The Twilight Samurai

The Twilight Samurai
The Twilight Samurai poster
Directed by	Yôji Yamada
Written by	Yôji Yamada Shuhei Fujisawa Yoshitaka Asama
Starring	Hiroyuki Sanada Rie Miyazawa
Music by	Isao Tomita
Distributed by	Shochiku Co., Ltd. Empire Pictures
Release date	November 2 2002
Running time	129 min.
Language	Japanese

The Twilight Samurai (たそがれ清兵衛, Tasogare Seibei) is an Academy Award nominated 2002 Japanese film directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. Poor, but not destitute, he still manages to lead a content and happy life with his daughters and senile mother. Sadly, through an unfortunate turn of events, the turbulent times conspire against him.

The film is different from many other samurai-themed films in that it concentrates on showing the main character's everyday struggles, instead of focusing on action-oriented battles. Thus, the film carries very few fight scenes.

The Twilight Samurai was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards, losing to the Canadian film Les Invasions Barbares. Twilight Samurai also won an unprecedented 12 Japanese Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Plot

At the start of the film, the main character, Iguchi Seibei, becomes a widower when his wife succumbs to tuberculosis, a common illness at the time. His wife receives a grand funeral, more than what a lowest-ranking samurai such as Seibei could afford. Even the sale of a katana (samurai sword) could not cover the expense of a grand funeral, and a samurai could not part with his katana for it symbolizes a samurai's life. Seibei works in the grain warehouse, accounting for stores inventory for the samurai clan. Grain was very valuable during that time; it is the difference between a clan's very survival and mass death from starvation. His samurai colleagues give him the condescending nickname "Tasogare Seibei" or "Twilight Seibei" — when evening approaches, Seibei rushes home to look after his senile elderly mother and two young daughters, Kayano and Ito, instead of bonding with his supervisor and other samurai colleagues over customary nights of dinner, geisha entertainment, and sake drinking. Even though he is of samurai class, Seibei continues downward in a sorry state of neglect of his own appearance, failing to bathe and dressing in the same tattered rags day after day, almost looking more like a peasant than samurai. The well-being of his young daughters and medicine for his mother take priority over new clothes or covering the monthly bath fee. "Twilight" suits him well, a petty samurai of no significance.

Things change when Seibei's childhood friend, Tomoe (sister of Iinima Michinojo, one of his better, kinder samurai friends) returns to town. Recently divorced from an abusive alcoholic husband, Koda (a samurai captain), Tomoe finds comfort and solace with Seibei's daughters. When her ex-husband Koda barges into the household of Michinojo in the middle of night in a drunken demand for Tomoe, Seibei accepts a duel with the captain, hoping to put a stop to the abuse. There seems little chance for him to beat the captain, but Seibei strongly feels he must try. Dueling amongst clan members is strictly forbidden (the penalty is usually death for whoever wins the duel as the loser of the duel is already dead), so Seibei decides to use only a bokuto (wooden practice sword) whilst Koda brandishes a steel katana sword. Seibei overcomes, sparing both their lives.

When Iinima Michinojo asks Seibei to marry his sister, he feels that Iinima is teasing him for his strong feelings for Tomoe, like when he, Iinima, and Tomoe were all children. Iinima knows Tomoe's feeling for Seibei, and Seibei is a kind man who would treat Tomoe better than Koda. With much deep regret, Seibei cannot accept Iinima's offer of his sister's hand in marriage, citing his inferior social status (a 50 koku samurai) and how he did not want to see Tomoe (from a 400 koku samurai family) share the burdens of poverty as Seibei struggles every month to feed Kayano and Ito whilst caring for his ailing mother. Seibei stoically regrets how his departed wife suffered in his care, who came from a higher 150 koku samurai family. Iinima talks no more of it. Tomoe stops seeing Kayano and Ito. The twilight of Seibei's last years grows darker.

In the final act, the head of Seibei's clan, having heard of his prowess with a sword, orders Seibei to kill a samurai retainer, Yogo Zen'emon, who has been "disowned" and who stubbornly refuses to resign his post by committing seppuku. The young shogun has passed away from measles, and this ill-boding does not fare well for all clans. Clans are being consolidated, and insignificant, lowest-ranking samurai are being selected for disownment. Earlier, Yogo Zen'emon killed a more formidable samurai who was tasked to bring in Yogo's head. Seibei is further promised a rise in social standing if he accepts the dangerous mission. Seibei is very reluctant at first, requesting two days to think about it. He expresses to the head of the clan that, because of great hardship in his life, he has lost all resolve to fight with ferocity. He needs two days to get himself up to the task. The head of the clan is furious over such a silly answer. The supervisor insists it is a great honor to partake in such a mission, trying to shield Seibei from the wrath of the head of the clan. Seibei is finally forced to submit to the task. Upon parting that evening, Seibei is reluctant to mention the welfare of Kayano and Ito to his supervisor, but he strongly feels he may not survive afterward. The supervisor assures him the girls will be okay.

The following morning, Seibei attempts to get ready, but he is in a nervous rut. There is no one to help him in the final ritual as customary of samurai before a last battle. With no one to turn to, he requests Tomoe for her assistance. Before he leaves, he finally tells Tomoe that he was wrong not to propose. And if he ever makes it back in one piece, he would very much like to propose for her hand in marriage, now that there is promise of a promotion. She regretfully tells Seibei she has already accepted another's proposal and will be married soon. Seibei, feeling like a fool, tells Tomoe to forget about the silly conversation. As humbly as he could, he graciously apologizes to her. It is an awkward moment. Tomoe says that she will not be waiting at his household for him to return. Seibei says he understands completely. He thanks Tomoe for her generosity for assisting him in this final ritual. They part.

Seibei's kodachi (short sword) fighting style is matched up against Zen'emon's ittōryū (single long sword) swordsmanship in an intense duel indoors. Despite being grievously slashed numerous times, Seibei kills Zen'emon. With deep wounds, Seibei limps home as fast as he could. Kayano and Ito rush to him in the courtyard, happy to see ota-san (papa).

Tomoe is there, waiting in the house.

In a brief epilogue, his younger daughter explains that their happiness was not to last: He died three years later in the Boshin War, Japan's last civil war. Ito often heard from fellow co-workers that Tasogare Seibei was a very unfortunate character, a most pathetic samurai with no luck at all. Ito speaks on the contrary that this samurai of no significance married Tomoe and those were the happiest years of their lives.

Cast

• Hiroyuki Sanada - Seibei Iguchi
• Rie Miyazawa - Tomoe Iinuma
• Nenji Kobayashi - Choubei Kusaka
• Ren Osugi - Toyotarou Kouda
• Mitsuru Fukikoshi - Michinojo Iinuma
• Hiroshi Kanbe - Naota
• Miki Itô - Kayano Iguchi
• Erina Hashiguchi - Ito Iguchi
• Reiko Kusamura - Iguchi's Mother
• Min Tanaka - Zenemon Yogo
• Keiko Kishi - Ito
• Tetsuro Tamba - Tozaemon Iguchi

Motion Picture Soundtrack

• Isao Tomita, composer
  
• "Kimerareta Rizumo" theme song sung by Yosui Inoue (translated: The Rhythm which is Decided)

External links

• Twilight Samurai at IMDb
• at JMDb (in Japanese)