This film was made in Japan during World War II and was a form of propaganda meant to showcase loyalty, courage and the martial spirit of the Japanese people. It is a true story that occurred in the early 1700’s during the shogunate of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. It was a time when a formerly prosperous people were slipping into poverty through governmental mismanagement. And cultural and social norms were unravelling. The samurai class was finding itself relegated to a diminished role in the feudal system of the Edo period. But the samurai code still tied them to their patron, the daimyo or lord.
Plot
This story is about a case of revenge. Lord Asano was a daimyo who was insulted by one of the shogun’s officials named Lord Kira. Flying into a rage Asano attacked Kira with a knife inside the shogun’s residence which was a capitol offense. The shogun decreed that Asano would have to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) and his lands would be confiscated. No penalty was decreed against Kira for his insults.
The leader of Lord Asano’s samurai, Ōishi Yoshio, decided that he would organize all the willing samurai under him to revenge their lord against Kira. He recruited forty-six other samurai including his own fifteen-year-old son and then waited for over a year until Lord Kira’s suspicions were allayed. To this end Ōishi patronized brothels and became a disgrace, exhibiting public drunkenness until Kira’s spies became convinced that he was a dissolute man. Ōishi even divorced his wife. But it is thought he did this to protect his wife and remaining children from retribution by the authorities.
Then when all was prepared Ōishi led his men against Kira’s castle and using swords and bows they stormed both gates of the castle and killed Kira’s men and rushed his private rooms. Only his wife and children were found. But when they checked Kira’s bed, they found it was still warm. So, they ransacked his rooms until they found the entrance to a hidden courtyard where Kira and a few guards were hidden. They overpowered the guards. Then Ōishi respectfully offered Kira the chance to commit seppuku but the man was too terrified even to answer. Kira’s head was cut off and ceremoniously washed and prepared and taken to Lord Asano’s grave where it was bestowed with the appropriate prayers. Afterward Ōishi and his men gave themselves up to the shogun’s authorities. Although the shogun had forbidden revenge against Kira, he decided that because the revenge was so popular among the populace, the ronin would not be treated as criminals but instead allowed to commit seppuku. And so, about a year after the attack the ronin each committed ritual suicide and were given honored burial next to the grave of Lord Asano.
Discussion
This is a very strange movie for Americans to sit through. First off, it’s almost four hours long. Four hours of subtitles is hard to endure no matter how good the movie is. Secondly, the oddness of the action and manners of both the era being portrayed and Japanese cinema in general presents a considerable barrier to an American audience immersing itself in the story. And thirdly, the majority of the movie is static and is portrayed by conversations between the characters. Even the storming of the castle occurs off screen and is read to the audience by one of the characters, Lord Asano’s widow.
I found the three problems I mention above, as too extreme to allow the movie to be thought of as entertainment. It’s more of an historical experience. I would not recommend this to anyone who isn’t interested in Japanese history and culture for their own sake.