A Samurai’s Sorrow by Akira Inoue (1993)
A Samurai’s Sorrow — also known as A Samurai in Torment — certainly lives up to its title, thanks to its overwrought storyline. In 18th century Japan, the life of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune has been threatened by rivals trying to poison him. It’s up to Yoshimune’s official food taster, an enigmatic samurai named Kainage Mondo, to unravel the conspiracy. However, doing so will unearth tragic secrets from Mondo’s past that could also doom the Shogun’s rule. Based on a story by Lone Wolf and Cub creator Kazuo Koike, which subsequently spawned multiple film, TV, and stage adaptations, A Samurai’s Sorrow strives to be a stately period piece. But it’s too caught up in the melodrama, what with all of the pregnant pauses, tortured looks, and swelling music (which sounds awfully similar to Joe Hisaishi’s score for Castle in the Sky). Granted, samurai titles aren’t typically known for their subtlety, but A Samurai’s Sorrow ultimately feels like a jidaigeki telenovela.
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