Don't expect the blood-and-thunder adventure of Akira Kurosawa's samurai tales in this take on the legendary 18th century story. Loyal samurai plot righteous revenge on the scheming official responsible for the dishonor and execution of their honorable samurai Lord, yet Kenji Mizoguchi's elegant epic is a film of confrontation through ceremony, plots concealed in veils of political feints, and vengeance patiently delayed until honor can be satisfied. Such introspective drama may frustrate viewers anticipating adrenaline-fueled combat--even the climactic battle is communicated entirely in the breathless reading of a gripping dispatch--and they might prefer Hiroshi Inagaki's more visceral 1962 Chushingura. The drama of Mizoguchi's film is in the restrained poise of warriors reigning in their instinct to attack, the arched eyebrows of cunning politicians playing games of brinkmanship over tea, and the flowing camerawork and measured pacing of Mizoguchi's handsome style. --Sean Axmaker
Renowned by postwar scholars, "The 47 Ronin" is director Kenji Mizoguchi's (Ugetsu) poetic and complex retelling of the classic Japanese legend. Unseen in America until the 1970s, "The 47 Ronin" is a visually stunning work based on "Mayama Chushingura," a cerebral play dealing with the tale of the loyal samurai.
