Spring
15
Spring
15
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of North Carolina Wilmington
The Legend of the Goruku Chushingura: The Retellings
Lorenzell Terry * This research paper will compare and contrast the two films based on the tale of the 47 Ronin. It will examine all aspects of the film based on the Japanese Culture such as everything from clothing to the ceremonies. It will show how foreigners see Japanese culture as being something dramatically else.
The Legend of the Goruku Chushingura: The Retellings
Lorenzell Terry * This research paper will compare and contrast the two films based on the tale of the 47 Ronin. It will examine all aspects of the film based on the Japanese Culture such as everything from clothing to the ceremonies. It will show how foreigners see Japanese culture as being something dramatically else.
08
Fall
08
Fall

Lorenzell Terry
William Hedberg
JPN 211
17 April 2014

The Legend of the Goruku Chushingura: The Retellings
Throughout Japanese history and most of the world, Samurai were seen as being the mightiest and loyalist warriors to have existed. Many years ago, started a story based on true events called the Goruku Chushingura or 47 Ronin. The story takes place in 1701 during the Edo period when most of the power was to the Shogun. Director by Japanese native; Kenji Mizoguchi made the first version of Goruku Chushingura in 1941. He has created credibility for himself by producing an arsenal of films before Goruku Chushingura, such films like The Woman of Osaka, Oyuki The Virgin, and The Downfall of Osen. The latest version of the 47 Ronin was made into an American Film produce by an upcoming British director named Carl Rinsch in 2013. The two stories have their similarities but very different once evaluating every detail. The 1941 version of 47 Ronin has to be the most accurate on explaining the original tale because it has a better understanding of Japanese Culture, it is realistic, and depicts accurate characteristics of the characters of the tale.
Overviewing the original content of the tale of the Goruku Chushingura, the story begins at the Edo Castle of the Shogun where the admired Lord Asano leader of the Ako Castle is needed to host a reception ceremony for the traditional visitation of the messengers from the Emperor. Since this was an important occasion of etiquette and Lord Asano was inexperience in ceremonies, Lord Kira (master of ceremonies) was provided to instruct Lord Asano to be a proper host.
In order to earn Lord Kira attention and manners, one must give him a rather expensive bribe that allows him to be motivated to teach. Instead of getting Lord Kira an expensive gift, Lord Asano gave him a gift of dried fish. By this gesture, Lord Kira felt insulted, which led him to ridicule and not teach Lord Asano the proper Hosting Techniques. When it came time for the reception ceremony, Lord Asano has not surpass the novice stage of hosting and felt pressured by the ridicule that Lord Kira has bestowed upon him. This gave Lord Asano great insult, so he drew his sword and slashed Lord Kira face in front of the messengers of the emperor. By Lord Asano showing disrespect in front of the Emperor’s men, he has bestowed dishonor unto him and his clan and his punishment is to be executed. Only one way for a samurai to redeem his honor in traditional Japan was to commit seppuku or samurai suicide.
After Lord Asano’s death, the Ako castle and have the land was seized leaving the entire samurai master less making them Ronin. This gave a handful of the Ronin cause to seek vengeance of the dead master and take the life of Lord Kira. These Ronin signed a pact of secrecy and oath that they will not tell anyone about their quest as well as to never surrender while on the mission. The pact had 47 signatures, which gave them name as Goruku Chushingura or the 47 Ronin. This plan took years, but finally succeeded by decapitating the head of Lord Kira by the same dagger as Lord Asano committed seppuku with. When the Shogun found out the Ronin have killed his master of ceremonies, they had to punish. The Shogun gave them the opportunity to have a samurai suicide. The 47 Ronin were buried next to their Lord at Sengaku-ji, which is one of the most visited places in Japan where people pay their respects to the 47 Ronin.
Viewing the Japanese culture of both films, Mizoguchi explains the emphasis of ceremonies in the culture that was illustrated in the original tale to the very last detail. For example, The Lord Asano (master of the 47 Ronin) was being stressed about a reception ceremony that he had to host for the messengers of the Emperor. These ceremonies are symbolic in Japanese culture and most be performed to the best of their ability to please the guests. Being said, one must practice before the guest arrives. In the tale, Lord Kira was appointed to Lord Asano to make sure everything was performed to the best of the ability. This was not the case in the latest version of Goruku Chushingura. In the 2013 version, Rinsch created a Western ideology of medieval Japanese culture. For example, Rinsch film depicts a ceremonial tournament as entertainment for the delegation of the emperor. By being an American film, it lacked the Japanese culture behind the ceremonies illustrated in the film. Comparing both films, they are seemed almost identically accurate by depicting Samurai traditional fashion. In the past, Samurai wore traditional men dresses called Kimono’s. These Kimono’s were traditionally changed to symbolize the start of a new season. For instance, when it is winter, the samurai would be presented with heavy kimono and in the spring the samurai are presented with a silk kimono because of the light slick material. This can be demonstrated in the Rinsch version of the 47 Ronin through out the movie. During the spring tournament ceremony in the Rinsch film, Oishi’s son was depicted in a silk kimono while helping Asano’s brother get ready for battle. The Ronin then change kimono’s when they head up towards northern Japan were winter is taking place. The Ronin are seen wearing a heavier set of Kimono with a lining of fur while climbing up the mountains. Kimono’s can also illustrate a samurai’s status. The higher the income and social status means a better quality of Kimono’s. Mizoguchi depicts in his film by showing the long eloquent train on the emperor councils kimonos. The most important part of Japanese culture as well as samurai’s, it is the traditional seppuku. Even though Rinsch has some misleading factors in his film, he portrayed the seriousness of seppuku better than Mizoguchi. Seppuku is seen in Ancient Japan as being an honorable death by suicide. According to Rat’s Nest, Akatsukami addresses that participants who commit seppuku must dress all in white to represents purity for their sins. This can bee seen in both versions of the Goruku Chushingura. For example, Rinsch illustrates Lord Asano in all white and decapitated by Oishi to end his suffering. As well as Mizoguchi depicts Lord Asano going into the Temple Garden to commit the suicide.
