The 47 Ronin (1941)

 Kenji Mizoguchi's "The 47 Ronin"


In the early 1940s, while Japan was in active military conflict with China, Kenji Mizoguchi was forced into artistic compromises and make a propaganda film for the state. The Japanese state commitioned Mizoguchi to make the legendary true account of the revenge of the 47 Ronin that occurred in 1703. By adapting this legendary story, the Japanese government was hoping for a ferocious morale booster.

The story is about 47 Ronin who seek to take revenge for the killing of their master. Their master's death was a direct result of state corruption and by taking their revenge against the man who started it, they were able to restore justice. It seems a bit funny that the Japanese government was wanting a story about fighting government corruption to act as a patriotic message for their residents. However, the fervor with which the 47 unite was the focal point of uniting its nation, I suppose. 

In the end, Mizoguchi took a marketable different direction with the story's tone. Rather than doing a typical period action drama, Mizoguchi adapted the story into more of a cerebral morality play. Playing out at 4 hours long, the story is mainly quiet contemplations of moral dilemmas about the nature of honor. Safe to say, audience did not vibe well with this tone, especially since the film was released only 1 week before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. 

 


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