Bushido

Kakunoshin is a master of both the sword and the game of go, a samurai who follows the rules to the letter. He is falsely accused of theft. Unable to prove his innocence, he goes into exile as a masterless ronin. Years later a matter of missing gold pulls him back into an intrigue and he learns the truth behind his own fall. The go board is overturned. Kazuya Shiraishi builds his samurai narrative on waiting rather than fighting. For years Kakunoshin does nothing; he lives not to recover his honour but for his daughter's future. So the tension lies not in the sword but in when the man will draw it. The scenes of go also set the film's structure: the moves are slow and the outcome is sudden. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi plays Kakunoshin and Kaya Kiyohara plays his daughter. Who it's for: Viewers who like Japanese period films, quiet samurai narratives, and slow tension. Who it's not for: There is very little action and the pace stays low throughout. The violence at the end also does not match the tone of the rest.