13 Assassins (Japanese: 十三人の刺客, romaji: Jūsan-nin no shikaku) is a 1963 Japanese jidaigeki (period drama) film directed by Eiichi Kudo.[1][2][3]
13 Assassins Jūsan-nin no shikaku | |
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Directed by | Eiichi Kudo |
Screenplay by | Kaneo Ikegami |
Produced by | Kanji Amao Jun'ichirō Tamaki |
Starring | Takayuki Akutagawa [ja] Chiezō Kataoka Kōtarō Satomi |
Cinematography | Jūhei Suzuki |
Edited by | Shintarō Miyamoto |
Music by | Akira Ifukube |
Production company | Toei Company |
Distributed by | Toei Company |
Release date |
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Running time | 125 minutes |
Country | Japan |
Language | Japanese |
In 1844, the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan is in a period of transition, and one of the high ranking lords, Lord Matsudaira, has become tainted by his dissolute and reprobate misconduct. Many leaders in the governing community of the current government feel that the code of honor, bushido, of the samurai is being disgraced by Matsudaira. His reprobate, egotistical, and feckless lifestyle is disgusting to those who come into close contact with him. After receiving reports, Sir Doi is convinced that Matsudaira represents a severe threat to the entire code of honor for the samurai tradition. Sir Doi decides, because of the severity of Matsudaira's misconduct, to take a blood oath to assassinate the reprobate Lord Matsudaira. He enlists a troop of assassins to swear a similar blood oath to do away with Matsudaira in order to restore his country's wellbeing and code of honor.[4]
The film was remade in 2010 by Takashi Miike. The remake was met with critical acclaim. BFI, in an assessment of the top ten samurai films, compared the remake of the film to the original version stating: "Set in 1844, 13 Assassins follows the Seven Samurai template, featuring a band of samurais who come together to overthrow a despotic lord for the greater good of society. Miike’s version benefits from a far more generous budget, with a wonderful attention to period sets and costumes and some inventively choreographed fight scenes."[5]
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