The Hidden Blade

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Movie: The Hidden Blade
Romaji: Kakushi ken oni no tsume
Japanese: 隠し剣鬼の爪
Director: Yoji Yamada
Writer: Yoji Yamada, Yoshitaka Asama, Shuuhei Fujisawa (novel)
Producer: Hiroshi Fukazawa
Cinematographer Mutsuo Naganuma
Release Date: October 30, 2004
Runtime: 132 min.
Production Company: Shochiku
Distributor: Shochiku
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot

Munezo Katagiri (Masatoshi Nagase), an honest and low ranking samurai is trapped in a state of personal and professional imbalance. Secretly in love with his family's maid, Kie (Takako Tabata), Munezo begins an uneasy courtship with her, knowing that a relationship is impossible. Raised to respect traditions from the past and the demanding moral code of the samurai, circumstances have now forced Munezo to look to the future. Required to master western military strategies, particularly the art of artillery, Munezo is ordered to find and kill Yaichiro, a former friend, samurai, and brilliant swordsman. Munezo knows that he cannot beat Yaichiro with fire power alone, so he enlists the help of his old teacher, Kansai Toda, a master swordsman who entrusts Munezo with the secret and power of The Hidden Blade.

Cast

Masatoshi Nagase - Munezo Katagiri
Takako Matsu - Kie
Yukiyoshi Ozawa - Yaichiro Hazama
Hidetaka Yoshioka - Samon Shimada
Min Tanaka - Kansai Toda
Tomoko Tabata - Shino Katagiri
Ken Ogata - Chief Retainer Hori
Nenji Kobayashi - Ogata
Reiko Takashima - Hazama's Wife
Chieko Baisho - Mrs. Katagiri
Sachiko Mitsumoto - Mrs. Iseya
Kunie Tanaka
Makoto Akatsuka
Hiroshi Kanbe
Takashi Sasano

Awards

"Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction" (Mitsuo Degawa, Yoshinobu Nishioka) - 2005 (28th) Japan Academy Prize - February 18, 2005

Comments

Comment #1
Ki Says:
Feb 01 2011 6:35 am

To be honest the only samurai movie I have seen is “Azumi” (which isn't exactly classic Samurai material) so I’m not the best person to recite the history of director Yoji Yamada’s 78th film “The Hidden Blade.” What I did get out of watching this film was a sense of awe, from seeing an impressive combination of a love story between two people from different caste systems, along with the story of a samurai, hard coded with the values of honor & dignity, battling against society’s change into a more modern society without the clear delineated lines between those values.

The first half of the film dealt with the love between Katagiri & Kie. Katagiri is a low level samurai that is guided firmly by his values of honor & dignity. Kie has been a servant in Katagiri’s family and eventually marries into a marriage of convenience that leaves her at the brink of death. Katagiri eventually saves her by taking her back to his home (half selfish reasons / half to save her from her misery) and continues their relationship that is slightly distant, but mutually filled with love for the other person that is never spoken. Eventually the town hears that Katagiri has taken Kie back into his home and pressure comes from Katagiri’s samurai clan to leave the servant girl. Katagiri’s initial response was disappointing, but the ending saves the day. The other half of the movie dealt with Katagiri and his samurai clan. The leaders did not share the high standard of honor that Katagiri abided by and eventually caused Katagiri to make a choice between his code of honor and the code of the Samurai’s. The title of the film refers to a legendary Samurai tactical move that is referred to briefly in the movie and then is shown in action by Katagiri at the end of the film. It just may not be what you first think it is. Absolutely wonderful movie that should be checked out!