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Set in 19th Century Japan, feudal traditions are beginning to fade as Western alliances are changing the government of the country. Munezo, a low-ranking samurai who serves a clan that is trying to adapt to new gun culture. Whilst trying to save his unhappy marriage, he’s also battling his feelings for his mother’s lowly maid. Internal conflicts add to divided loyalties to the clan. A companion piece to Yoji Yamada’s Oscar-nominated The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade is an emotional, measured drama. Romance combines with slow-burning tensions. It’s an elegiac study of dying traditions in a passing era as well as an affectionate tribute to more traditional Japanese cinemas such as Ozu and Kurosawa.
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