I bought Hana on CD because it had been compared to some of the great modern Samurai movies (Twilight Samurai, When The Last Sword Is Drawn, The Hidden Blade, Love and Honor, etc). I love those movies, so I was very enthusiastic about this one.
And then I watched it.
There is very little plot here. It's a character driven movie, and, in truth, it isn't a samurai movie at all. Sure, the main character is a samurai, but he's kind of a samurai who has given up on the Bushido code and dropped out of that life. He's directionless, aimless, and, really, a bit of a coward.
The biggest problems with this movie are that it's boring and the characters are almost all unlikeable (including the main character). Being a character driven movie that second problem is a major flaw.
It's not a horrible movie, it's just horribly flawed and utterly boring. It's tedious. The humor falls flat, and the story takes place in a bleak, unpleasant setting with characters who have little to offer the story.
If you're looking for something different, and would find a movie about people in 1700's era Japan who live in abject poverty interesting, then this one may be for you. But if plot and character matter it would probably be best to skip this one.
