One is never quite sure if the mysterious Kano is actually romantically involved with any of the militia men. He seems to harbor some great secret, and only an occasional disarming smile revels any emotion at all. At times he seems innocent and boyish, even keeping the hair style of an adolescent... some say, to intentionally provoke sexual desire in men. Kano appears to enjoy all the attention he receives, but his thoughts and motivations remain enigmatic.

When a member of the Shinsen-gumi militia turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, the plot begins to thicken. The militia commanders are aware of rival samurai who want to undermine the Shinsen-gumi and challenged their authority... but the commanders also fear and suspect that the passions and jealousies of their own men regarding Kano may have lead to deep divisions and foul play. The way in which the commanders choose to resolve the dilemma only makes matters worse and leads to an almost total unraveling of the Shinsen-gumi. I won't give the details away but the plot twists and turns eventually come to an unexpected and explosive culmination.

Oshima said almost playfully of his film, "I wanted to surprise the Japanese public by choosing a work that was slightly different." The audience is challenged by forcing a reexamination of male sexuality, using as the focal point that most macho of all Japanese figures, the samurai. As the director put it in his own words, "On the question of strictures against gay lovers in Japanese society, I would say that historically it has been relatively lax. Within this relatively lax situation, it in fact flourished."

Gohatto is not just a masterfully told story about the human heart and carnal desire. It's incredibly lavish set designs, use of historic locations, heart stopping swordplay choreography, and excellent costuming by Emi Wada, make for a visually unforgettable film. Each scene's spectacular design is surpassed by the next, with the ending moments of the movie containing some of the most sublime and profoundly beautiful images ever committed to film. Fans of Japanese animation will immediately see a similarity with the series Rurouni Kenshin, or any other anime and manga title where bishounen are central to the story.

All of the actors give superlative performances. Matsuda Ryuhei, the fresh young face who plays the part of Kano Sozaburo, is absolutely perfect in the role of the irresistible bishounen. But my favorite actor in the film is the ultimate tough guy, "Beat" Kitano Takeshi, who plays commander Hijikata Toshizo. Beat has directed and starred in numerous Yakuza (Gangster) films... his most recent being Brother, making him one of the biggest stars in Japanese cinema. His portrayal of the stoic and granite-like Hijikata, torn between feelings for Kano and his sense of duty, is a marvel to behold.

The wonderful music for Gohatto was composed by Sakamoto Ryuichi, and his purely instrumental score is understated yet compelling. The composer embellished the tragic tale of Kano with a brilliant sound track whose melancholy theme song reoccurs throughout the film. It is a haunting, heart breaking melody that captures the very essence of the movie's temperament. Best known to American film buffs for scoring the music to The Last Emperor, Sakamoto first emerged in the 1970's as part of the ground breaking Japanese art band, Yellow Magic Orchestra.