The Hidden Blade (2004)

Original title

隠し剣 鬼の爪

Directed by

Yōji Yamada

Genre

drama film, action film, samurai cinema

Country

Japan

Runtime

2h 12m

Rated

R

Rating

7.4 of 10 from 127 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A low-ranking samurai in 1860s Japan must reconcile his duty to his clan with his personal morals. He navigates shifting social structures while dealing with a missing friend and a forbidden romance.

slow-burnmelancholicrestrainedquietly tensegroundedsomberreflectiveunderstated

What happens

The Hidden Blade (隠し剣 鬼の爪, Kakushi ken: Oni no tsume; literally "Hidden Blade: Oni's Claw") is a 2004 film set in 1860s Japan, directed by Yoji Yamada. The plot revolves around several samurai during a time of change in the ruling and class structures of Japan. The film was written by Yamada with Yoshitaka Asama and, like its predecessor The Twilight Samurai (2002), based on a short story by Shūhei Fujisawa. The soundtrack is an original composition by Isao Tomita. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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