Synopsis
The 47 Ronin (元禄 忠臣蔵, 1941) is a Japanese historical epic directed by Kenji Mizoguchi — watch online on iFILM. The film runs nearly four hours, originally released in two parts. It is among the most formally serious works Mizoguchi made.
The Chushingura legend: early 18th century, Lord Asano draws his sword inside the shogun's residence after prolonged humiliation by the powerful lord Kira. The shogun orders Asano to die by his own hand; the clan is dissolved, the lands seized. Kira goes unpunished. Forty-seven of Asano's samurai, now masterless ronin, spend over a year preparing their move. Their leader Oishi performs the role of a dissolute drunk in public — keeping Kira's guard down. Mizoguchi stays with the deliberation: the long meetings, the dissent within the group, the weight of waiting.
Based on Seika Mayama's stage adaptation, the film was commissioned as wartime patriotic material. Mizoguchi made something colder instead — a tragedy in which honor is not a moment of glory but an obligation paid over years. Stream The 47 Ronin (1941) online on iFILM.
Starring
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