To be ronin is to be banished from every city, to be despised by japanese society, to know humiliation without end. In march 1701, lord asano of ako, having been summoned before the shogun in edo modern tokyo, was provoked into attacking a corrupt official, kira, the shoguns master of ceremonies. The film itself is full of action and fantasy, and shows the true nature of bushido, the code of the samurai, and what it meant to lose that status and become ronin, a samurai who has no shogun to protect. Lord asano is tragically murdered and his property sold. John allyns masterful retelling of the 47 ronin story has long been considered the definitive version of these dramatic historical events. In feudal japan, lord asano rules his province with fairness. 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. It describes a historical event, but there is a lot of fiction added to the story too the story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless becoming ronin after their daimyo lord asano naganori had to kill himself by committing seppuku ritual suicide. However, jealous lord kira tadanobu asano fears that the shogun favors asano over him and hatches a plot that ends with asanos ritual suicide.
In the tale, the lord asano is visiting the shoguns court and is affronted by kira, the shoguns master of ceremonies. Keanu reeves stars as an enslaved halfbreed who is enlisted by the warriors to help carry out their plan of vengeance. 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. To restore honour to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors. By comparing the different retellings of the story of the 47 ronin, the instructor may lead the class into a discussion of how historical imagination is produced by successive and superimposed tales i. Paperback pdf, epub, fb2, djvu, talking book, mp3, rtf 224 pages isbn.
Fortyseven ronin simple english wikipedia, the free. His loyal samurai turn ronin and seek revenge on the man who. Ha actuado como recopilador en diversas antologias literarias. The leaderless samurai must work in secret waiting for their revenge. Register for free 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 story also takes place during the time of tokugawa tsunayoshi 16461709. A corrupt official causes offense which destroys a family. Japans most celebrated tale of chivalry, loyalty and revengeand the basis for a hollywood feature film starring keanu reaves47 ronin is the epic tale of a.
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. 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. Through shihs interpretation, the listener can hear the determination and even. The foreword by stephan turnbull lays out the history of the events the book covers. The 47 ronin story by john allyn pdf, epub, fb2, djvu, talking. A minidocumentary of samurai loyalty and revenge duration.
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. Readers not familiar with events will find the foreword helpful. Rent 47 ronin 1994 starring ken takakura and ko nishimura on dvd and bluray. The story of the 47 ronin is part of the culture of japan, thousands visit the shrine dedicated to them, as told in the end of the film. The revenge of the fortyseven ronin took place in japan at the start of the 18th century. Apr 15, 2015 47 ronin is a fictionalized account that pulls from both history and the famous kabuki play, kanadehon chushingura. Keanu reeves to play japanese samurai in 47 ronin film.
Rent 47 ronin 20 starring keanu reeves and hiroyuki sanada on dvd and bluray. Oishi wanders for several years but realizes that he must turn to kai keanu reeves, a. It describes a historical event, but there is a lot of fiction added to the story too. After asanos death, his samurai, led by oishi hiroyuki sanada, are forced to live as outcasts. Dec 09, 2008 keanu reeves will play one of a band of 18thcentury japanese samurai who avenge the honour of their slain master in the period epic 47 ronin, according to variety. It led to one of the bloodiest episodes in japanese history, and in the process, created a new. Dec 25, 20 kaian outcastjoins oishi, the leader of 47 outcast samurai. It is a historical piece set in ancient feudal japan where the hero.
The level of detail in story and art makes this a superior graphic novel. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. In response, lord asano attacks kira, wounding him but violating the law of not attacking another in the shoguns keep. The tale of the 47 ronin and their epic mission to avenge their wronged master epitomizes the samurai code of honor, and creators mike richardson and stan sakai have done justice to their story. This was perhaps all the more so because it occurred at a time when the samurai class was struggling to maintain a sense of itself warriors with no war, a social class without a function. This set off a chain of events that led to one of the bloodiest episodes in japanese history. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left. 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.
The 47 ronin story is a story of honor and determination. John allyn here presents for english language audiences one of the most ofttold episodes in japanese history. The story of the 47 ronin is one of the most celebrated in the history of the samurai. Reviewspraise narrator david shih expertly brings to life this ancient japanese tale, based on reallife events. The film is another version of the chushingura, the story of the revenge of the fortyseven ronin of ako against lord kira.