The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 was one of the pivotal moments in Japanese history. Although the battle itself only lasted 6 hours, the events which led up to it were years in the making. This was effectively the battle where the Tokugawa clan began the usurpation of the power base of the Toyotomi clan put in place by the regent Hideyoshi. This film is the story of the political maneuvering and events which led up to the clash at Sekigahara where the Western forces organised by Ishida Mitsunari were pitted against the Tokugawa in the East. I really liked this film because of the way Ishida Mitsunari was portrayed by Junichi Okada. In many of the Taiga dramas which deal with the backdrop to Sekigahara, Mitsunari is portrayed as an indecisive un-charismatic coward with his own lack of leadership, personality and battle nous being responsible for the result of the battle. Here he is portrayed as competent and intelligent and it is a refreshing change. The film is quite slow to start with but that is a simple reflection of the reality of the build-up to Sekigahara with the Tokugawa playing the long game before making their move. The film is beautifully shot with lavish backdrops and excellent costumes. The acting is also excellent. I can see why anyone without a bit of knowledge of Japanese history would be bamboozled by the plethora of characters presented here and that may spoil some people's enjoyment of the film
