Rating: ***
Alternate Title: Swords Of Vengeance
Review Date: 4/13/25
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Sonny Chiba, Toshiro Mifune
A beautifully filmed, but boring as hell historical drama about the legendary 47 ronin who sacrificed their lives to avenge their wrongly punished lord. The first two hours play out as Oishi (Kinnosuke Nakamura), the leader of the dissolved House Of Ako, comes up with a scheme to kill Lord Kira and criticize the corrupt government at the same time. Meanwhile, the ronin who pledged their swords and lives to him become impatient and nearly spoil the plan. Finally, in the last thirty minutes, Oishi acts and the remaining 47 ronin storm an inn where they know Kira is staying. Vengeance is served, but the price for such treason is seppuku.
While there's technically nothing wrong with the film, I found it to be extremely tedious and uninteresting. The film was part of a Sonny Chiba collection that I own, so I was expecting something very different. That said, even though Chiba gets second billing, he has little more than a cameo in the film, which is highlighted by a well-staged samurai fight at the end. The final battle is nicely realized, and the claustrophobic confines of the inn create an intricate battlefield for the players. The sets and scenery are lush and vibrant, and I only noticed a couple of shots with awkward camera movement. Overall, if historical drama and political intrigue are your thing, then it's probably worth checking out. But if you're looking for Sonny Chiba and sword fighting action, you're better off going elsewhere.