A feast for the ears, eyes, and imagination.

Rating: 9/10 (10 July 2005)

A beautifully made film with incredible cinematography, cute fantasy wire fights, big symbolism, and a score to die for. Unlike some on these boards, I have no problems with the performances of the actors. They do justice to the script, despite some interesting subtitling. Nor would I fault the big battle group scenes. I loved the Kurosawa influences. A sea of banners and flags always looks great in the wind. And the nod to Throne of Blood in the finale was very acute.
For me, the grand sweep of this film is comparable to A Map of the Human Heart. It's a film about humanity. Sometimes poetic beauty can tell a harsh story better than violence.