is a 1994 Japanese film directed by
Kon Ichikawa. The film is another version of the
Chūshingura, the story of the revenge of the
forty-seven rōnin of Ako against Lord Kira.
Plot
The story of the forty-seven
rōnin has been depicted in many ways, with each version focusing the emphasis on different parts of the story—the rivalry of Lords Asano and Kira, Asano's assault on Kira, Asano's sentence of
seppuku
, sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...
immediately afterward, and the revenge attack 21 months later against Kira by the forty-seven loyal retainers. Oishi Kuranosuke, Asano's
chamberlain and the head of the 47
samurai, is often the primary character, and his actions are often held up as the epitome of
bushido
is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ...
, the honor code of the samurai.
In this telling, the emphasis is on the preparation for and the attack on Kira's castle. The immediate reactions to Lord Asano's assault on Lord Kira are shown in flashback, and Lord Asano and the actual assault are barely shown at all.
Unlike other versions of the story, Oishi Kuranosuke does not pretend to descend into a life of debauchery, and Kira is shown as expecting the attack.
Cast
*
Ken Takakura … Kuranosuke Ōishi
*
Kiichi Nakai … Matashirō Irobe
*
Koichi Iwaki
is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for the 1986 film '' Minami e Hashire, Umi no Michi o''. He was a Zainichi Korean until April 5, 2017, when he naturalized. Iwaki is also a racing car driver.
...
… Kazuemon Fuwa
*
Ryudo Uzaki … Yasubei Horibe
*
Tatsuo Matsumura … Yahei Horibe
*
Misa Shimizu … Hori
*
Koichi Iwaki
is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for the 1986 film '' Minami e Hashire, Umi no Michi o''. He was a Zainichi Korean until April 5, 2017, when he naturalized. Iwaki is also a racing car driver.
...
: Fuwa Kazuemon
*
Atsuo Nakamura : Hara Sōemon
*
Shigeru Kōyama : Onodera Junai
*
Hisashi Igawa : Okuda Magodayou
*
Akiji Kobayashi
, sometimes credited as Shōji Kobayashi, was a Japanese actor. He attended Nihon University College of Art, but withdrew before completing his degree and joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company in 1949. He made his film debut with ''Satsujin Yogisha' ...
: Ōno Kurobei
*Jun Hashizume : Asano Takuminokami
*
Nenji Kobayashi : Shindo Genshiro
*
Kō Nishimura : Kira Yoshinaka
*
Kōji Ishizaka : Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu
*
Ruriko Asaoka : Riku
*
Hisaya Morishige : Chisaka
Accolades
Won
*
Tokyo International Film Festival 1994:
**Special Jury Prize: (
Kon Ichikawa)
*
Hochi Film Awards 1994:
**Best Supporting Actor: (
Kiichi Nakai)
*
Asia-Pacific Film Festival 1995:
**Best Music: (
Kensaku Tanikawa)
*
Awards of the Japanese Academy 1995:
**Best Art Direction: (
Yoshirō Muraki)
**Best Editing: (
Chizuko Osada Chizuko is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese voice actress
*, Japanese clairvoyant
*Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz, American artist and art educator
*, Japanese politician
* Chizuko Tanaka, Japanese a ...
)
**Best Sound: (
Tetsuya Ohashi)
**Best Supporting Actor: (
Kiichi Nakai)
*
Kinema Junpo Awards 1995:
**Best Supporting Actor: (
Kiichi Nakai)
*
Mainichi Film Concours 1995:
**Readers' Choice Award — Best Film: (
Kon Ichikawa)
Nominated
*
Awards of the Japanese Academy 1995:
**Best Actor: (
Ken Takakura)
**Best Cinematography: (
Yukio Isohata)
**Best Director: (
Kon Ichikawa)
**Best Film
**Best Lighting: (
Kazuo Shimomura)
**Best Music Score: (
Kensaku Tanikawa)
**Best Screenplay: (
Kon Ichikawa,
Kaneo Ikegami &
Hiroshi Takeyama
is a common masculine Japanese given name. It can also be transliterated as Hirosi.
Possible writings
Hiroshi can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*浩, "meaning"
*汎
*弘,
*宏,
*寛,
*洋,
*博,
*博一,
*博司,
...
)
References
External links
*
{{Kon Ichikawa
Films about the Forty-seven Ronin
Films directed by Kon Ichikawa
Jidaigeki films
Samurai films
Films with screenplays by Kon Ichikawa
1990s Japanese films