When The Last Sword Is Drawn Details

Yojiro Takita's chambara (Japanese swordplay film) may explore the same period as The Last Samurai, but this is a far less ostentatious affair. The central focus, however, remains the same — the transition of power from the warrior traditions of the Tokugawa Shogunate to the firearmed might of the Meiji Restoration. Comprised of a series of flashbacks, the story charts Koichi Sato's relationship with Kiichi Nakai, a celebrated swordsman whose loyalty to his clan and their way of life earns him the enmity of those who once admired him. Takita stages several striking set pieces and allows some occasional comic relief, but his primary concern — and greatest accomplishment — is capturing the effect on individuals of the decline of the Bushido code.

The conflicting demands of loyalty, honour and feeding ones family mark this Japanese civil war drama following a... read more on Time Out