The Twilight Samurai (2002)
The Twilight Samurai is a 2002 Japanese historical drama film co-written and directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Rie Miyazawa. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. Poor, but not destitute, he still manages to lead a content and happy life with his daughters and his mother, who has dementia. Through an unfortunate turn of events, the turbulent times conspire against him. The film was inspired by the short story “The Bamboo Sword” by Shuhei Fujisawa. The Twilight Samurai won an unprecedented 12 Japanese Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. The Twilight Samurai was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards.
Plot:
At the start of the film, the main character, Iguchi Seibei, becomes a widower when his wife succumbs to tuberculosis. His wife receives a grand funeral, more than Seibei, a low-ranking samurai can afford. Seibei works in the grain warehouse, keeping inventory for the clan. His samurai colleagues mock him behind his back with the nickname Tasogare (Twilight): when evening approaches, Seibei rushes home to look after his elderly mother, who has dementia, and two young daughters, Kayano and Ito, instead of bonding with his supervisor and other samurai colleagues over customary nights of dinner, geisha entertainment, and sake drinking.
Even though he is a samurai, Seibei neglects his appearance, failing to bathe or shave his head, and being shabbily dressed. The well-being of his young daughters and medicine for his mother take priority over new clothes or the monthly bath fee, and his daughters say they are both happy, even without a mother.
Things change when Seibei’s childhood friend Tomoe (sister of Iinuma Michinojo, one of his better, kinder samurai friends and much higher ranked in the clan) returns to town. Tomoe is atypical in that she was a tom-boy as a child and as an adult questions points of etiquette, such as obeying her elder brother’s wife and not attending peasant festivals.
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Box office:
In Japan, the film grossed ¥1.2 billion ($9.57 million) in 2002, becoming the year’s 16th top-grossing film at the Japanese box office. Overseas, the film grossed $593,547, including $559,765 in North America. This adds up to a total of $10,163,547 grossed worldwide.