For a samurai, duty and honor mean everything.B So much so that it is more honorable to commit suicide than face disgrace or failure. But what about love?
That is the question that director YCB4ji Yamada explores in his film “Love and Honor.” The story follows Shinnojo Mimura (Takuya Kimura), a young, low-ranking samurai who works for the feudal lord as a food tester.
He dreams of opening his own dojo, but just before he is about to resign his post, the food he tastes poisons him and leaves him blind and incapable of providing for his family. In this time period in Japan, it was disgraceful for the male in the family to be unable to work. Jobs for women were lowly, and in the public eye it would have been disgraceful for his wife Kayo (Rei Dan) to work such jobs.
The two must find a way to survive while maintaining their honor, and to do so Shinnoji is forced to pick up his sword once again, despite his blindness.
The aptly named “Love and Honor” is a film not about the physical struggles of the samurai, but a story of the survival of love through the trials of class and shame. It examines the complexities of traditional Japanese samurai when faced with a choice between losing one’s status and sacrificing their emotions.B It’s a beautiful and enduring tale of dedication and love, and it is for this reason that the film has and will continue to surprise its audiences.
The beginning of the film is somewhat slow in its pacing, and it takes a while to get used to the seemingly monotonous routines and courtesies of the characters. At times you want the characters to just say how they feel already, but in this regard it really puts its viewers into the setting.B The formalities of the culture and time are very strict, and that feeling is conveyed well.
This is Yamada’s 79th film, but it has been the last few years where he has gained worldwide press.B “Love and Honor” is the third in an unrelated series of samurai films.B
His first, “The Twilight Samurai,” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 2002, and the next, “The Hidden Blade,” did well at the Berlin Film Festival.B
These films seem to be more about the struggles of traditional lower class samurai with the complexities of their station, rather than what they do with their blades.
“Love and Honor” is a beautiful love story. Unfortunately, American audiences have succumbed to their desires for quick, shallow entertainment to satisfy their ever-shortening attention spans.
This film will do well on the festival circuit because of the nature of the patrons of such events, but the average American will be missing out on a compelling story simply because it doesn’t move quickly enough.
The film will be playing at the Denver Film Society at The Starz Film Center starting Oct 3, and will be screened in the Boulder International Film Festival on Oct 12.
While it isn’t an explosion filled roller coaster ride, it won’t disappoint those who have an appreciation for cinema.
