LOVE AND HONOUR
Japan, 2006, 118 minutes, Colour.
Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Takashi Sasano.
Directed by Yoji Yamada.
Prolific Japanese director, Yojo Yamada, completes his Samurai trilogy with Love and Honour. The first in the series, Twilight Samurai (2004 and the Japanese entry for that year's Oscar for Foreign Film) and the second, The Hidden Blade (2005) received critical and popular acclaim. They were not the typical martial arts or Samurai adventures. They looked behind the action and dramatise the characters and their personal interactions as well as the repercussions of Samurai codes on their lives.
This film is moving in its portrait of a callow young Samurai (played by Japanese heart throb, Takuya Kimura, who shows a depth of acting skill as his character matures) who is one of the Lord's food-tasters. He has a young wife but is both dominating and flippant in his relationship with her. When he suffers a bout of food poisoning and loses his sight, his whole demeanour changes, far more serious and depressed. He clashes with his wife and divorces her. Finally, the action builds to a duel between himself and one of the Lord's important officials who has lied to him.
The other two characters are also well delineated, the Samurai's wife and his old servant.
The film is elegant, beautiful to look at. While there is the final duel, this is not an action film but a humane drama.
1.The end of a trilogy? A stand-alone film? The samurai background? The focus on character rather than action?
2.The setting, the samurai’s home, the surroundings? The Mansion of the Lord? The beauty of the colour photography, compositions, seasons? The beauty of the film? The musical score?
3.Audience knowledge of Samurai history? The background of Samurai training, their work for the Lord? Warriors as well as servants?
4.Mimura and his place as a Samurai in the clan? His role as a poison taster? His relationship with his wife? Their poverty? The happiness – but his offhand manner, especially with his wife and her innocence and ignorance? Their servant? Seeing him in action, the formalities of the food tasting? The officer taking the food, its being carried to the Lord, his eating? The episode with the test, Mimora and his becoming ill, collapsing? The stopping of the dinner for the Lord? The investigation, the fact that it was seasonal shelfish and not a deliberate plot? Yet the official, his being summoned, his committing Hara Kari?
5.Mimora, at home, ill? The work of the doctor? His wife and her care for him, transferring the medicine to him? His opening his eyes, his being blind? His having to accept this? The doctor and his pessimistic outlook?
6.Mimora, blind, dependent, helpless? The scenes of his trying to eat a meal, move around his room? His wanting to end his life? His wife and the servant saving him? His accepting this, living in the darkness?
7.The wife, her devotion? The family and the discussion about finances and means? The invitation for her to go to Shimada? Their urging her to go? Shimada and his proposition, wanting to advance Mimora’s salary? His forcing Kayo to have an affair? Mimora and learning of the truth and her story of what had happened? His divorcing her?
8.The revelation that the Lord himself was actually supporting Mimora for life? Shimada interested only in his own affairs?
9.Mimorak his decision to train with the sword, the master swordsman? The training, his ability with the sword? Sending the servant with the message to Shimada? The duel, Shimada and his tactics, Mimora and his slicing his arm?
10.The servant, ever faithful? The meals? Mimora’s complaints, the servant offering to bring in a cooking girl? Bringing in Kayo? Mimora recognising the meal, the reconciliation with his wife?
11.Mimora’s journey, from a callow young man to a more mature man, blind, loving his wife? The wife and the sadness of her journalist? The servant and his great fidelity?
