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Chushingura [DVD]

Koshiro Matsumoto (Actor), Yz Kayama (Actor), Hiroshi Inagaki (Director) Rated:
Unrated
Format: DVD
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings
IMDb7.6/10.0
$39.95
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DVD
February 27, 2001 		—
1
$39.95
$52.00 $13.92
DVD
January 1, 1962 		—
1
—
— $39.07
Format DVD, Color, Dubbed, Widescreen, NTSC, Letterboxed
Contributor Tadao Takashima, Takashi Shimura, Tatsuya Mihashi, Yosuke Natsuki, Senryu Namiki, Shoraku Miyoshi, Akira Takarada, Makoto Sat, Toshio Yasumi, Hiroshi Inagaki, Keiju Kobayashi, Koshiro Matsumoto, Seizabur Kawazu, Chsha Ichikawa, Daisuke Kat, Yz Kayama, Izumo Takeda See more
Language Japanese
Runtime 3 hours and 26 minutes
Color Color / Black & White

Product Description

Amazon.com

Chushingura means "loyalty," and that potent Japanese theme runs like hot blood throughout this stately samurai epic. It's often called the Gone with the Wind of Japanese cinema, and while that may be a fitting cultural parallel, it gives an inaccurate impression of the film, based on one of Japan's most enduring and oft-interpreted historical events. A simmering, deliberately paced drama set during the Tokugawa shogunate in 1701, it centers on 47 loyal samurai who seek vengeance against the arrogant elder statesman who caused their master's ritual suicide. The now masterless ronin let seasons pass (and the movie occasionally seems just as long) before executing a climactic raid that is both expertly fierce and lethally efficient. Featuring a who's-who of fine Japanese actors, including Kurosawa regulars Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura, Chushingura bears little resemblance to Kurosawa's action-packed samurai classics. This is a thematically dense, politically complex drama, presented here at its fullest length (207 minutes) and best appreciated after multiple viewings. Masterfully composed with painterly precision, Chushingura weaves its intricate tapestry from time-honored tenets of Japanese culture, offering a challenging but grandly rewarding experience. --Jeff Shannon

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.35:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 3.04 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Hiroshi Inagaki
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, DVD, Dubbed, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 3 hours and 26 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2001
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Koshiro Matsumoto, Yz Kayama, Chsha Ichikawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Akira Takarada
  • Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000056NWP
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Izumo Takeda, Senryu Namiki, Shoraku Miyoshi, Toshio Yasumi
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
75 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Daniel C. Wilcock
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic of Japanese Film
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2004
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This film is, hands down, one of the best samurai films ever made and cherished by many Japanese. A simple mention of "chushingura" or the "47 retainers" conjures images of snow-swept feudal Edo (Tokyo) and stealthy samurai enacting a long-awaited raid to revenge their deceased master.

The plot revolves around an intrigue at the shogun's court. A venal official named Kira uses his position to extort money from the visiting daimyo, or feudal lords.

One feudal lord, Asano, citing the samurai code, proudly refuses to pay Kira. A scuffle erupts. In the fight's aftermath, Asano is forced to commit suicide for disgracing the court.

The scene then shifts to Asano's home, where his loyal samurai hatch a plan to kill Kira.

Their plot unfurls over years - years in which their are laughs, deceptions and romances. But beneath the trifles and within the heart of each of the 47 sworn samurai lies a deadly fighting spirit preparing, concealing and mustering a coup that will rock all of Japan.

This film rises to the top of the stack of Japanese films for three reasons: 1) sophisticated theme, 2) authenticity and 3) a strange sense of surrealism (surreal music, surreal timing and the quality of restraint and mystery central to Japanese culture).

The film's lavish widescreen format, muted colors, visual beauty and striking soundtrack all make this a definitive version of the classic tale.

The movie lasts over three hours, and that may be much for someone not intrigued by Japan's past or the samurai code. But for ambitious film fans with such interests, I recomend it wholeheartedly.
24 people found this helpful
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Tracy E. Blackstone
5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Two Best Samurai Films Ever Made!
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 1998
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This film is one of the two best Samurai films of all time, the other being Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI. CHUSHINGURA ("loyalty") is based on a real incident in 18th century Japan, wherein 47 loyal retainers of a disgraced lord take a vow of vengeance on the corrupt nobleman who caused his downfall and death. The story is timeless, the acting is uniformly magnificent, the camera work is so gorgeous that any frame of this film could be hung in an art gallery, and the music is exciting and heart-lifting. It's a complex plot, following many separate individuals as their vengeance unfolds, so first-time viewers may get confused. No matter -- it all comes together at the end. Watch for the late great Toshiro Mifune in a cameo role as a Master Spearman who becomes drinking buddies with one of the 47, and who takes it upon himself to hold off the cops in the final showdown so that his pal and the other 46 won't be interrupted before they can find and behead the bad guy and fulfill their vow. I have watched this movie many, many times, and I always find something new and wonderful in it. Now that it's FINALLY available on video, don't miss it!!
110 people found this helpful
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Zack Davisson
4.0 out of 5 stars Loyalty
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2005
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Based on actual events, the story of the loyal 47 ronin is probably the most dramatized story in Japanese theatrical tradition. Appearing originally as a bunraku puppet play, it was soon followed by a fantastically successful Kabuki adaptations and more than eight cinematic versions. Its enduring popularity is based on the core Japanese values it represents; loyalty to a superior, at the cost of all things including life, love and personal happiness. Like the Western King Arthur and Robin Hood, the 47 ronin have passed from history to legend.

