Just a few words of praise for this samurai movie. It takes place at end of the samurai era, when infantry and rifles are replacing swords, and the code and culture of the samurai. It is above all else a quiet, contemplative movie, with almost no action, as the lead, played by Masatoshi Nagase, tries to chart a personal route as all around him changes. The male acting is superb (the female lead is given a pretty thankless role), the pacing manages to be relaxed without feeling like it drags, the scenery is wonderful, and the entire movie seems fresh despite the fact that every samurai movie is ultimately about the conflict between traditional codes (imagined in a utopian fashion) and the challenges of modernity. Political intrigue swirls around the movie, but it never loses its focus as the story of one man trying to do the right thing (in love and in politics). Highly recommended.