When the Last Sword Is Drawn (Mibu Gishi Den) 2003

At the close of the Edo period in Kyoto, among newly recruited members of the Shinsengumi, Yoshimura Kanichiro shows outstanding skill as a swordsman. At that time in the imperial capital, the Shinsengumi, widely known as a group of patriotic samurai whose duty was to guard and defend Kyoto, is making a name for itself as a group of brave swordsmen, but their organization is crumbling from the inside. Yoshimura is a samurai and family man who can no longer support his wife and children on the the low pay he receives from his small town clan so he is forced by the love for his family to leave for the city in search of higher pay. In his search he joins the Shinsengumi where he does as much as possible to get money. Looked at as a money grubber, Yoshimura proves his strength physically and mentally by being loyal to his honor. During the dramatic period, with the rise of the Emperor and the fall of the Shogun, Yoshimura shows us the struggle of life in a personal way, by changing the lives of the people he meets and the way life is looked at.

Director: Takita Yojiro

Stars: Nakai Kiichi, Sato Koichi, Natsukawa Yui, Murata Takahiro

JDramaMama's Rating: A+

I cannot tell you how much I absolutely LOVE this film! The amazing performance of Nakai Kiichi, one of my favorite Japanese actors, is so overwheming and touching, I cried. This man is so underrated! The film starts out with an aged member of the Shinsengumi, Hajime Saito (played by Sato Koichi), bringing his sick grandson to a clinic on a snowy Tokyo evening. By this time the Shinsengumi has long been disbanded and he is one of the surviving few. At the clinic, the husband and wife doctors admit them in, even though they are closed. As Hajime waits as his grandson is being treated, to his shock, he sees a photo of Yoshimura, Nakai's character, on a table. He questions the husband as to who the man is. The doctor avoids his questions. However, Hajime tells the audience it's Yoshmiura, the one man he hated the most. Shown in flashbacks, we get a glimpse into the lonely, violent and negative life of Hajime compared to the positive, though poor, life of Yoshimura, the family man who longingly brags about his little girl that he adores. It turns Hajime's stomach and from that night, he makes up his mind to kill Yoshimura. He tricks him into escorting him home one rainy night under the pretense that he's drunk. All of a sudden, he pulls his sword but Yoshimura, unbeknowst to Hajime, is an excellent swordsman, regardless of his hokey, down home facade. And, although Hajime dislikes Yoshimura intently, he begins to respect him.

There is so much more I could say about this film: the beautiful love story between Yoshimura and his wife Shizu (beautifully portrayed by Natsukawa Yui), his undying loyalty to the Shogunate, his scrimping and saving every cent to send to his family at the ridicule of his peers, and his touching dying scene. If you haven't seen this movie, you must! From Nakai and Sato's performance, to the gorgeous scenery and OST, it is a real winner!

#Japan #samurai #family #drama #historical