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47 RONIN - THE TRUTH

IN JAPAN

This incident of 47 Ronin is known by most of Japanese people. They do not necessarily know the detailed story about it, nevertheless, they at least have heard of the words 47 Ronins, or Ako Roshi. It is not because history textbooks talk a lot about it, but rather, it is because this incident has been featured in many art forms including television drama, movie, and Kabuki. Especially during Showa period, 仮名手本忠臣蔵: Kanadehon Chushingur, a Kabuki play about 47 Ronin was spread widely to enhance people's loyalty for the nation in order to win the war.

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Kabuki theatre - 47 RONIN [english subs] 1/2

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Kabuki theatre - 47 RONIN [english subs] 1/2

Book about kabuki: https://amzn.to/3ey2uQN Kabuki (ka歌 bu舞 ki伎) is a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. The individual kanji, from left to right, mean sing (歌), dance (舞), and skill (伎). Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing". These are, however, ateji characters which do not reflect actual etymology. The kanji of 'skill' generally refers to a performer in kabuki theatre. Since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary", kabuki can be interpreted as "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre. The expression kabukimono (歌舞伎者) referred originally to those who were bizarrely dressed. It is often translated into English as "strange things" or "the crazy ones", and referred to the style of dress worn by gangs of samurai. In 2005, the Kabuki theatre was proclaimed by UNESCO as an intangible heritage possessing outstanding universal value. In 2008, it was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Kabuki theatre - 47 RONIN [english subs] 2/2

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Kabuki theatre - 47 RONIN [english subs] 2/2

Book about kabuki: https://amzn.to/3ey2uQN Kabuki (ka歌 bu舞 ki伎) is a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. The individual kanji, from left to right, mean sing (歌), dance (舞), and skill (伎). Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing". These are, however, ateji characters which do not reflect actual etymology. The kanji of 'skill' generally refers to a performer in kabuki theatre. Since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary", kabuki can be interpreted as "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre. The expression kabukimono (歌舞伎者) referred originally to those who were bizarrely dressed. It is often translated into English as "strange things" or "the crazy ones", and referred to the style of dress worn by gangs of samurai. In 2005, the Kabuki theatre was proclaimed by UNESCO as an intangible heritage possessing outstanding universal value. In 2008, it was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The 47 Ronin (1941)

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The 47 Ronin (1941)

The 47 Ronin (元禄忠臣蔵 Genroku Chūshingura, "The Treasury of Loyal Retainers of the Genroku era") is a 1941/1942 black-and-white two-part jidaigeki Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, adapted from a play by Seika Mayama. The film chronicles the end of the lives of the forty-seven Ronin.

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Story Line of 仮名手本忠臣蔵

塩冶判官, Enya Hangan, who works for Ashikaga family has beautiful wife called 顔世御前, Kaoyo Gozen. 高師直, Kouno Morono, from Ashikaga family is attracted to this beautiful woman and try to approach to her. 桃井若狭之助, Momonoi Wakasanosuke, who works for Hangan let Kaoya Gozen get away from the tenacious approach by Morono, but he attemts to kill Morono because this man insult him too much. Nonetheless, when Wakasanosuke determined to take Morono’s life arrives, Morono apologized to him because he received bribe money, so Wakasanosuke decided not to carry out what he was planning. Having received a letter from Kaoyo Gozen that refuse his feeling, however, Morono become furious and insult Hangan a lot more, which ended up driving Hangan draw a sword towards Morono. Because of this, Hangan was sentenced a death and commit Seppuku after telling Wakasanosuke his mortification. Wakasanosuke prepares for taking a revenge of his master and killing Morono while he is pretending that he is simply having fun with 遊女, or prostitute. In the end, Ronin who used to work for Hangan go to Morono’s house and Wakasanosuke takes Morono’s head using a sword that Hangan left for him.

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Although all the names are altered, it is obvious that each characters correspond historical figure: Morono substitute Kira, Hangan substitute Asano, Wakasanosuke substitute Kuranosuke and so forth. In addition to the real historical facts such as Asano drew sword against Kira in Edo Castle, many fictional scenes are played including Wakasanosuke attempts to kill Morono in the first place, which makes the Kabuki play even more enjoyable for people. Because detailed reasons for Kira being not nice to Asano for example are unclear, Morono's affection towards Kaoyo Gozen seem to serve in order to make the whole story easy to understand.

