For centuries, the story upon which this film is based has been extremely popular in Japan but little-known in the wider world. The 1962 movie "Chushingura" is the most famous of literally dozens of cinematographic retellings. It focuses on some of the individual samurai who set out to avenge their dead lord. The character work is quite good, especially for some of the younger samurai whose romantic entanglements make them question their commitment to their suicidal pact. The film takes a long time to build to its climax, and a full appreciation of its nuances may require some preexisting knowledge of Japanese history and culture. Despite being the only actor depicted on the usual poster, Toshiro Mifune has a very minor role, though it is an intriguing one.

In 1962, Toho Ltd. released "Chuchingura" as an anniversary piece. At nearly four hours' length, it almost requires a devotion to Japanese cinema and the culture's many nuances to appreciate. But it is exquisitely filmed in Toho Vision, right down to the fluttering cherry blossoms and snow tumbling from trees, and the costumes, sets and makeup win my awards for best I've seen from Tokyo. Having been to Japan and studied Japanese literature and language in the '60s, it was fairly easy for me to get into the story. Indeed, it has been written about many times, and anyone who has read one of the stories should be able to follow the plot. Like many epic films, it begins to bog down in the center, as the ronin go their separate ways and take up all matters of industry and living conditions, fall in love or not, waiting for the day of retribution. We are led up to that point with the unfolding of the drama behind the story. The fast-paced conclusion brings it all together and ends, rather abruptly I thought, with a narrative about what happens once the deed was fulfilled. It's a story of loyalty and courage to the nth degree. The bushido code is one of Japan's most revered cultural elements and it is celebrated here. If you can tolerate the length, the film is definitely worth a look, if for no other reason than to understand more about what the Japanese samurai life in the 18th and 19th centuries was like.

The Japanese Classic epic. (I've heard it referred to as the Japanese "Gone with the Wind" in terms of impact.) Not for all tastes, but easily one of the greatest movies of all time. Played the American art houses briefly when it came out, in the early 60's, and 35 years later I bought a DVD player just so I could see this movie again. It held up well to my memory of originally coming out of it totally stunned, and is actually better than my memory of it. At the time I was impressed with the historical spectacle and fight scenes , but they are minor compared to the character development and total visuals. The director, Hiroshi Inagaki has had few releases in the US, but if you like Kurosawa, rent or buy this DVD. The transfer is excellent, the color amazing for the period. Long and slow by today's formulas, but if you give it the full 207 minutes, you will find yourself coming back multiple times.A 1962 "Crouching Tiger..."

Gorgeous color, magnificent scenery, superb acting, a classic story from the history of Japan, what more could a movie have that you would want? Even though you have to read the subtitles, the grandeur of the movie captivates you so that you forget that you are reading - you begin to hear the actors in English. I have seen this movie (the four hour version) six times and would go to see it again whenever I know that it is playing. It is hard to say that one of the actors is better than another - they all do their part to make this a movie worth seeing time and time again. The only other movie I would put in the same class is 2001, but of course I am a science fiction fan.