This version, "Chushingura" (Full Japanese title is "Chushingura: Hana no maki yuki no maki,") is a sprawling 3 hour epic from the Japanese master of legendary films. Director Hiroshi Inagaki, probably best known in the West for his 3-film Miyamoto Musashi masterpiece "Samurai I,II and III," brings his unique eye to the familiar story, blending a quiet human touch into the massive picture. He has assembled the all-stars of the Japanese chambara ("swordfight") genre. Tatsuya Mihashi ("Tora Tora Tora,") Takashi Shimura ("Seven Samurai,") Yuzo Kayama ("Red Beard") and of course Toshiro Mifune ("Seven Samurai," "Yojimbo," too many films to mention...), each name on the roster is one of the best, each with at lease on Kurosawa-credit on their resume, if not more.

The story unfolds at a long, dense pace, leaving you wondering along the way which of Lord Asano's 60-plus samurai will remain loyal, and which will give into fear. By no means is this an action film, but a didactic tale stuffed with politics and the disintegrating nature of modernization and the loss of traditional morality and ethics. However, the film is a long slow fuse, building to the dynamite that is the rightful vengeance of the loyal 47. The final battle in the snow is a beautiful ballet of swords and blood.

Unfortunately, the DVD does not live up to the promise of the movie. It is a bare bones disk, with a decent widescreen presentation and nothing else. Due to the historical and important nature of "Chushingura," there is room for so much more. However, beggars can't be choosers, and having the movie alone is a treat. Maybe someday a better release will come along, but until then it is enough to watch the unfolding drama of 47 men willing to die for what they believe in.
41 people found this helpful
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L. Hirose
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2021
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This item promptly came and I am glad that it is the one that I recognized. I have seen it before, so I am glad that now I own it. m Wonderful production.
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R.L. Holly
5.0 out of 5 stars Valorous and powerful tale of heroism
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2001
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Here is an exquisite spectacle that embodies the spirit of bushido, newly released in stunning brilliance on DVD. For three hours, the Western viewer is swept to another time and place, one as strange yet vivid as anything imagined in science fiction or fantasy. If I was forced to make a shallow comparison, it might be to John Wayne's "The Alamo" for its evocation of heroic self-sacrifice and in its attempt to humanize sweeping historical events. But Chushingura is far more accomplished and less prone to theatrical bravado. The 47 loyal samurai are bound by duty and devotion, not patriotic fervor. They have no hope for personal survival, but accept their fate calmly and without flowery speechifying. In this lavishly produced movie, they live again -- stalwart and thoughtful, furious and fleeting. A profoundly engaging work that speaks to the core of the traditional Japanese martial spirit.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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darcy farrell
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome movie
Reviewed in Canada on November 7, 2019
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Worked well good classic
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ミステイク７
3.0 out of 5 stars 広告にウソがあります。
Reviewed in Japan on August 9, 2022
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吹き替え「英語」って書いてあるから（２０２２年８月現在）、期待してたが、商品が届いて再生してみても、そんな物はなかった（日本語音声のみ）。
不満に思ったが、作品内容が良かったので、我慢する。
The product description page of the Amazon Japanese version states falsely that the film has English audio.
I cannot accept that lie.
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ミステイク７
3.0 out of 5 stars 広告にウソがあります。
Reviewed in Japan on August 9, 2022
吹き替え「英語」って書いてあるから（２０２２年８月現在）、期待してたが、商品が届いて再生してみても、そんな物はなかった（日本語音声のみ）。
不満に思ったが、作品内容が良かったので、我慢する。
The product description page of the Amazon Japanese version states falsely that the film has English audio.
I cannot accept that lie.
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Philippe-40
5.0 out of 5 stars Quel bonheur !
Reviewed in France on September 24, 2013
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Les versions cinématographiques sont nombreuses, les traditions et les traductions aussi, la trame du film est légèrement différente de celle de la traduction de Georges Soulié de Morant (je laisse la surprise à ceux qui auraient les mêmes que moi), mais je ne regrette pas du tout cet achat.
Mifune Toshiro en petit rôle, c'est rare...
Et satisfaction suprême, mon ordinateur portable à lu ce DVD zone 1 sans aucune manipulation !!!
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Darth Maciek
5.0 out of 5 stars "A man cannot breathe the same air as the murderer of his father - or lord!"
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2007
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The reason why I cannot say that this is the ultimate samurai film is because Kurosawa made "Seven Samurai" and Kobayashi made "Harakiri". Other than that there is nothing better in samurai movies than this 1962 version of "Chushingura", a true story, better known as "The 47 faithful ronin". This story was filmed many times and I saw and own four of those movies - but this one is absolutely the BEST!

This film begins with a great injustice committed by the shogun in 1701 against one of minor provincial daimyos, Lord Asano - and also against his family and his retainers. What follows is the TRUE story about 47 absolutely fearless men who, without any hope for their own survival, launched themselves in a mission to avenge their lord and also humiliate the shogun. I will not say anything more about the story and if you are not yet familiar with it, my advice is to not research it prior to watching this film - you will enjoy it more...

Do not expect a show of sword fighting and martial arts - well, of course there is some (and in real story there also was some), but you have to wait until the end and it is a VERY long movie. The beauty of "Chushingura" is in the story, which is more about going towards the objective rather than achieving it - and considering that the ultimate target is their death, no wonder that the heroes go there slowly...

Seeing this film was a great experience. I count "Chushingura" as one the best movies I ever saw and I will always remember it fondly. But be warned - it is not an easy thing and definitely NOT an action movie. This is a story about death and dying, so watching it have some respect. Drink tea (or sake) rather than beer. And forget about the popcorn - it doesn't taste so well mixed with tears...
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R. BATISSE
3.0 out of 5 stars Chushingura [DVD] [1962] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2011
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So far, best story of the 47 samurais I know of. Awaiting for a XXIst century version, with the revisited question about the meaning of sacrifice, more than 300 years later.
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