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OUTSIDE JAPAN

Not only in Japan but also in foreign countries, this 47 Ronin is known as the story of Japanese loyalty for their masters, therefore, movies about this incident have been created outside Japan as well. However, in order to make the movies easily accepted by non-japanese people, various fictional factors are added, and sometimes it is not clear whether the main focus is on the loyalty of masterless samurai for their former masters.

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47 Ronin Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Keanu Reeves, Rinko Kikuchi Movie HD

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Rotten Tomatoes Trailers

47 Ronin Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Keanu Reeves, Rinko Kikuchi Movie HD

Watch the TRAILER REVIEW: http://goo.gl/8sH9nW Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6h Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Like us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73 47 Ronin Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Keanu Reeves, Rinko Kikuchi Movie HD An 18th century set story centered on a band of samurai who set out to avenge the death of their master. The Movieclips Trailers channel is your destination for the hottest new trailers the second they drop. Whether it's the latest studio release, an indie horror flick, an evocative documentary, or that new RomCom you've been waiting for, the Movieclips team is here day and night to make sure all the best new movie trailers are here for you the moment they're released. In addition to being the #1 Movie Trailers Channel on YouTube, we deliver amazing and engaging original videos each week. Watch our exclusive Ultimate Trailers, Showdowns, Instant Trailer Reviews, Monthly MashUps, Movie News, and so much more to keep you in the know. Here at Movieclips, we love movies as much as you!

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Story Line of a movie 47 Ronin

Lord Asano and other Ako samurai who works for him find a mysterious boy named Kai, who is played by American actor, in woods. Although some samurai including Oishi attempted to kill this stranger non-samurai boy, lord Asano decided that Asano family took care of him. Lord Kira is depicted as evil man trying hard to have Lard Asano dead or to destroy Asano’s reputation from Shogun Tokugawa. He attempts to do so by sending Dragon-like-monster or by manipulating Ako samurai using witchcraft. Witch who works for the Lord Kira made Lord Asano see the illusion that his daughter was raped by Lord Kira, and Asano attacked him with his sword. Because of this behavior, Asano was sentenced to do Seppuku. Mika, a daughter of Lord Asano, is then told to marry lord Kira so that lord Kira receive the Ako land. Ako Ronin ask Kai for help who is in love with Mika, and attempt to prevent this marriage from happening. After obtaining enough weapon in Tengu’s woods where Kai was raised, Ako Ronin attacks Kira’s force. Although they fail in the first attempt, they succeed in the second attempt in which they attacked Kira and his witch, Mizuki, during marriage ceremony of Kira and Mika. After having Kira and Mizuki dead, 47 Ronin and Kai do Seppuku because they went against the Shogun’s order. However, Shogun demand a son of Oishi that he does not do Seppuku and rule the Ako land instead.

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It seems like Some Japanese Value that plays an important role in this 47 ronin incident is ignored. For example, the Samurai law of “Kenka Ryoseibai” is not depicted this movie because it’s not a fight between Kira and Asano. Although in the real story, Asano took out his sword with his own intention, which leaded him to do Seppuku, in a movie he was simply manipulated with witchcraft, drawing sword not intentionally. Therefore, Ako ronin’s claim that Kira should be judged as well according to Kenka Ryoseibai is replaced by a claim that Kira is the only one who should have been punished. Moreover, in the end a son of Oishi avoid doing Seppuku because of the Shogun’s order, which is depicted as wonderful thing in a movie. However, since taking avenge for the former master and doing seppuku after that is honorable things to do, living on while others were doing seppuku for what they did should be absolutely dishonorable behavior, which is the last thing Samurai want to do. Finally, because Kai and Mika were in love and the boy’s motivation to defeat Kira was to save his love, the main point of this incident that masterless samurai loyally took avenge be scarfing their lives are sort of faded away. Although Oishi and other Ronin are fighting for the sake of their dead master, it can be assumed that the victory of 47 ronin was because of the love between Kai and Mika.
Nevertheless, these shifts in story and additional characters appeals to be necessary for making a movie American. The sense of loyalty and samurai rules can be interesting to non-Japanese people, then again to explain the whole story with them might be difficult for them to understand and sympathize with the story. Therefore, it can be said that this movie successfully follows the major historical story line while adding extra feature to make the story familiar for non-Japanese.

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