is a 1969 Japanese '' jidaigeki'' film directed by

Hideo Gosha was a Japanese film director. Born in Arasaka, Tokyo Prefecture, Gosha graduated from high school and served in the Imperial Navy during the Second World War. After earning a business degree at Meiji University, he joined Nippon television as a ...

. Set during the late Tokugawa period, the story follows a reclusive ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master's ...

'' who is trying to atone for past transgressions.

Plot

Magobei Wakizaka is a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

for the Sabai clan. A nearby island, Sado, boasts a rich gold mine which provides plentiful richesThis gold was called ''goyokin'', roughly translated as "gold for official use", hence the title of the film. for the Tokugawa clan. When one of the gold ships sinks, the local fishermen recover some of the gold, intending to return it to the Tokugawa clan. However, Magobei's clan master, Rokugo Tatewaki, takes the gold and slaughters the fishermen so they cannot report the gold stolen. Magobei is appalled. He promises not to report Rokugo to the

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

in exchange for Rokugo's promise to never do so again. However, three years later, assassins sent by Rokugo's retainer, Kunai, come for Magobei, who is living in

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

. He realizes that Rokugo intends to steal more gold and slaughter more innocents. So Magobei returns to Sabai to face his former master. Rokugo hires another ronin, Samon Fujimaki, to kill Magobei, but Magobei eventually wins him over. Also, along the way, Magobei meets a young woman, Oriha, who survived the original slaughter. She and her brother, Rokuzo, join him on his way to Sabai. At Sabai they learn that Rokugo intends to move a bonfire, which serves as a warning to passing ships against dangerous rocks, so that a gold ship will hit the rocks and sink. After recovering the gold, Rokugo intends to slaughter the peasants who help him in this endeavor. The combined efforts of Magobei, Samon, Oriha, and Rokuzo result in the correct bonfire being lit, the fake bonfire being put out, and the innocent peasants' lives being saved. Thus the gold-bearing ship evades the rocks. In a final showdown, amid falling snow, Magobei slays Rokugo, but is wounded by one of Rokugo's throwing knives.

Cast

Tatsuya Nakadai is a Japanese film actor. He was featured in 11 films directed by Masaki Kobayashi, including ''The Human Condition'' trilogy, wherein he starred as the lead character Kaji, plus ''Harakiri'', ''Samurai Rebellion'' and ''Kwaidan''. Nakadai wor ...

as Magobei Wakizaka * Kinnosuke Nakamura as Samon Fujimaki * Tetsurō Tamba as Rokugo Tatewaki, Magobei's childhood friend, brother-in-law, and clan master * Yoko Tsukasa as Shino, Rokugo's sister and Magobei's wife * Ruriko Asaoka as Oriha * Isao Natsuyagi as Kunai * Ben Hiura as Rokuzo * Kunie Tanaka as Hirosuke * Susumu Kurobe as Omura Sobei * Kō Nishimura as Ryu Ichigaku *

Hisashi Igawa Hisashi Igawa (井川比佐志 born 17 November 1936) is a Japanese actor who has appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's '' Dodesukaden'', ''Ran'' and ''Madadayo''. He starred in Abe Kōbō's production of ''The Man Who Turned Into A Stick'' ...

as Takeuchi * Eijirō Tōno as a Chief retainer

Production

''Goyokin'' was the first Japanese production shot in Panavision. Initially,

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and '' ...

was cast in Kinnosuke Nakamura's role, but was replaced several weeks into filming.

Release

''Goyokin'' was released as a roadshow theatrical release in Japan on 1 May 1969 where it was distributed by Toho. The film received a general release in Japan on 17 May 1969. The film was released in the United States by Toho International with English subtitles in September 1969. It was reissued in the United States with an English-language dub and a running time of 85 minutes under the title ''The Steel Edge of Revenge'' in September 1974.

Reception

''Goyokin'' won the awards for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction ( Motoji Kojima) at the

Mainichi Film Concours The are a series of annual film awards, sponsored by Mainichi Shinbun (毎日新聞), one of the largest newspaper companies in Japan, since 1946. It is the first film festival in Japan. History The origins of the contest date back to 1935, ...

References

Footnotes

Sources

External links

* *
Review at Kung Fu Cinema

Review at SaruDama
*

' at the Japanese Movie Database {{Hideo Gosha 1969 films 1969 drama films 1960s adventure drama films Films directed by Hideo Gosha 1960s Japanese-language films Samurai films Jidaigeki films Japanese adventure drama films Films produced by Sanezumi Fujimoto Films scored by Masaru Sato 1960s Japanese films