To get into the skin of his character, reeves underwent intense training, learning the tengu sword techniques and then pitfighting techniques. With a better hand this could have been something glorious and grand. After many books and movies have told the japanese story of the 47 ronin, along comes another version in a 3d cgi film. I almost did not watch this, but im glad that i did. This movie is very good with a lot of understatement and sometimes it gets fanciful but does not takeaway from the story telling. In the tale, the lord asano is visiting the shoguns court and is affronted by kira, the shoguns master of ceremonies. It was pretty bold of the filmmakers to take a deeply revered story that. Lord asano was executed after an incident involving the shoguns master of ceremonies, kira, who was constantly trying to bribe asano. The same definition would apply to the rough band of killers who assemble in a paris bistro at the beginning of john frankenheimers ronin. Its an intricate and extremely wellwritten story about a group of men who became exsamurais when their master was executed for drawing his sword in the court of the shogun. After a treacherous warlord kills their master and.
It was to remind me how lucky we are that the beggar was placed in my path. From ancient japans most enduring tale, the epic 3d. Ronin 1998 was a fantastic movie with awesome car chases and fantastic acting, writing, and. The lengths that the 47 ronin, of lord asano, went in order to achieve honor for themselves and for their master defiantly earned themselves a special place in japanese history. In the 47 ronin, sean michael wilson has created a historically factual portrait, enhanced by evocative and often lyrical drawings by akiko shimojima. Genroku chushingura the 47 ronin 1941 rotten tomatoes. Keanu reeves fights britains tallest man in 47 ronin. While there are other depictions of the story in manga. Keanu reeves stars as an outcast who joins a group of samurai warriors on a quest to reclaim their homeland.
The 47 ronin is, simply, one of the great political films of all time. Left with no leader to dedicate their lives to, they roamed the countryside, freelancers for hire. Kira angered asano at a meeting, so asano attacked him, to which the shogun ordered asano to commit seppuku. I never saw the movies before but after i read the a song of ice and fire series grrm im waiting for winds of winter over here i decided to read the lotr. The foreword by stephan turnbull lays out the history of the events the book covers. My first introduction to 47 ronin by the way of the film produced by keanu reeves. Both the book and two movie versions of the story, 47 ronin and chushingura, are. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless after their. Nov 04, 2016 well the story is largely legendary, its not known how much, if any, of it was true as it occurred during a period of strict censorship in japan and wasnt written down until decades after it was supposed to occur. Watch 47 ronin trailers and video and find out where to buy or view the 47 ronin movie. The story opens with a stentorian voice over announcing that ancient feudal.
In hirokazu koreedas 2006 film hana yori mo nao, the story was used as a backdrop, with one of the ronin being a neighbour of the protagonists. The story also takes place during the time of tokugawa tsunayoshi 16461709. The only differences are a few alternate shots and some insignificantly longer scenes just a few seconds here and there. When a wrong is unavenged, the heavens look down on us. Keanu reeves and ko shibasaki in 47 ronin 20 rinko kikuchi in 47 ronin. Scripted by chris morgan and hossein amini from a story by morgan and walter hamada, the film is a work of chushingura the treasury of loyal retainers serving as a fictionalized account of the fortyseven ronin, a reallife group of masterless samurai under daimyo asano naganori in 18thcentury japan who avenged. My father took me to see the movie chashingura the 47 ronin, by the japanese director hiroshi inagaki, when i was a kid. My father took me to see the movie chushingura the 47 ronin, by the japanese director hiroshi inagaki, when i was a kid. The 47 ronin story, is a legendary japanese tale about honor, and what lengths people will go to in order to achieve such honor. Even with intensely beautiful distractions, they are not effective enough to disguise the gigantic lumps. The movie was entertaining and had a good mix of story, action, and beautiful.
Keanu reeves stars in the 3d actionadventure epic, 47 ronin. Hollywood movie 47 ronin movie scene battle of the. The story is based on true events, but it has gained mythical. In response, lord asano attacks kira, wounding him but violating the law of not attacking another in the shoguns keep.
