The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan (1970)
"Buraikan" (original title)

Director:

Masahiro Shinoda

Writers:

Mokuami Kawatake (play), Shûji Terayama

Stars:

Tatsuya Nakadai, Suisen Ichikawa, Shima Iwashita

Cast

Cast overview:
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Naojiro Kataoka
Suisen Ichikawa	...	Okuma, Naojiro's Mother
Shima Iwashita	...	Michitose
Tetsurô Tanba	...	Soshun Kochiyama
Shôichi Ozawa	...	Ushimatsu
Masakane Yonekura	...	Kaneko Ichinojo
Kiwako Taichi	...	Namiji
Fumio Watanabe	...	Moritaya Seizo
Hiroshi Akutagawa	...	Mizuno Echizennokami
Hisashi Igawa	...	Mizuno
Kamatari Fujiwara
Jun Hamamura	...	Kanoke-boshi
Akiji Kobayashi
Aya Kawano	...	Midori

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

based on play

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

November 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ninjin Club, Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Wonderful witty, interesting, dark, colorful Period Drama

Nominally this movie fits into the "Jidaigeki" (Period Drama) genre. However, this movie is much more interesting with funny, complex characters. Tamba Testsuro (the head of Japanese secret service in "You Only Live Twice") is outstanding is the "lone wolf" Buraikan - a kind of good-hearted, if ruthless and highly clever monk. Nakadai Tatsuyo is also funny, eerie and compelling as the handsome, never-do-well, lazy fortune teller.

The story is set during the "Tempo Reform" period of Mizuno Tadakuni (1793-1851). Lord Mizuno was an extreme moralist and tried to outlaw more or less anything pleasurable. His reasoning was that things like staged plays, posters of actors, popular novels, expensive meals, cakes, dolls, paintings, etc... were wastes of the country's resources and contributed to the decline of the national moral fiber. Not a very fun-loving guy.

The story in the movie concerns several characters living in an entertainment area (probably Asakusa or Yoshiwara) who become involved with a band of rebellious underground actors.

The movie has everything: multiple, well-developed, interleaved story lines. Well developed individual characters. Some eroticism, a lot of traditional art, many funny sequences, suspense, action.

This is an excellent movie, especially for lovers of Japanese history and art.