[R]eminded me of one of [John] Ford's more elegiac Westerns
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06/22/06
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Hidden Blade (2006)
87
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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
While 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 CriticFrom 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 CriticYamada's film is strong and poignant, though perhaps it will be more so with Japanese audiences who better understand societal pressure.
06/20/06
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
A subtle and emotive period drama that mirrors its highly praised predecessor.
04/01/06
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12/06/05
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
Beautifully observed, with strong characters and a lovely romantic plot, although it's as a bit too subdued.
09/30/05
Back to the woodshed with this dull blade!
09/26/05
This overly staid film seems to cry out for a climactic, cathartic dose of wild, passionate unpredictability that the director is never fully willing to indulge.
09/16/05
An exceptional portrait of a samurai warrior who is a nurturing male.
09/15/05
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June 22, 2006:
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