The Loyal 47 Ronin

The account begins in Japan in 1701. Lord Asano is summoned to the palace. There he falls out with an official. The official is called Kira. The quarrel grows and Asano attacks him. Drawing a weapon inside the palace is a grave offence. Asano is ordered to commit seppuku. He takes his own life and his lands are seized. The samurai bound to him are left without a master. From then on they are known as ronin. At their head is Oishi Kuranosuke. The band waits patiently for years. What they want is to call Kira to account. The preparation goes on in secret. Kazuo Hasegawa and Shintarō Katsu take the leads, with Takashi Shimura also in the cast, in Kunio Watanabe’s Japanese film of 1958.