Love and Honor

Japanese drama about a a samurai who loses his sight as a result of a poisoning while employed as a food taster for his Lord. He and his wife struggle to cope financially and emotionally with the loss while maintaining some semblance of honor. There is the obligatory sword duel, but don't expect Zatoichi like swordplay - this one is all about the well written and acted story. Low key but very enjoyable.

The acting is restrained and understated but really, really good from the entire cast. The story itself is pretty basic and yet it kept me entertained the entire 2+ hour runtime. I thought that the end duel while too short for my taste was well shot and choreographed. Okay I admit I LOVED the final ten minutes.

Revisionist samurai film. Not as good as director Yoji Yamada's other samurai films, The Hidden Blade and Twilight Samurai, but beautifully crafted and with some very sensitively done acting.