Gohatto (1999)

Gohatto is Nagisa Ôshima's final film. It's a beautifully orchestrated period piece about a group of samurai during the bakumatsu era (here 1865).
It's unusual in that it deals with a rarely explored subject within the often strict genre: it's about the love of one samurai by another and how it fits in with their codes of practice and honour.
Ôshima's mastery of his art is evident in every facet of the production. The camera movements are so perfect that you don't even notice them unless you're looking for them. The sword fights are superb. And everything is given an extra dimension with the addition of some traditional in style but atypically sinister music by Ryûichi Sakamoto.

4½ leanings out of 5