Paula Hammond - Features EditorBest known for dramas such as Until We Meet Again and An Inlet of Muddy Water, the Japanese filmmaker Tadashi Imai was also the director of Revenge, a highly accomplished and brutal jidaigeki picture.
Those two sensibilities come together in the film that might just stand as Imai’s masterpiece, Cruel Tale of Bushido — an ambitious, multi-generational epic starring the inimitable Miyamoto Musashi in multiple roles as seven generations of men belonging to the same family.
In the modern day, salaryman Iikura is devastated by his wife’s attempted suicide. To distract himself, he begins working through his recently discovered family records. As he traces his personal history across 350 years, he discovers tale after tale of men who have suffered, debased themselves and made untold sacrifices in the name of bushido, or the moral code of the samurai.
Now presented from a breathtaking 4K restoration by Toei, the film makes its blu-ray debut as part of the Masters of Cinema Series. This is a strictly limited edition release of 2,000 copies per territory, all presented in Eureka’s signature O-card slipcase with collector’s booklet.
Cruel Tale of Bushido is a sweeping tale, of loss, love, war, and sacrifice, from a Golden Bear-winning director. This is a brutal, sobering viewing experience. But if you like your jidaigek with a gritty, Noir-ish edge, then you will find much to admire in Tadashi Imai’s opus.
