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I'm no where as good at this as the Silver Viper, but I wanted to give a little review of a movie that I feel is worth the money to see in a theater. I haven't felt that way about a movie in some time, but this one touched me.
This movie is an overall good movie, but it is even more so for someone with a martial arts background. The overall plot is about a martial arts teacher who struggles to live by the code of the samurai (Bushido) in the modern world. To quote wikipedia it is "It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery and honour unto death."
The fight scenes (which were fewer than you might expect) were realistic and well written. There were no hollywood drawn out for entertainment, using moves so unrealistic that only one person in the universe could conceivably perform them type scenes. The main character (hero for lack of better word) took damage as well as the others. I personally enjoyed being able to watch it and point out this arm bar or that hold and at the end a merciful choke out.
They addressed issues like respect, honor, kindness, family and honesty in ways I have seen demonstrated in dojos and as applied to real life. One sideline plot is how they deal with kindness teaching a rape victim to overcome her fears. Simply sitting in saiza and quieting her mind, not giving up on her when she became panicky. Because there are fewer women in martial arts dojos then men I have often mentored new female students with these same issues. (which is why they joined the dojo) It always broke my heart to see them so fearful and they did require a lot of patience.
Another scene towards the end of the movie that was only mere seconds and probably "lost" to most people is when the main character is tying his obi (belt) on before he is going to fight. He has been a black belt so long and worked out so often that his belt, once pure black, is now faded, frayed and half white with wear. To a martial artist this is a clear sign of devotion and experience to the arts. There is a saying that when you start study you wear a white belt to signify your innocense and lack of knowledge. You progressively earn darker belts as you progress. When you reach black belt you begin to teach, and it is then, after teaching so long that your belt become "white" again that you realize you have just begun to truly understand the essence of martial arts.
This movie did not have a lot of publicity and I doubt it will be in the top 10 box office hits. It is, however, a very worthy movie that leaves you feeling as if there is still goodness in the world.
