When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2003)

Just finished watching this movie and have to say that it was excellent.The movie is set in the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Boshin war. It revolves around a poor samurai who joins the Shinsengumi to provide for his family.The opening of the movie is a little slow and confusing but persevere and you will be greatly rewarded. Doing a quick read up about the shinsengumi will ease the confusion. This movie has all the elements of jidaigeki movie; samurai, honour, swordfights, duty.The ending may be a tad sentimental, it did bring a tear to my eye, but it does end the movie right.Highly recommended.

By far one of the best films I have ever seen.it moved me..... very much so.....anyone who has not seen this should.The film deserves all the credit it can get and more, and serves as a reminder of the difficult Meiji era, loyalty duty and Honor, as well as human sacrifice for a greater good. On a smaller scale, your own family.The film also shows that where some people still think that in Japan showing your feelings is not done, they are gravely mistaken.its beautiful.KM

I saw this film a while ago, and thought that I should comment on it, now that it appears to have been "discovered" outside Japan.Many have critised Mibu Gishiden (When the Last Sword is Drawn), but I think that seeing the film from the POV of Japanese people might change their opinions.The film is very melodramatic, and manipulative, and perhaps if I didn't live in Kyoto, and work next to Mibu Temple (Yes, where the Shinsengumi (the Mibu ro) often were), I would also be more dismissive of this film. But I have seen Kyoto's fascination for the tragedy of the Shinsengumi, and their futile battle against an unstoppable chain of events. I have seen walked past pachinko palours where battles were fought, and ate in restaurants where people were killed, and sword marks still remain in beams of wood. I have ridden the subway, just a metre away from a crazy fan that only went outside when dressed and fully armed in true Shinsengumi fashion.Perhaps without all of this, I would have dismissed the film in favour of Yoji Yamada's films at the time, and also WTLSID is overly overdrawn. But it is the insight into history, and the exploration into the passions and lives of these historical characters that really makes the film memorable. See it if you can.

This is a very good movie with only a few minor flaws. The cast is exceptional, being many of Japans most better working actors today - the finest being Nakai Kiichi who brings a depth of character and sensitivity to his role which transcends any language barrier. The other main role played by Koichi Sato ( the son of one legendary Mikuni Rentaro )who also does an excellent job of drawing the audience into the fabric of story. For any viewer who is not familiar with Japanese history and the transition between the end of the Tokugawa Shogonate and the modern era which was ushered in with the Meiji Restoration, the back story will lose some of its richness. The Shinsengumi and its principle characters, though relatively unknown to the west, stand iconic to the Japanese and so much of the interplay between them and the two principle characters is understated and will slip by the average western viewer. I would recommend reading any of Romulous Hillsbourough's books before watching the movie only because the depth of the film will only be increased by doing so. This is a recommendation though not a prerequisite of course.This movie had a beautiful look and texture with some shots who color tones and composition are as precise as traditional woodblock prints. The sword play is some of the best ( and most realistic ) I have seen in a samurai film with Sakai Masato absolutely brilliant as Okita Soji. The fighting is brutal and bloody, well choreographed and stylish without being stylized. There is still a deadly dance quality to the swordplay, though it maintains its integrity and honesty to form.My only complaint with the movie is that it could use some minor cutting. The acting in Nakai Kiichi final scene is astonishingly beautiful, but it seriously goes on too long and will threaten even the most patient viewer to loose interest.In closing, let me say that this movie goes where the Last Samurai should have gone - straight to the heart and soul of a samurai.