Our third film brought us to the ill-fated Harvard Exit. Officially closed, this is ostensibly the final year this movie house will be hosting festival films. (I will not get political, I will not get political, I will not get political…)  Here we saw Snow on the Blades, a Japanese film made in the classic samurai style which has apparently fallen out of favor in Japan as of late. I ask you, “then why make it in that style?” Obviously not financially motivated, the director, Setsurô Wakamatsu, was on hand to introduce the film and participate in some Q&A following the screening. Based on a short story, the film is atypical in that there is not a great deal of violence or death. The focus is on the internal struggles of the characters, with emphasis on the sacrifices women make for men.

We discussed this movie afterward for much longer than the first two films. And although our overall feeling was disappointment, I always consider that if I feel compelled to talk about a film at length, then it has done something right.

Snow on the Blades’ Bechdel rating: PASS. A group of women discuss their plans for celebrating New Years, a conversation (one of several) meant to convey the many changes that were taking place as they transitioned from the Edo Period to the Meiji.