The Twilight Samurai

Set in nineteenth-century Japan, The Twilight Samurai follows Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai who works as a clerk and returns home early each day rather than join his colleagues for drinks. Widowed, he raises two young daughters and cares for his ailing mother on a small salary, taking on extra work to make ends meet, and his withdrawn habits earn him the nickname "Twilight Seibei." When Tomoe, a childhood friend who has left an unhappy marriage, re-enters his life, the possibility of something better briefly opens up. His standing in the clan changes, however, after he defeats a rival in a duel fought with a wooden sword; word of the victory spreads, and he is ordered to deal with a dangerous fellow samurai.

Yoji Yamada directed and co-wrote the film with Yoshitaka Asama. It came in 2002, after A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen in Yamada's filmography, and was followed by The Hidden Blade. Hiroyuki Sanada plays Seibei, with Rie Miyazawa as Tomoe, Nenji Kobayashi, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Min Tanaka and Ren Osugi among the cast.

Made for about five million dollars, the film took roughly seven million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 8.1 from 27,000 votes and on TMDB 7.8 from 374, while the critics' rating stands at 8.4 from 69 reviews, higher than either audience score.