 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH STERO AND JAPANESE DD 5.1 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 120 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV PG | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 06/24/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/17/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
In the early 18th century, the time of the samurai has come to an end. In this languid tale, follow a former samurai on his quest for vengeance and journey of self-discovery. In this thoughtful tale of vengeance, multi-award winning director KORE-EDA Hirokazu offers an uncommonly gentle movie that is both quirky and unusual. Its uniqueness lies in the storytelling and the surprising evolution of Soza, the reluctant samurai on a quest to avenge the death of his father. Slow paced, the movie gives the viewer much breathing room as we follow Soza. His path crosses that of the poor peasants of a shanty town. There he becomes inevitably drawn into the lives of the people there, particularly the young mother Osae and her son. In time Soza’s gentle nature sees him favoring the pen over the sword as he attempts to help the villagers and educate them. The story is interesting for its decidedly non-violent take on samurai and vengeance. It serves up numerous sub-plots and can be hard to follow as the main plot appears to get lost in the many sub-stories, including one involving spies and the search for the man who murdered their lord. However, by the end of the film, the convoluted tales of Soza and the beleaguered peasants synch up in an unusual festival and a surprising outcome for all involved. The cinematography is exceedingly well done, intelligently showing underprivileged life in 18th century Japan. The acting is also high caliber and garnered two notable nominations and one win. Rie Miyazawa, who portrays the beautiful Osae, was nominated for Best Actress for the Asian Film Awards. The lead, Junichi Okada, won his nomination for the Ishihara Yujiro New Actor Award at the Nikkon Sports Film Awards for his portrayal of Soza.
EXTRAS:
Bonus features include the original theatrical trailer, previews of other FUNimation titles, and a video of the film’s grand opening.
IN SUMMARY:
Hana is a unique film about vengeance and forgiveness told in a surprisingly gentle style. Part comedy, part drama, Hana is a film about samurai that is low on action and inundated with thought. |
