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09/30/06
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Hidden Blade (2006)
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:27
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: A slow and steady samurai flick a la John Ford that brings emotions and psychology to an epic-scale adventure.
Theatrical Release:Jun 23, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: 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),... [More]
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Takako Matsu, Yukiyoshi Ozawa
Director: Yoji Yamada
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Reviews for Hidden Blade
Hidden Blade works, then, as that rare, intellectually stirring historical pageant, but also as a deeply emotional, satisfying samurai movie, one of the crown jewels of the genre.
03/01/07
[R]eminded me of one of [John] Ford's more elegiac Westerns
06/22/06
a totally immersive experience
09/28/06
Yoji Yamada redefines the words 'cinematic perfection' with a film that looks and feels like a true classic.
06/23/06
Both epic and intimate, this impassioned samurai drama is for anyone who's ever watched a movie and muttered, 'They just don't make 'em like they used to.'
06/23/06
An exceptional portrait of a samurai warrior who is a nurturing male.
09/15/05
Allows us the privilege of observing the samurai in the culture's death-throes without Hollywood-style histrionics.
06/14/06
The Hidden Blade is worthy of being loved by foreign film buffs and samurai film geeks alike.
05/06/06
An affecting portrait of the impact of profound change on people with limited options.
07/01/06
Top CriticA tenacious survival tale in which passionate lovers are held apart by outmoded traditions. How they overcome obstacles to happiness is what makes the film so dramatically engaging.
07/14/06
A character-driven, martial arts adventure more concerned with motivations than karate moves.
07/07/07
Yamada's film is old-fashioned in the very best sense. He is a great story teller and director of actors.
07/03/06
Second installment in Yamada's samurai trilogy. Once again the hero is unlike the super-warriors of the genre, but far more interesting.
09/07/08
Casually paced and filled with telling detail, Yamada's delicate drama with swordplay (there's not much, but what there is packs an emotional wallop) transcends its specific setting in its depiction of Katagiri's internal struggle.
06/23/06
Yamada's film is strong and poignant, though perhaps it will be more so with Japanese audiences who better understand societal pressure.
06/20/06
Even when it comes to the climactic blade battle, the director holds back with samurai-style self-control. In spite of this muted mood, the resolution of the film's love story manages to work the heart-strings.
12/06/05
From the beginning Yamada's movie, made in 2004, looks and feels more like a John Ford western than any other Asian film I've ever seen.
06/20/06
Top CriticWhile Yamada essentially repeats himself structurally, he finds fresh ironies in the story of how a culture built on tradition gets corrupted by technology and years of inaction.
06/22/06
The Hidden Blade is tranquil, touching, and, in its climactic sword fight, excitingly real.
06/21/06
Top CriticLatest News for Hidden Blade
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