Oishi hiroyuki sanada and kai keanu reeves face off in a sword battle before escaping from the slave pits together. In the film, keanu reeves portrays kai, a halfbritish halfjapanese outcast who is called upon by oishi, the leader of the 47. The writing of mike richardson, teamed with the art of stan sakai, beautifully depicting the story of the 47 ronin in graphic novelcomic book form. Keanu reeves has matured as actor immensely and he is now able to express subtleties of character that he has mastered. One year later, oishi is released from the imprisonment and he plots a scheme to revenge lord asano with kai and the other ronin. After a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and reclaim their honor.
The tale of the 47 ronin is one of the most famous in japanese history, and it is a true story. Most people have heard about the famous story of the 47 ronin in japan, but. From ancient japans most enduring tale, the epic 3d fantasyadventure 47 ronin is born. Jan 08, 2014 in the movie, set in edoera japan 16031867, an evil warlord frames the master of 47 samurai, and that master must then commit ritual suicide. Oishi and his samurais become ronin and he is arrested in a hole.
The 47 ronin story by john allyn goodreads share book. Under him were a number of regional lords, the daimyo, each of whom employed a contingent of samurai warriors. A novelization based on the film starring keanu reeves from legendary author joan d. The eagerness of the major studios to cozy up to asian markets yields awkward results in 47 ronin, a lumpy 3d epic from universal that fuses japanese historical legend with generic cgiheavy. Keanu reeves leads the cast as kai, an outcast who joins oishi hiroyuki sanada, the leader of the 47 ronin.
You never really think that the 47 are truly outnumbered, and the large action scenes are often. I knew already the story of the 47 ronin who remained with no boss who died by seppuku in 1701 after killing a hideous very important man. Both the book and two movie versions of the story, 47 ronin and chushingura, are well worth tracking down. I hope that if people see this post and they havent read the trilogy its actually 6 stories. The title ronin is a mark of shame, as it implies these warriors failed to protect their master, which is a samurais chief duty. Interesting movie, false advertising about the guy with the pistol, the fights were good, i do not know the full story about the 47 ronin but i think this modern adoption was a good version of it, but they probably could have been more accurate to the original story and it would have been even better. Most recently, it was made into a 20 american movie titled 47 ronin. The 47 ronin story by john allyn is a japanese story about lord asano of ako and what is known as one of the bloodiest campaigns in japanese feudal history. How do japanese people feel about the movie the last samurai. Its an ambitious film that utilizes grand cg effects and backdrops, along with elaborate sets, to create a tangible authenticity to the films time period. How accurate was the movie 47 ronins adaptation of the.
I was inexplicably moved by the visit, and found a copy of john allyns book at an englishlanguage bookstore in tokyo. Well the story is largely legendary, its not known how much, if any, of it was true as it occurred during a period of strict censorship in japan and wasnt written down until decades after it was supposed to occur. The leaderless samurai, or ronin, has been a popular character in japanese films for decades, and has also been adapted numerous times in various forms by hollywood. I havent watched the movie yet but this was certainly a better to get acquainted with the story of japan, as they say to know this story is to know japan. If you know usagi yojimbo, a graphic novel written and illustrated by stan sakai, then you already know youll love this book. Produced over a twoyear period, kenji mizoguchis version of the oftfilmed seika mayama story the 47 ronin was too big. The 47 ronin story is a story of honor and determination. Til 47 ronin starring keanu reeves was the biggest box. Genroku chushingura the 47 ronin photos view all photos 12 movie info. This vfxheavy take on the japanese legend of selfsacrifice goes all in for a bit of eastern mystery, but just feels bland and plodding. The historical event has inspired many writers and artists over the years and numerous fictionalized versions and adaptations have emerged.
