Chushingura (1962)

After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.

Director:

Hiroshi Inagaki

Writer:

Toshio Yasumi (screenplay)

Stars:

Yûzô Kayama, Chûsha Ichikawa, Tatsuya Mihashi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yûzô Kayama	...	Takuminokami Asano
Tatsuya Mihashi	...	Yasubei Horibe
Akira Takarada	...	Gunbei Takada
Yôsuke Natsuki	...	Kin'emon Okano
Makoto Satô	...	Kazuemon Fuwa
Tadao Takashima	...	Jûjirô Hazama
Seizaburô Kawazu	...	Chûzaemon Yoshida
Takashi Shimura	...	Hyôbu Chisaka
Daisuke Katô	...	Kichiemon Terasaka
Keiju Kobayashi	...	Awajinokami Wakisaka
Ryô Ikebe	...	Chikara Tsuchiya
Setsuko Hara	...	Riku
Yôko Tsukasa	...	Yôzen'in
Reiko Dan	...	Okaru
Yuriko Hoshi	...	Otsuya

Storyline

A young lord attempts to combat the corruption endemic to the Shogunate bureaucracy, only to be placed in an impossible conflict of duties. He refuses to pay the "customary" bribe expected by a Chancellor sent from the Shogunate to teach him the etiquette for receiving envoys from the Emperor. In revenge, the Chancellor goads the lord into drawing his sword when the envoys are present, a crime punishable by death. The young lord is forced to commit ritual suicide for this crime. His vassals are ordered to turn over their lords estate for confiscation, forbidden to take revenge for their lords death, then disbanded as a clan. To obey the Shogun, the lords former samurai must follow those orders, but to be loyal to oaths they swore to their lord and have justice, they must avenge him. This conflict of obligations is the primary dilemma in Japanese society, which is why this story is considered their national epic. The story is richly woven and the film worth seeing for the gorgeous art ...

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Plot Keywords:

last film for actress | employee employer relationship | suicide | samurai | revenge | 

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Taglines:

Japan's Supreme Screen Classic

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The final film of Setsuko Hara, before she announced her retirement in 1963.

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Alternate Versions

Originally released in Japan in two parts.

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Connections

Referenced in Ronin (1998)

User Reviews

One of the greatest cultural "gifts" to the world of the 20th Century

It is unfortunate, to say the least, that the original 1962 incredibly loving critiques are no longer in print regarding the true nature of the origin, history and creation of this film. When I first saw it in 1963 (at the Castro, I believe, in S.F.) there was a lengthy story "blown up" on display board in the entryway. This film was a one-of-a- kind deliberate and heartfelt "gift to the world", created by a group of Japanese artists using film as their medium. This particular film was a reflection of what happened in the hearts of sentient Japanese artists AFTER Japan's defeat in WWII. Out of profound dignity they crafted this film to tell of the truest, deepest beauty of their culture, revealing it through the vulnerable opening of their hearts and sharing the story of the true Japan. In a manner similar to "The Passion" of our time, there was always a great historical purpose to this gift -- not merely a commercial undertaking. Thus, I believe the HISTORY of this film holds an even more noble place than the film itself, which happens to be a masterpiece painted with the love of its creators.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

3 October 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chushingura: 47 Samurai

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

207 min 100 min (second release) 108 min (first release) 204 min (1966 re-issue)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1