Examining the realistic aspects of the films, the Rinsch version has to fall a bit short on realism. Rinsch took all aspects of Japanese Mythology and mixed it into a tale that only demonstrated the loyal samurai’s vengeance for their master. For example, Rinsch films depict Lord Asano militia battling a mythical creature called the Kirin. In Japanese beliefs, Kirin’s are not evil beings they are protectors from the wicked. By the poor choice of using the Kirin in the film, it seems that Rinsch is implying that Lord Asano and his militia are wicked people. This demonstrates Rinsch poor knowledge of the original tale and Japanese mythology. He digs himself into a bigger hole by using even more contradicting Japanese mythology. For example, the demons in the film, which are known in Japanese to be Oni, are seen bowing down to a religious statue of the Buddha. Why are demons bowing down to something so righteous as the Buddha? This film seems to contradict its mythology and the vision of the original tale.
To make things even worse, Rinsch decides to make things interesting by adding a witch to do Lord Kira’s bidding. In the tale aforementioned, Lord Asano strikes Lord Kira because he felt like he was being mocked in his own house, but Rinsch uses a witch to put witchcraft on Lord Asano to make it look like he was doing it against his will. In the film, it is seen that the witch is the main antagonist in the tale of the 47 Ronin because she causes so much destruction for the Ronin. For instance, the witch was the one that sent the Kirin and she was the one to corrupt Lord Asano top warrior before his battle for the Tournament. This gives the audience a misinterpretation of the real villain in the original tale.
Comparing Lord Asano’s in both versions of Goruku Chushingura, Rinsch’s film does not depict Lord Asano in the original tale correctly. In the original tale, the Lord Asano was known as being young. That is why is was very inexperience on hosting ceremonies and had Lord Kira get the best of him. In the 2013 version, Japanese actor Min Tanaka played Lord Asano. This is an issue for accuracy because Min Tanaka was born 1945, which means he is currently 69. Mizoguchi sought out that the young actor Yoshizaburo Arashi, who was roughly 24 at the time according to Fandango, would play his Lord Asano.
Continuing on characters, Rinsch makes a big mistake by adding a Caucasian Samurai servant named Kai to help the samurai on the journey played by American actor, Keanu Reeves. According to the book Ancient Japan, that the shogun had strict laws against foreigners and the citizens of Japan. No one could go in and out of Japan without proper permission from the government. So how is a Caucasian boy was found in the middle of Japan? In the Edo period, Japanese scolded foreigners and did not accept them as equals at any costs. This can be seen in the 2013 film were one of Asano’s men was displeased with Kai when he heard he was going to one to lead the 47 Ronin. In the original tale, Oishi was the one to go incognito and lead the 47 Ronin to seek and kill Lord Kira. According to Samurai code, an outsider can never be a samurai, which Rinsch choice to use Keanu Reeves is inaccurate.
Unlike Rinschs’ version of Goruku Chushingura, Mizoguchi keeps are realistic plot that could be ideal for the timeline of the tale. For instance, after Lord Asano kills himself by the traditional seppuku, Oishi Kuranosuke (chief steward) had to try to keep up the clan’s finances including land and other holdings before considering vengeance for his master. Oishi tried everything even trying to convince the delegation of the Emperor to let the younger brother, but yet the government declined the proposal. Rinsch’s version handles the finance process a little differently. For example, Rinsch illustrated the delegation of the Emperor giving the whole right of the land from Lord Asano through the act of marriage with his daughter, Lady Asano.
In my opinion, I enjoy both of these films as being scholastic research because it shows the aspects of how Japan sees their own culture and how the rest of the world sees it. Even though the latest version of the 47 Ronin was very interesting to watch, I believe the Mizoguchi should be recognized to be a really good quality depiction on the life of the samurai. It takes longer to watch, but the longer someone watches they will understand more about how samurai live by a certain code they abide to in order to stay loyal to their country as well as their master.
After examining both films in their entirety, they have been very insightful on their views of Japanese culture. The British director, Carl Rinsch, has depicted a stereotypical vision of how westerns imagine Ancient Japan by using mythical creatures to battle and witchcraft to overcome. The original film by Kenji Mizoguchi was very interesting to watch. It showed how loyal and loving samurai could be to their Master. It also demonstrates the research Mizoguchi did to make everything fit with the original tale. For example, the use of a young actor to play Lord Asano and the Japanese mindset during that time to figure what to do after the death of Lord Asano. Everyone should be grateful that these films exist because it brings life to Japanese History by showing a insight of the way of the samurai. In order to gain better quality of the story of the Goruku Chushingura, one should choice Mizoguchi version because it shows the real Japanese culture and the world needs to get a better understanding of it.