Twilight Samurai – Film Review

I must first admit that I have actually seen very few Asian features. Having that said, I have nothing but prasie to note about Twilight Samurai not only from the perspective of trying to incorporate this film into the classroom but just as a viewing pleasure. While about the plot Ill only note that it’s about a widowed samurai trying to make the best he can with two young daughters and an ailing mother, the film’s genius is found at the heart of its subtleties and nuance. While I am not certain about showing the entire film to my World History students (not because anything is wrong with the film but because still hard for me to justify showing an entire film to students) I will definitely use segments of this film while teaching about Japan. I think I would compare this film with American movie versions of Japanese samurais after students have discussed popular notions about who and what the samurai were. The film also shows scenes that depict the modernizing of Japan (though this is not the focus) with some samurais learning how to load and shoot guns. In summation I highly recommend this film and if anyone is interested in having a viewing party of this film to further discuss how we can use this film in the classroom please let me know.