Release Date

October, 1st, 2005

Running Time

131 min

Genre

Feature , Feature

Color

Color

Screening Format

35mm

Screen Size

-

Sound Processing

-

[ Directed by ]

• KUROTSUCHI Mitsuo

[ Produced by ]

• TOHYA Nobuyuki

[ Cast ]

• ICHIKAWA Somegoro ── MAKI Bunshiro
• KIMURA Yoshino ── Fuku
• OGATA Ken ── MAKI Sukezaemon
• HARADA Mieko ── Toyo

[ Staff ]

• KUROTSUCHI Mitsuo ── Screenplay
• FUJISAWA Shuhei ── Original Story
• KUGIMIYA Shinji ── Cinematography
• OKUDA Hiroshi ── Editor
• IWASHIRO Taro ── Music

[ Production Company ]

DENTSU, SEDIC INTERNATIONAL, K.Seven, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT, TOHO, TV Asahi, ABC, NAGOYA BROADCASTING NETWORK, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN COMPANY, Tokyo ASA Company

[ Story ]

Following the success of Tasogare Seibei (Twilight Samurai) and Kakushi Ken, Oni no Tsume (The Hidden Blade), this is the third work by historical novelist Fujisawa Shuhei to reach the screen. Director Kurotsuchi Mitsuo labored for over ten years to bring this project to fruition.
Bunshiro (Ichikawa Somegoro) is training in swordsmanship and scholarship under his father-in-law, the head of the Umisaka Fief in Tohoku, the north eastern part of Japan during the Edo period. His father-in-law becomes embroiled in a conspiracy and is ordered to commit hara-kiri. This incident causes Bunshiro to undergo terrible suffering. The only person who treats him with any kindness is his childhood sweetheart, Fuku (Kimura Yoshino), but she goes to Edo to work. A few years later, Bunshiro learns that Fuku is pregnant by a Lord, but because of the inter-factional fighting at the time, had an abortion. Then Fuku becomes pregnant by the Lord again and returns home and secretly gives birth. Since the child is a threat to the Lord, his retainers deploy assassins to kill Fuku and the child. Bunshiro also becomes embroiled in this conspiracy and takes on the Lord's retainers to protect them.

[ Contact (International) ]

For further contact details, please contact UNIJAPAN -> [ Contact ]