13 Assassins Jūsan-nin no shikaku | |
Director: | Eiichi Kudo |
Producer: | Kanji Amao Jun'ichirō Tamaki |
Screenplay: | Kaneo Ikegami |
Starring: | Chiezō Kataoka Kōtarō Satomi |
Music: | Akira Ifukube |
Cinematography: | Jūhei Suzuki |
Editing: | Shintarō Miyamoto |
Studio: | Toei Company |
Distributor: | Toei Company |
Runtime: | 125 minutes |
Country: | Japan |
Language: | Japanese |
is a 1963 Japanese jidaigeki (period drama) film directed by Eiichi Kudo.[1] [2] [3]
In 1844, the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan is in a period of transition, and one of the high ranking lords, Lord Matsudaira, has become tainted by his dissolute and reprobate misconduct. Many leaders in the governing community of the current government feel that the code of honor, bushido, of the samurai is being disgraced by Matsudaira. His reprobate, egotistical, and feckless lifestyle is disgusting to those who come into close contact with him. After receiving reports, Sir Doi is convinced that Matsudaira represents a severe threat to the entire code of honor for the samurai tradition. Sir Doi decides, because of the severity of Matsudaira's misconduct, to take a blood oath to assassinate the reprobate Lord Matsudaira. He enlists a troop of assassins to swear a similar blood oath to do away with Matsudaira in order to restore his country's wellbeing and code of honor.[4]
See main article: 13 Assassins (2010 film). The film was remade in 2010 by Takashi Miike. The remake was met with critical acclaim. BFI, in an assessment of the top ten samurai films, compared the remake of the film to the original version stating: "Set in 1844, 13 Assassins follows the Seven Samurai template, featuring a band of samurais who come together to overthrow a despotic lord for the greater good of society. Miike’s version benefits from a far more generous budget, with a wonderful attention to period sets and costumes and some inventively choreographed fight scenes."[5]
Between the original 1963 film and the 2010 remake, a 1990 production by Fuji TV aired as a television movie starring noted actor Tatsuya Nakadai in the lead role (Shimada Shinzaemon).