Swords of Vengeance (1978)

Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), master of hardboiled yakuza thrillers, and Sonny Chiba, master of martial arts action, continue their long-running collaboration with their take on the popular “47 Ronin” incident. Compared with other available films on the subject, of which there are several, this is the most accessible and engaging version that slowly and carefully builds up to a thrilling climax of flashing swords.

The story of the 47 ronin is based on an incident in 1702 where 47 former samurai, fully armed, gathered at the mansion of Lord Kira to kill him in reprisal for what they perceived was the unjust death and defamation of their master Takuminokami Asano. What makes this episode so compelling is that Japan was in a state of peace at this point and Asano had been ordered by the shogunate to commit seppuku for drawing his sword on Kira in response to repeated insults. Although their master’s name was abolished, their castle confiscated and their position as samurai lost, these ronin who came to avenge Asano’s death were upholding the code of the samuri by remaining loyal to their master, even in opposition to the shogun himself.

Fukasaku’s version more or less follows history and plays out in detail from the moment Asano draws his sword to the moment his men face the shogun’s harsh sentencing for finishing the job. It’s not entirely clear at the beginning what relationship Asano has to Kira though. Historically, Kira was a master of protocol assigned to coach Asano, who had just been put in charge of entertaining envoys for the Imperial family. After the incident, the wounded Kira retires into the care of his fellow Uesugi clan members, without receiving any punishment for his part in antagonizing Asano. Following Asano’s death, chief lord Kuranosuke Ohishi (Kinnosuke Yorozuya) assumes command of his clan, even as its future is about to be crushed by the shogunate’s harsh sentencing.

Ohishi is portrayed as a private, calculating and deliberate man, who carefully plots their revenge while fellow lords argue or flee. From 300 original samurai, Ohishi commands an oath of loyalty from 56, who are willing to follow their lord in death by killing Kira. This number drops further as their wait to seek revenge carries on for months. Once proud samurai now reduced to ronin fall into debauchery, while others impatiently attempt to organize their own assassination of Kira. Even Ohishi appears to have lost his way after he divorces his wife and begins indulging in frivolous pleasures. Aside from a few subplots involving various ronin, much of the film rests on the shoulders of Kinnosuke Yorozuya as Ohishi. He is a strong presence onscreen and anchors the film with an excellent performance.

Likely a creative invention to give emphasis to the role is Sonny Chiba’s place as Kazuemon Fuwa, a master swordsman and outcast from Asano’s clan. As Ohishi plots his revenge, Fuwa hides in the forest nearby to watch over the lord and protect him from Uesugi assassins. Eventually, he is allowed to rejoin his brothers and fight beside them in their attack on the Uesugi mansion. This is where Chiba the action hero finally arrives when he faces a particularly skilled Uesugi swordsman. Amid shredded rice paper walls and upturned tatami mats, Chiba and his adversary battle at length in an increasingly desperate struggle that leaves both men bloodied and winded.

Toshiro Mifune has a small role as a samurai living next to the Uesugi estate, who gives his tacit approval of the attack by promising to slay any Uesugi members, caught attempting to flee the scene on his property.

Swords of Vengeance is a slow-building film that works in shades of subtlety for much of its long running time. It could have been easy to get lost, but Fukasaku and his team stay focused. As a great example, there is a moment in the beginning where the swishing sound of Asano’s robes on the floor dominate the scene as we’re led to his fateful confrontation with Kira. This sound is reprised towards the end as Asano’s men cause a similar swishing noise when they traverse over snow surrounding Kira’s mansion. There are few action scenes throughout the movie and what is there is somewhat tame, which makes this much more of a jidai geki (period drama) than swordplay film. The one traditional chambara element is the introduction of the shadowy assassin midway through, who is fated to reappear at the end. It’s a relatively minor addition to the plot engineered to give Chiba something to do onscreen, but is welcome nevertheless.

In addition to having toned down violence, Fukasaku tempers his tendency to craft more stylized entertainment. But he isn’t so far removed from his gritty Yakuza Papers days to omit at least a few shaky camera shots during the Uesugi mansion siege. His distinctive direction can also be found in any scene involving an element of chaos or disarray, whether there is an uproar in the Imperial household, a drunken scuffle in the streets or a near-riot among hundreds of commoners who have just learned that their lord is dead and their well-being is in jeopardy. It doesn’t hurt that he seemingly commands every resource available to Toei in epic scenes of parading horsemen, perfectly arrayed retainers, colorful period costumes, and meticulously detailed sets.

I’d argue that the story of the 47 Ronin is one that doesn’t play well to Western audiences. Unlike tales of embittered swordsmen fighting like Western gunmen in a seemingly lawless land, Swords of Vengeance is about a stringent code of honor that goes in direct opposition to changing attitudes. These former samurai are expected to abide by the laws that govern them, but are also expected to honor the samurai code of loyalty. In choosing the more difficult of the two when pressed, they are portrayed as tragic heroes. Yet this poses the question of whether upholding a dying ideology, that today would be considered extremist, is worth the lives of 47 men and all those who died by their hand, directly or indirectly. The film suggests that the sacrifice and slayings are justified in the film’s closing moments as a thoroughly content Ohishi is commended by the official in charge of overseeing his suicide. Viewers can make their own judgment, but the film is still an entertaining take on a unique episode in Japanese history.