Samurai Reincarnation
| Samurai Reincarnation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Kinji Fukasaku |
| Written by |
Kinji Fukasaku Tatsuo Nogami Futaro Yamada (original novel) |
| Starring |
Sonny Chiba Kenji Sawada |
| Music by |
Hōzan Yamamoto Mitsuaki Kanno |
| Cinematography | Kiyoshi Hasegawa |
| Distributed by | Toei Company |
|
Release date
|
June 6, 1981 |
|
Running time
|
122 min |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Samurai Reincarnation (魔界転生 Makai Tenshō?) is a 1981 film directed by Kinji Fukasaku and starring Sonny Chiba. The film was based on the novel Makai Tensho.
The film was nominated for three 'Awards of the Japanese Academy' of which it won two. Hiroyuki Sanada won best newcomer of the year and Tokumichi Igawa and Yoshikazu Sano took the award for best art direction. The film was nominated for best sound, however did not win the award.
Following the massacre of many thousands of Christians by soldiers of the Tokugawa Empire after the Shimabara Rebellion, Shiro Amakusa renounces the God who he feels abandoned them, and bargains his soul to the forces of darkness for the power to take his revenge. He gains the power to resurrect the dead, and begins with Hosokawa, the wife of a samurai who mocked her for her chastity and then left her to die during the invasion. Shiro restores her beauty in exchange for her loyalty. Next, they travel to the cave of legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who regrets that he neglected his lovely wife to find more opponents to duel, and that his advanced age prevents him from challenging the one rival he considered worthy to test his technique. He initially resists the pair, but suffers a heart attack and agrees to join them. During this exchange, his cave is visited by Yagyu Jubei, son of a samurai master and a powerful swordsman in his own right. Jubei rushes to Musashi's aid only to find an empty suit of armor. The unholy trio then encounter Inshun, a Buddhist monk who is plagued with terrible fantasies of sex and death. Hosokawa taunts him with the failings of his monastic teachings, and he commits suicide in despair, becoming one of Shiro's undead in the process.
At a local Iga ninja village, young Kirimaru is excited to learn that Jubei is on his way. However, before he can arrive, their Tokugawa controlled rivals the Koga ninja ambush the village with flaming arrows, killing everyone except Kirimaru. He fights his way through the forest against a female ninja, and is mortally wounded, but the female ninja is assaulted by Inshun. The rest of the Koga attack, but are quickly dispatched by the undead warriors. A dying Kirimaru is tenderly offered resurrection by Shiro, and he accepts. Jubei returns to the village to find it in shambles, and goes looking for Kirimaru. He encounters the undead battalion, now on horseback, and they taunt him before leaving, promising to meet again.
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