events. I have seen walked past pachinko palours where battles were fought, and ate in restaurants where people were killed, and sword marks still remain in beams of wood. I have ridden the subway, just a metre away from a crazy fan that only went outside when dressed and fully armed in true Shinsengumi fashion.

Perhaps without all of this, I would have dismissed the film in favour of Yoji Yamada's films at the time, and also WTLSID is overly overdrawn. But it is the insight into history, and the exploration into the passions and lives of these historical characters that really makes the film memorable. See it if you can.

moving, excellent movie

[martius · 10/10 · 4 April 2004]

I've read others comment about this movie and I agree most of them. This movie is over 2hours but when you interact with this movie .. time really flies by. This main charater of this movie Yoshimura which is a unique person. He's a goofy clownish but most skilled samurai who's kindheart and thinks of others before himself.

WIthout revealing too much, at the end is very sad and I couldn't hold my tears in ;-) I recommend this movie highly those who likes action and drama. :)

Rate: 9/10

Like "The Last Samurai", this film was set in the Meiji period. Unlike "The Last Samurai", this film was good.

[rajio · 10/10 · 20 December 2004]

Kanichiro is a poor samurai who has fallen on hard times. To feed his family he betrays his clan and moves to Kyoto to join the Shinsengumi (sort of like the Japanese secret police of the time). In Kyoto he squirrels away cent he earns and sends it back to his family. But times are changing and Kanichiro must choose where his loyalty lies; with the Shogun or with the Emperor. I really enjoyed this film, although I thought it could have benefited from a bit of brutal editing in parts. It tended to meander a bit towards the conclusion but it was overall a very good film and well deserving of its acclaim.

Potentially a fascinating exploration of loyalty and family, brought down by a clichéd and sentimental final third

[tomgillespie2002 · 5/10 · 12 September 2012]

Beginning in 1899, ageing samurai Saito (Koichi Sato) brings his child into a doctor's office. While the doctor's wife tends to the sick child, Saito and the doctor, Ono (Takehiro Murata), begin talking when Saito notices a photograph of his old colleague and master Yoshimura (Kiichi Nakai). Saito begins to tell his story from his first meeting with Yoshimura, a gifted swordsman, during the era of the Tokugawa shogunate. Yoshimura has brought shame on himself by leaving his small town clan after realising he cannot support his family, in order to join the Shinsengumi, a samurai police force that is slowly building a reputation and small army. Seen as a miser and a clown, Yoshimura slowly gains respect due to his loyalty to his clan, and his fresh outlook on life, just as war approaches.

Rarely have I seen a movie shift in quality so much as When the Last Sword is Drawn. After a solid, exciting and intriguing first 70 or so minutes, the tone of the film shifts so drastically for the remainder that it threatens to completely ruin what preceded it. Winding down into a seemingly endless conveyor belt of emotional and highly sentimental scenes, the film quite frankly becomes a bore, and often feels like it's trying to desperately squeeze tears out of you. Although the performances are impressive (especially lead Nakai), the script is so chocked full of clichés that this becomes redundant.

Yet the film as a whole does have much to admire, as it explores themes of loyalty and family, and asks whether you can ever truly know someone. Sairo and Ono both have their sides of the story to tell, and have slightly conflicting memories of Yoshimura. Often his character can betray his own beliefs, creating conflicts within his personality, whether this is to show how memory can betray you, or the complexity of the human character I don't know, but Yoshimura is a fascinating character, and different to the usual brooding samurai. This would have been a very good film had it been shaved by about thirty minutes, or didn't spend so much time on tearful goodbyes and sentimental monologuing, But director Yojiro Takita is intent, and the film sadly doesn't have the scope or the quality to justify its 140+ running time.

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Undescribably sad and touching story

[Micke_Eriksson · 9/10 · 4 April 2004]

Wow... This movie totally blew me away... I'm not easily as touched as I were with this movie. I litterally had to pause it several times not to weep like baby. I haven't been this moved since the movie Heaven & Earth with Tommy Lee Jones, a drama about poverty and sadness, war and it's affect on people

This movie straight hit's the roof. I got tears, and a clogged throat. Normally I don't watch too many dramas, but this one I saw in a hunch.

I, without a doubt, give this 10 / 10 in the category of dramas! Respect the Samurai's! Respect those who throughout time died for bloodfeuds between clan's, starvation, and honor.

This is clearly a masterpiece! It deserves an Oscar.

Samurais and soap suds

[ChungMo · 9/10 · 31 December 2006]

There are samurai films that story wise stand up on their own and there are others that make less sense to those outside of Japan. Mibu Gishi Den is definitely a film that would help with a quick stop at the Wikipedia to bone up on the historical events that the film is set around. Without some knowledge of the Shinsengumi and the upheaval of their times, a viewer is going to be confused and lost at points. A point that might help is that samurais depicted in this film would only receive a stipend according to their social status not their ability in the clan. That could mean that an excellent, devoted fighter would be dressed in rags while a useless fop had money to burn. The similar film "Twilght Samurai" also deals with this issue.

This is a very well mounted production, well directed, photographed and acted. The action is expertly mounted. The non-linear storytelling (flashbacks within flashbacks) can be confusing to those who are trying to keep up with the history but it makes the story more rewarding in the end. The movie is long but that only shows itself during two soapy scenes of melodrama but these are followed by such well done scenes of emotion it's made up for.

Recommended.