Dec 25, 20 spectacular goofiness should be expected of 47 ronin, an american film loosely based on the true story of 47 reallife masterless samurai who avenged their disgraced masters death. This band of ronin must seek help from kai reevesan enslaved halfbreed they once rejectedin their ultimate fight for redemption in a savage world of mythic and wondrous terrors. Social studies 47ronin questions 128 japanese history learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Keanu reeves and rinko kikuchi in 47 ronin the 20 movie 47 ronin is a hollywood fantasy epic distributed by universal. I cant wait to see what else there is to learn about this amazing world. Oishi is by far the more compelling character as well as the legends legitimate protagonist, and sanada gives the films most nuanced performance. Starring keanu reeves, 47 ronin by carl rinsch offers little of substance to add to the samurai genre. For those looking for the real story behind the fictionalized movie account of the 47 ronin story, this is the definitive, fascinating account of this unforgettable tale of a band of samurai who defied the emperor to avenge the disgrace and death of their master, and faced certain death as a result. The revenge of the fortyseven ronin also known as the ako incident. When a crime goes unpunished, the world is unbalanced. I first went to sengakuji temple the burial site of the 47 ronin about 20 years ago, just as a tourist thing and not knowing the background of the temple or the story of the 47 ronin. I actually thought that it was a pretty good fantasy movie and it inspired me to go back and research the actual 47 ronin legend. Updated daily, for more funny memes check our homepage. Til 47 ronin starring keanu reeves was the biggest box office flop in history.
Dec 24, 20 the eagerness of the major studios to cozy up to asian markets yields awkward results in 47 ronin, a lumpy 3d epic from universal that fuses japanese historical legend with generic cgiheavy. This action movie runs with purpose from one fight scene to another but takes a pause to develop the characters and let the audience relate to their inner emotions. It is a historical piece set in ancient feudal japan where the hero. May 31, 2014 but whether or not the differences in 47 ronin have a cultural background, is for anyone to decide on their own. Keanu reeves stars in the 3d actionadventure epic 47 ronin. Keanu reeves returns to the martial arts action genre to give us a movie with very little martial arts action.
Im seriously starting to question relying on rotten tomatoes after having watched this film. I had never heard of the 47 ronin before, and the release of the graphic novel is timely with the movie releasing theaters now starring keanu reeves. As a pure novel of adventure, the book is terrific and the insight the story provides into the japanese character is invaluable. I bought every book there is about middle earth, from the the silmarillion to the 3 volumes of the complete history of middle earth. I have not read the original story which the movie is, supposedly, based nor seen any of the other 47 ronin movies that have been made. Among the bestknown episodes in japanese history, the tale of the 47 ronin and their yearslong mission to avenge their disgraced master epitomizes the samurai code of honor. Readers not familiar with events will find the foreword helpful. Kai keanu reeves takes on the kirina mythical horned beastwith just a sword. But it is, in my opinion, not a great move and i cannot give it more than an average okay rating. Who now expects witness some new, suspenseful and action packed footage of this quite wellmade movie will be disappointed. Keanu reeves new movie has 47 problems, but the ronin.
Keanu reeves stars in 47 ronin as a halfbreed warrior who is called upon to lead a group of 47 samurai whose master has been killed. The story has been recreated by a number of artists. The alternate camera shots are hard to define because they barely make a difference. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit and it certainly wasnt only 14% fresh as rt had me convinced it was. It runs for a total of four hours, and consequently was released in two parts, part i on dec. Parents need to know that 47 ronin is based on a famous japanese story about an event that took place in the 18th century and though the violence is largely bloodless, there are swordfights with mixed martial arts and two beheadings. Those warriors then become ronin, masterless samurai. The chance to rethink the story of the 47 ronin came in autumn 1989, when i had the. Keanu reeves leads the cast as kai, an outcast who joins oishi hiroyuki sanada, the leader of 47 outcast. The 47 ronin is a japanese film directed by kenji mizoguchi, based, as one might guess, on the story of the 47 ronin. Keanu reeves 47 ronin expected to be one of 20s biggest boxoffice bombs. We also see some fantasy violence, such as witchcraft and monsters. Wickkeanu charles reeves47 ronin moviekeanu reeves quotesgorgeous.
The 47 ronin story quotes share book recommendations. Keanu reeves new movie has 47 problems, but the ronin ain. I read the hobbit back in january, then read fire and blood, and then started the series. The ronin of japanese legend were samurai whose lords were killed. During the tokugawa era in japan, the country was ruled by the shogun, or highest military official, in the name of the emperor. Most recently, it was made into a 20 american movie titled 47 ronin, starring keanu reeves, and then again into a more stylized 2015 version titled last knights. The story is based on true events, but it has gained mythical standing and has become a core tale of japanese culture. The film historian misono kyohei has counted a total of sixty chushingura.
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