The Twilight Samurai

The Twilight Samurai or Tasogare Seibei ? , literally Twilight Seibei is a 2002 Japanese film directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in mid19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a lowranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. Poor, but not destitute, he still manages to lead a content and happy life with his daughters and senile mother. Through an unfortunate turn of events, the turbulent times conspire against him.

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 what a lowranking samurai such as Seibei could afford. Seibei works in the grain warehouse, accounting for stores inventory for the samurai clan. His samurai colleagues mock him behind his back with the nickname Tasogare Twilight. When evening approaches, Seibei rushes home to look after his senile elderly mother 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 and being shabbily dressed. The wellbeing 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 Seibeis 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 tomboy as a child and as an adult questions points of etiquette, such as obeying her elder brothers wife and not attending peasant festivals, if she believes them wrong. Recently divorced from an abusive alcoholic husband Koda, a samurai captain, Tomoe finds comfort and solace with Seibeis daughters. Tomoes her exhusband Koda barges into the household of Michinojo in the middle of night in a drunken demand for Tomoe and challenges Michinojo to a duel which Seibei accepts on Michinojos behalf believing Michinojo could not win. This takes place with Seibei knowing his clan forbids duels and the penalty is usually death for the winner as the loser is already dead. Michinoji arrives before Seibei and is facing Koda. Seibei interrupts and decides to use only a wooden stick whilst Koda brandishes a steel katana. Koda, after being di

Source: Wikipedia