Kakizaki Yuji’s period film is not like the jidaigeki films we are used to. While it deals with themes of seppuku, duty, and loyalty to one’s masters and the shogun, we see very little in terms of action. Instead, the film focuses on the inner thoughts and struggles of the protagonist—who is ordered to perform a ritual suicide—his wife, and their entire household, all leading up to the final moment.

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