When The Last Sword Is Drawn DVD Review:

In 19th century Japan when the Shogun were battling against the King, respect and loyalty reined supreme. When the Last Sword is Drawn is a story about one lone Samuarai warrior , Kanichiro Yoshimura who appears to be a hero and an anti hero. Told through the eyes of an old samurai warrior and his appreciative student, the film is related in flashback, and is in many ways about how other people judge ones that they love by the life they live and how they live it. Yoshimura is torn between being devoted to his family and providing for them and his home town or pledging allegiance to his samurai clan, the Shinsemgumi.

The Western world has always had a fierce fascination and passionate love for Japanese cinema since the days of Kurosawa and with the advent of kung fu cinema exploding in the seventies, that fascination has never been suppressed. This film is a wonderful insight into feudal Japan and the complexities of dividing one's honour amongst family and other important ties. For the film buffs amongst you, one film that has obviously inspired the movie, is aforementioned Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, Rashomon. Told in flashback by different characters also, the film evokes a kind of serenity and gracefulness that makes the viewing all the more poignant. Beautiful landscapes and breathtaking vistas adorn every frame and there are moments when nothing happens and you are still glued to the screen.

Watching foreign films can sometimes be a chore for some people as some do not know whether to concentrate on the subtitles or the action. Again for the film lovers amongst you, those that would have the patience to endure will have an uplifting experience. It is bravura acting as the story itself needs moments of bravery through each character as well as moments of quiet contemplation and reflection on behalf of the main character. Adapted from the novel by Jiro Asada, it is a wonderful story about love, family, commitment and friendship and in the author's words it is "beauty in a simple way".

Features List

Behind the Scenes
While the film is being shot, the main actors are interviewed and give an account of the characters they play and the influence they have on the actors in a personal way.

Interviews
Vignettes of each of the characters and the writer giving a personal account, of how the film and the book has impacted upon them, and how important the differences between modern society and feudal Japan are so terrifyingly different.

Premiere Footage

The Tokyo Film Festival 2002 is where the film was first exposed to the public and the cast, crew, musical director and writer give their reasons for participating in the film.

Press Conference

The press junket that accompanies the opening of the film. The cast and director again give their comments on how shooting the film has affected them professionally and emotionally.

Original Theatrical Trailer

Previewed at the Tokyo Film Festival, the standard trailer to entice fervent movie goers.

Personal Comment

This is one of the most emotional films I have seen lately, and what I admire the most is the way the actors and director exaggerate in their personal interviews, the importance of materialism in modern day Japan and how attitudes were different in the past. What this film evokes is a yearning and a dream to return to those ideals that matter like family,a sense of belonging and honour. Watch this film and you will feel the same way too.



Catherine Emenike