Bushido
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Tadashi Imai
Kinnosuke Nakamura
Masayuki Mori
Kyoko Kishida
Ineko Arima
Shinjiro Ebara
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
At the turn of the 17th century in Japan Jirozaemon Iikura signs an oath of obedience pledging the service and loyalty of his descendents to the feudal Lord Hori. Through four generations the Iikura family suffer torture and shame in order to uphold the pact in accordance with the tenets of bushido. the original signer, believing that he has not lived up to his master's standards, commits harakiri after the Christian rebellion of 1637, as does his son Sajiemon. Shinzo Iikura grows up to become the involuntary homosexual partner of Takabumi Hori. When the master discovers that Shinzo has made love to one of the ladies of the court, he castrates him and forces him to marry the woman. Before the marriage, however, the bride is impregnated so that the family line will continue. [According to another source, Shinzo Iikura discovers that his fiancée has been raped by the lunatic Takabumi Hori and decides to give his allegiance to the emperor. He dies courageously in a war against the Chinese.] Shinzo's son becomes a grave samurai skilled in the "occult cut," a practice which involves lopping two equally-sized edges off a wooden shield. His master sexually assaults his wife, and the samurai protests. As punishment he is blindfolded and made to perform the "occult cut" on two people, whom he discovers to be his daughter and her fiancé. The tradition of bushido remains evident in Japan during World War II with the suicide actions of kamikaze pilots, such as Osamu Iikura. Finally, Susumu Iikura breaks with the bushido tradition, achieving individual success with a construction project and happiness with his fiancée, Kyoko.
Director
Tadashi Imai
Cast
Kinnosuke Nakamura
Masayuki Mori
Kyoko Kishida
Ineko Arima
Shinjiro Ebara
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Released in Japan in 1963 as Bushido zankoku monogatari; running time: 125 min.
Miscellaneous Notes
Co-Winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 1963 Berlin Film Festival.
Released in United States Fall September 12, 1964
Released in United States July 1963
Shown at the Berlin Film Festival July 1963
Released in United States July 1963 (Shown at the Berlin Film Festival July 1963)
Released in United States Fall September 12, 1964
Toeiscope
