In a thoughtful period film (jidaigeki) that exposes the expectations and motivations of different characters whose actions influence and shape the destinies of interdependent lives, a feudal Japanese society is seen through the lens of a movie camera like an x-ray image revealing some malignancies. A caste system with limited choices lead to extreme solutions across social classes for those wishing to preserve a sense of honor/dignity and pride as illustrated by the choices made by the enterprising hairdresser and the disappointed wife of the unemployed samurai.