Jûichinin no samurai

Plot synopsis:
This black and white film is set in November 1839, during the final decades of Japan's Tokugawa shogunate. The retired Shogun's youngest son, Lord Nariatsu, crosses into the neighboring Oshi fief, while he's hunting. Confronted by the Clan Lord Abe Masayori for trespassing in his lands of Oshi, Nariatsu kills him in a fit of pique and rides home. The Oshi fief retainers appeal to the Shogun's Council of Elders for justice. Not wishing to embarrass the Shogun's Tokugawa Clan, Chief Secretary Mizumo rewrites the event with Clan Lord Abe in the wrong and Lord Nariatsu defending himself. For this "attack," the Oshi fief is to be abolished at the end of the month, and the lands will be given to Lord Nariatsu as compensation.
Angered by this gross injustice, Chief Retainer Tatewaki approaches childhood friend, Sengoku Hayato, and asks him to avenge their Lord's murder. Hayato agrees to assemble a small band of loyal samurai. Hayato and nine Oshi fief samurai vow to trade their lives for justice. They locate Nariatsu in Edo (feudal Tokyo). They are joined by Ido Daijuro, a ronin (wandering samurai) with a similar thirst for revenge.
Hayato and his ten followers pursue Nariatsu from the brothels of Edo as he travels home to the safety of his fortified castle in the Tatebayashi fief. As they are about to ambush Nariatsu and his bodyguards, Hayato receives a letter from Tatewaki. He orders Hayato not to kill Nariatsu, because the Council is reconsidering the decision to abolish the Oshi fief. Some samurai refuse to obey. Hayato enforces Tatewaki's order, because obedience is a samurai's first duty. Later, Daijuro tells the others that Hayato has more reason to disobey than they do. His wife, Lady Orie, has already committed jigai in anticipation of Nariatsu's death and the retired Shogun's wrath.
When Tatewaki discovers that Councilor Mizumo lied, he rides to Hayato and orders him to kill Nariatsu. Ashamed that he was duped, Tatewaki commits seppuku. The eleven samurai ride hard and catch Nariatsu and his bodyguards at a river crossing. A great battle ensues. Hayato kills Nariatsu. At the end, only Hayato and Gyobu are standing. Since they are both disgraced and masterless samurai, they have no duty or purpose in life except to kill each other.
Daijuro appears—he has dispatched the last of the bodyguards. Daijuro cuts off Nariatsu's head and walks away, happy in his vengeance. When the rumors of the kataki-uchi (vendetta) spread, the Oshi fief is restored to the Abe clan. And, the Council of Elders releases a statement that the retired Shogun's youngest son has died of an illness.

Tags: violence

Review:
Little-known Samurai classic. Eleven samurai are sent to avenge the murder of their lord and guard the future of their small clan who was murdered by the arrogant and cowardly brother of the Shogun, in this little-known, superbly-directed and acted 1960's Samurai classic. The film features several intriguing plot-twists as well as provide authentic glimpses into both the Samurai ethos and, interestingly, its interplay with hostile political forces which two decades later (following the story's own periodization) would spell the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration (as seen, namely, through one antifeudal and inventively modern character who joins the protagonists in their quest).. Solid Nipponese action.. The closing chapter in Eiichi Kudo's Samurai Revolution trilogy is a reworking of the same story as the previous two, Thirteen Assassins and The Great Duel. It's almost identical so if you're familiar with the other two you'll be able to guess every plot point in advance. I guess that puts Kudo in the good company of Howard Hawks as a director who has done the same movie three times.The novelty factor might have worn out by now, but Eleven Samurai is still a good example of the formal mid 60's chambara with a political vein running through it. The Abe clan is about to be abolished unjustly due to the rash actions of a nearby daimyo, who just so happens to be the former Shogun's son. A plot is devised by the Abe clan to assassinate him as he returns from Edo but things become complicated when a devious minister gets involved. The titular eleven samurai are trusted with carrying out the assassination and the protagonist leading them will be familiar to chambara enthusiasts as Kiba Okaminosuke from Hideo Gosha's Samurai Wolf. Sadly Kudo keeps things very black and white on the morality level by making the daimyo a spoiled, arrogant, petulant jerk-off so you have the good guys avenging their clan on one side and the villain on the other. The corrupt machinations of politics are personified (and condemned) in the form of the minister who instead of punishing the Shogun's son decides to abolish the Abe clan to avoid a scandal. Not really hard to sympathize with them. What makes up for the predictable plot and poorly developed drama is the final battle; there's very good DP work, rain and mud adding to the feeling and some decent swordsmanship going on so the film ends on a high note. If you've seen any of the previous two in Kudo's trilogy you should know exactly what to expect. Nothing ground-breaking for sure, but a solid, entertaining hour and a half to be had for chambara afficionados.. One of the best!!!!!!!!!!!!. What's to say. Lot's of fun. Beautifully done. One if not THE most under-rated Chambara film ever made.If you want to know where T Miike got all his new twists for his (2010) remake of the 13 Samurai, LOOK TO FURTHER. He stole em from here including his brilliantly reviewed, "new" ending.Brilliantly choreographed action. With one of the greatest finales in any action movie, from any year, regardless of genre. NOT TO BE MISSED BY CAUSUAL WATCHERS OF SAMURAI FILM. And maybe a few who will be converted to devotees by this watching.Simply, One of the best!!!!!!!!!!!!