47 Ronin (1994 film)

47 Ronin

DVD Cover
Directed by Kon Ichikawa
Produced by Jitsuzo Horiuchi
Toshio Nabeshima
Jun'ichi Shindô
Written by Kon Ichikawa
Hiroshi Takeyama
Starring Ken Takakura
Kiichi Nakai
Music by Kensaku Tanikawa
Cinematography Yukio Isohata
Edited by Chizuko Osada
Distributed by AnimEigo
Release dates
  • October 22, 1994 (Japan)
Running time
 132 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese

47 Ronin (original title: Shijūshichinin no shikaku) 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 Ronin of Ako against Lord Kira.

Plot

The story of the Forty-seven Ronin 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 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, 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

Accolades

Won

Nominated

External links