Bushido

A series of stories follows the sacrifices made by members of a Japanese clan from the 1600s to the 'present' (1963) as they serve masters ranging from feudal lords in the Tokugawa period to the Imperial Government to the modern 'company'. Many of the early stories are brutal, as cruel, capricious, and sometimes sadistic lords expect every their every whim to be catered to without reservation, and there is a pronounced sexual subtext throughout, as many of the demands involve the servitors' wives, fiancées or daughters. The morality of the stories is complex. From a modern perspective, the lords' demands are unconscionable, almost evil at times, and the obedience and self-abasement of the underlings hard to comprehend (viewers waiting for righteous comeuppances may be disappointed), but values were different and many of the characters seem to believe that the absolute authority of 'superiors' over their 'inferiors' was expected and acceptable, and that acquiescence to such demands was both honourable and a privilege. The cast is very good (I watched a subtitled version) and Kinnosuke Nakamura is excellent playing the central character from each period. Some budgetary restrictions are evident (notably in the brief 'Kamikaze' vignette) but otherwise the production values, including the score, are great. As others have commented, the film is too short to do justice to all of the stories but otherwise is an excellent counter-point to the numerous jidaigeki that glorify feudal Japan (or at least reduce the period and its culture to a simple 'good vs. bad' background for a sword-opera).