Masanobu Hayashi

When Kanbe Nagakichi has his turf taken over by Ano-Toku, the father-in-law of his sworn brother Kira Nikichi sets in motion one of the most violent gang battles in Japanese history. Forced by the situation to choose between family and yakuza honor, Nikichi faces off against the vile combination of Ano-Toku and Kurokoma Katsuzo, villains so low as to ambush their foes using snipers. Nikichi, who owes allegiance to Boss Jirocho of Shimizu asks Jirocho to spare Ano-Toku’s life until events force a showdown between the 30 member Shimizu gang and a force of over 200 men fighting on Ano-Toku’s behalf. Meanwhile, a mysterious samurai may hold the key to deciding the outcome of this battle!

In the year 1637 in Shimabara of Tokugawa-era Japan, oppressed peasant Christians revolt against the shogunate with the aid of a charismatic Christian rebel leader Shiro Amakusa.

In this first episode, we are introduced to Takezo, what Musashi used to be before he became the man of legend. His beginning are not exactly auspicious. He sides with the Toyotomi at Sekigahara, and as a result finds himself on the losing side of the historic battle. He and his friend Matahachi manage to escape the slaughter although the latter is wounded in his leg. They stumble across the young Akemi who makes her living with her mother Oko by robbing corpses of their armor and anything else they can sell. Oko takes it into her head to seduce Matahachi, which she does first by skillfully sucking the gangrene from his blood, and then just by sucking.

The adopted son of an Osaka courier falls in love with a prostitute and, discovering that she is about to be purchased by a client, steals money from his employer to redeem her. Hunted criminals, the two young lovers take flight to Yamato, but, as in Chikamatsu's other domestic tragedies of love and duty (known as sewamono), they must be pursued and their passion destroyed by death. Favourite Uchida themes, such as the indenturing of a prostitute (cf. YOSHIWARA; A BLOODY SPEAR AT MT. FUJI), and his characteristic emphasis on performance and theatrical artifice re-emerge here; but the daring device of having Chikamatsu appear as a character - not unlike having Shakespeare interpolated into a film adaptation of one of his plays - is just one of many surprises this remarkable film holds. “Extraordinary” (Donald Richie).

酒のいさかいから主人を殺された槍(やり)持ち権八のあだ討ちを、旅芸人母子、小間物屋、大金を持った男と大泥棒など、東海道を旅するさまざまな人々の人生の縮図を通して描く傑作時代劇。 仲間稼業の権八は東海道を、若様酒匂小十郎の槍持ちをつとめて、供の源太と江戸へ向った。同じ道を旅する一行は、小間物商人の伝次、身売りにゆく田舎娘おたねと老爺の与茂作、あんまの藪の市、巡礼、旅芸人のおすみ母子、挙動不審の藤三郎という男、最後に権八の槍に見とれた浮浪児の次郎等である。折柄、街道には大泥棒風の六右衛門詮議の触れ書が廻っているが、権八はそれ所ではない。朗らかで気立てが優しいが、酒乱癖のある若様を守って旅を終るのが主命である。供の源太が酒好きなので気が気ではない。一行は袋井に一宿したが、藤三郎が大金を持っているのに目をつけた伝次は、さては大泥棒とつけ廻すが、隣室で藪の市に肩を揉ませている巡礼こそ大泥棒六右衛門なのである。その夜、おすみの使を受けて権八も悪い気がせず外へ出ると、その隙に小十郎は源太を連れて酒を飲み始めたが、駈けつけた権八に制せられ事なきを得た。また旅が始まったが、大井川の近くで何処かの馬鹿殿様が始めた野立ての為通行止になり、大井川を前に長逗留となった。隙を狙って六右衛門は馬鹿殿の路銀を盗んだが、うっかりして顔を見知られた次郎に発見され、来合わせた権八の槍に怖気が出て簡単に縛についた。与茂作が女衒久兵衛におたねを渡して帰ろうとすると藤三郎に引留められた。五年前預けた娘を引取る為、稼ぎ貯めた金を持って来たのだが、娘は亡くなっていたのだ。小十郎は、素朴な人々を見て武士の世界に嫌気がさし、又源太と居酒屋に入った。権八の駈けつけた時は遅く、小十郎と源太は酔いどれ武士の手に無惨な最期を遂げていた。数日後、骨箱を抱えて国元へ出立する権八がいた。