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From: ian@loral.UUCP (Ian Kaplan)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Obscure films
Message-ID: <783@loral.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Feb-85 19:50:19 EST
Article-I.D.: loral.783
Posted: Thu Feb  7 19:50:19 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Feb-85 07:57:51 EST
References: <3744@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Reply-To: ian@loral.UUCP (Ian Kaplan)
Organization: Loral Instrumentation, San Diego
Lines: 57
Summary: 


  I am a fan of Japanese Samurai films.  I am not refering to the sex-steel
  and blood films, but the well done movies by Inagaki and Kirasowa. 
  Considering what I may have just done to the names of these great men, I
  should appologize in advance for my misspelling of Japanese names and
  words.  All I can hope is the words and names are spelled phonetically.

  Japanese films are not really obscure, but if Peter Reiher can include
  Heaven's Gate in his list they seem fair game.

  Chushingura

    Again let me appologize for what is probably a mispelling of the name.
    Chushingura is about a Japanese Lord named Asano who is given the duty
    of entertaining the Emperor's envoy when he travels through that part of
    Japan.  This is considered both a great honor and a great
    responsibility.  The proper forms must be followed or Asano will be
    dishonored.  To aid Asano in his duty the Shogun sends his Chamberlain 
    who is versed in the proper forms.

    The Chamberlain expects Asano to pay him a bribe for the information he
    will need to entertain the Emperor's envoy properly.  Asano refuses to
    pay this bribe, since to do so runs counter to the Samurai code of
    honor.  The Chamberlain must perform his duty however, since the Shogun
    has entrusted him with the task of making sure that things go well
    during the visit.  In revenge the Chamberlain bates Asano and repeatedly
    insults him.  Finally, when the Emperor's envoy has arrived, he bates
    Asano past all endurance.  Asano draws his sword and attacks the
    Chamberlain.  Although he wounds him, Asano does not kill him.  In
    attacking the Chamberlain Asano has commited the capitol offence of
    drawing a sword in the presance of the envoy.  The Shogun forces 
    Asano to commit Supuko (ritual suicide). As a result
    of Asano's "crime" all of his vassals are made Ronin (masterless
    samurai).  The rest of the movie concerns the plot by Asano's retainers
    to fulfill their obligation to avenge Asano's death, since the
    Chamberlain still lives.

    Chushingura is a fantastic movie.  It is well filmed and the acting is
    good.  The story is complex however and I found that I had to
    see the movie twice before I really understood what was going on.  This
    story is also know as "The Forty-Seven Ronin".

  The Samurai Trilogy

    This is a set of three movies which cover the career of Musahi Miamoto,
    who is most famous in the US for having written "The Book of Three 
    Rings".  Musahi is reputed to have been the greatest swordsman in
    Japanese history.  The Samurai Trilogy follows Musahi's career from his
    start as a country bumpkin to his last climatic duel.  

				 Ian Kaplan
				 Loral Data Flow Group
				 Loral Instrumentation
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