Chiri Tsubaki/Samurai's Promise: A brilliant Junichi Okada-led samurai movie that would make Akira Kurosawa proud.

 

One of my main quests throughout recent years has been searching through various chanbara and jidaigeki movies in order to find the absolute best. Most recently, I've been scanning through movies made in both the 2010s and the 2020s in order to find the best in those respective decades. This search led me to rediscover some hidden gems that I had initially overlooked. One such movie was the 2018 adaptation of Rin Hamuro's novel, Chiri Tsubaki. This project saw one of my personal favourite action stars, Junichi Okada, teaming up with former cinematographer-turned director, Daisaku Kimura. This was a big deal as Kimura had worked with the legendary Akira Kurosawa, whom he worked with as assistant camera-man from Hidden Fortress to Dodes'ka-den. Add on to that, the incredibly talented actor Hidetoshi Nishijima in a role opposite Okada and you have all the ingredients for success. 

Shinbei Uryu, a ronin, makes a promise to his dying wife to return the clan he was previously exiled from to watch the falling camellia one last time and also to help his former friend, Uneme Sakakibara. The two had fallen out after becoming rivals competing for the love of Shino. Not only that, but Shinbei had also made an appeal regarding the boss's corruption to the superiors only to be rejected. On top of that, Shinbei is also suspected of having killed Heizo Sakakibara, Uneme's step-father. Heizo was cut down using the Dragon-fly technique, which was only mastered by four men. Two of those four being Shinbei and Uneme themselves. 

It's a tale of love and honour, themes featured heavily in the genre. The love is complex as Shino, Shinbei's wife, was arranged to be married to Umeme, but due to Umeme's mother-in-law's disapproval, that arrangement was cancelled. Shino kept a love letter from him, even after falling for and following Shinbei which caused the letter to incorrectly suspect that there were lingering feelings between his personal friend and his wife. On top of that, Shino's unmarried sister also has feelings for Shinbei but could never act on them. These feelings resurface once she sees him again. That's not to mention the love of the samurai code and for the clan. 

As Daisaku Kimura is an experienced cinematographer, it goes without saying that his work behind the camera featured some truly exquisite cinematography. It's beyond clear that Kimura knows how to frame shots and makes great usage of a picturesque array of shot types and techniques in order to make the most of the beautiful scenery and backdrops used throughout the movie. This becomes apparent from the very beginning with a lovely shot of Shinbei walking through the snow towards the camera. There are some truly wonderful shots throughout the movie, a lot of them either some form of mid-range or wide angles. 

The action is a highlight for sure. The choreography is rather superb for the most part. There's an awkward looking katana throw, but apart from that everything else looks and feels practical. The main characters all look like they know what they're doing, especially Junichi Okada, which comes as no surprise given his martial arts background. The stand out fight scenes are a one on one duel between the main characters and old friends as it is fraught with emotion and the very final battle featuring two against many. There is a lack of blood until towards the very late parts of the movie. Every action sequence is framed quite perfectly as every action is towards the centre of the screen. 

Junichi Okada is the perfect choice for a leading role in an action movie or drama. His martial arts background makes any fight sequences second nature to him and he portrays his stoic, conflicted heroes incredibly well. He manages to make Shinbei a compelling and sympathetic main character that we feel for. 

Hidetoshi Nishijima does a wonderful job with what he is given as Uneme. He's a very complex character and Nishimjima's acting experience manages to bring out the emotions really well even when conveying things using only facial expressions and body language. 

Overall, I truly enjoyed Chiri Tsubaki, also known as Samurai's Promise. It's a wonderfully directed, beautifully shot complex plot that would blend right in with the genre movies of the golden era. Akira Kurosawa would be proud of his former co-worker, I'm sure. Junichi Okada is also a worthy successor to the likes of Toshiro Mifune and stands as one of the very best leading men of his generation. This is a no-brainer recommendation especially for fans of the genre, Junichi Okada, Hidetoshi Nishijima and those who love a good action with plot. Not the best movie for those with ADHD though.