Tockinit not horrible nor great

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

mevmijaumau Chushingura (47 Samurai) is director Hiroshi Inagaki's '60s big budget vision of the mythicized historical event that occurred at the beginning of the 18th century, about a lord being forced to commit harakiri after offending another, high ranking Edo lord, named Kira. After the former's death, his 47 vassals begin plotting a revenge against Kira, and after killing him, they're forced to commit ritual suicide themselves in order to reclaim their honor. The story has a legendary status in Japan, and has been adapted to film too many times to count.Inagaki's version is a color period piece with 3+ hours of runtime, in style and execution very similar to the period films you'd usually see from Hollywood. Unfortunately, this also means that the director's personal touch is barely felt and the movie is very conventional within the boundaries of period films. It's divided into two parts; Blossoms and Snow, has an interesting traditional soundtrack (which almost amounts to Godzilla's theme near the climax) and stars many famous Japanese actors, like Takashi Shimura, Setsuko Hara (in her final role), and Toshiro Mifune, who's supposed to be the selling point but in actuality has little screen time.The movie's pace is not really well thought out, in my opinion. The build-up takes ages, and while the 20-minute climactic action sequence is sort of satisfying, the rest of the film is too long, focusing on some irrelevant stuff, and overall, it doesn't feel like it'll ever amount to something, it just stagnates in boredom, without ever raising tension. The characters are too numerous, hard to keep track of, and mostly uninteresting. Besides some rudimentary romance subplots, the character of Kira is like a comic book villain, even going as far as bluntly saying two or three times that all he cares about is sex and money.One good thing about this snoozefest, however, is the cinematography. Although the transfer isn't perfect, the traditional Japanese visual tone reserved for jidaigeki films is present in all of its colorful glory. Utilization of indoor space, multicolored clothing and interiors, as well as some nice panoramas, make the movie at the very least pretty to look at.3 hours and 20 minutes is way too much time for the story to unfold, and most of the screen time is spent on tedium. However, it's not completely bad because the final fight scene (more like, the only fight scene) and the visuals save it from being a colossal disaster.

barleeku I first saw Chushingara in 1972 in Boulder, Colorado on the CU campus. I racked up 3 additional viewings in the next couple of years, one at Boston's Park Square Cinema, long gone and lamented. The Park Square often showed Japanese films and I saw the Samurai Trilogy there as well as some of the other classics. I've since seen in again in theaters and now have the video. I was struck, reading some of the other viewer comments, by how many people felt exactly as I did, remembering each viewing as though it were a superb meal to be savored the rest of our lives, rather than simply "seeing a great film". The other comments articulate the reasons why quite well, but I'll add my two cents. Aside from being perhaps the most gorgeous film ever made, its beauty is integral to the psychological mood of heroism intensified by each moment's transience and each life's fragility. The great trial and seppuku scene, framed by that stunningly beautiful music and the equally intense cherry blossoms, stands as one of the most concise statements of life's tragic beauty as well, of course, as the soul of Bushido. The course of action pursued by Chamberlain Oishi creates the emotional hook and the humorous scenes, highlighted by Toshiro Mifune's wonderful character, keep things barreling along. In the end, though, it is the whole package - the stunning sets, many of them modeled fairly closely on classic Japanese woodcuts; the brilliant acting and direction; the loving detail of so many aspects of Japanese culture; the unfolding of justice; the close relationships and their exacting depiction; the revelation of a code that is so alien to anything in contemporary western life; the self-conscious gamble to make this film a cultural monument that breathes life; and of course, the final battle - wow! - certainly one of the greatest movies ever made. It is a shame that it is not more accessible on the large screen - the bigger the better - but as it sustains multiple viewings, see it on video anyway - it's worth it and you can always watch it again.

pmc77 I have actually seen this film several times because it was my college boyfriend's favorite movie and I was dragged to the local art house to see it 5 times. But I have to say I found something new in it each time. While I agree with the previous reviewer that it can be confusing, the story is legendary in Japan and the film makers didn't feel the need to explain elements the Japanese audience would be familiar with. I suggest a second viewing will make it more coherent. I have yet to see a more recent samurai/martial arts film match the suspense and beauty of the snow scene or the heartbreak at the end of the first half. It is a visually rich and rewarding movie experience.

jafra1 It is unfortunate, to say the least, that the original 1962 incredibly loving critiques are no longer in print regarding the true nature of the origin, history and creation of this film. When I first saw it in 1963 (at the Castro, I believe, in S.F.) there was a lengthy story "blown up" on display board in the entryway. This film was a one-of-a- kind deliberate and heartfelt "gift to the world", created by a group of Japanese artists using film as their medium. This particular film was a reflection of what happened in the hearts of sentient Japanese artists AFTER Japan's defeat in WWII. Out of profound dignity they crafted this film to tell of the truest, deepest beauty of their culture, revealing it through the vulnerable opening of their hearts and sharing the story of the true Japan. In a manner similar to "The Passion" of our time, there was always a great historical purpose to this gift -- not merely a commercial undertaking. Thus, I believe the HISTORY of this film holds an even more noble place than the film itself, which happens to be a masterpiece painted with the love of its creators.