The word "samurai" comes from the Japanese "saburau" - "to serve", respectively, the samurai - a service person, but this service meant something more. The samurai bushido code, combined with Japanese etiquette and mentality, drew a strict framework in duties, behavior, speech and even movements towards the samurai. And one of the basic tenets of Bushido was “to live when it is right to live, and to die when it is right to die.” But what if the service to a stupid, vain and selfish master is repugnant to his own nature, loved ones are waiting in the next world, but duty and honor do not allow you to say goodbye to life? Tormented by such a dilemma before us appears Kanemi Sandzaemon, the head of the infantry detachment in the service of Prince Yukyo, the main character of the historical drama “Sword of Despair”.
Alas, the creators of the tape made Mr. Kanemi too positive - if his absolute loyalty to the master is due to the samurai code, then caring for peasants goes against the mentality of warriors of the Edo period, who, as you know, could cut the commoner in place almost for fun. The only sin of Sandzaemon is the plot-forming murder of Ranko, the beloved concubine of her master - a woman arrogant, greedy, power-hungry and not shy of sending undesirables to the next world. From the point of view of the narrative, this murder looks absolutely logical – Yukyo’s mind, poisoned by lust, lost the ability to control the domain, and Ranko easily intercepted the threads of rule, pandering to whims of little importance for the development and viability of lands. But despite this, the heavy burden of killing a defenseless woman reads in the eyes of a harsh samurai. In general, the Edo period is considered the beginning of prosperity and the most stable era in the history of Japan, and therefore the samurai - primarily warriors - lost their relevance, and became virtually slaves of their suzerains, extremely rarely passing into the category of executioners who pacified small peasant riots. Such a life, aggravated by the loss of his beloved wife, did not bring Sanzaimnon any joy, and therefore he decided on such a desperate, at the same time contrary to his nature, but also justified by the code from the point of view of “fighting the inner enemy”, an act, realizing that the subsequent execution would finally free him from the bonds of duty. This release is a red thread throughout the narrative, whether it is a bird carved by Kanemi, made during a year of imprisonment, unexpectedly replaced by a regular execution. Or be it a special secret technique spear bird, another name of which is in the title of the film. The spear, the astringent symbol of freedom, and not so much the possession of this spear as the awareness of the loss of will, is trained by samurai almost from birth. How to walk, how to sit, drink, eat, talk – all this is imposed against the will, but over the years it is perceived as given.
The scrupulousness of re-creating ancient Japanese life really amazes with its detailed study, but quickly gets bored. The tape develops very slowly, offering to immerse yourself in the warm, wrapping atmosphere of the Japanese mansion, although interrupted by the flashbacks of the main character - the same in the palette, but based on either a bloody event or remote elements of cold shades that portend trouble. And indeed, the viewer who dozed off in the middle will be extremely excited by the sharply changed pace of the ending, and the final touch will not leave indifferent even the most attentive to the details of the viewer.