Japanese Film Festival - Samurai 2002 -
	Ninja Bugeicho Black & White / 35 mm. / 1967 / 131 mins.	See Thai version
Producers: Nakajima Masayuki, Yamaguchi Takuji, Oshima Nagisa Director: Oshima Nagisa Scriptwriter: Sasaki Mamoru, Oshima Nagisa Original Storywriter : Shirato Sanpei Director of Photography: Takada Akira Music: Hayashi Hikaru Cast (Voice) : Ozawa Shoichi as Narrator, Yamamoto Kei as Yuki Jutaro, Koyama Akiko as Akemi Synopsis The sixteenth century was an age of turbulence in Japan. Wars between local lords anxious to gain control of less powerful fiefs broke out continually. Yuki Mitsuharu, Lord of Fushikage, in the province of Dewa in northern Japan, was killed by his treacherous retainer, Sakagami Shuzen. Mitsuharu's son Jutaro escaped with his loyal retainers. A few years later Jutaro returned to Fushikage Castle to avenge his father's death. But he was stopped by Shuzen's sister Hotarubi. A ninja named Kagemaru, helped him escape impending death. At this time famine plagued the land as a result of a rice crop failure. To further unrest among the peasants, high taxes were assessed on crops that were never harvested. The result was revolt. Kagemaru planned to destroy the enemy of the farmers by attacking Fushikage Castle. He was assisted first by ambitious bandits, then by the farmers themselves, who finally burned the castle. Jutaro almost caught Shuzen, his father's murderer, when Hotarubi interfered again. After being driven from the defeated castle, Shuzen and Hotarubi served Akechi Mitsuhide, a retainer to Oda Nobunaga, Lord of Owari in central Japan. On receiving news of this, Jutaro went to Owari to kill them. The same year Oda Nobunaga, who was destined to become ruler of all Japan, started invading neighboring provinces. The story develops along Nobunaga's movements leading to his rulership of the nation. The greatest hindrance to his military victories were the revolts of the peasants, caused by religious beliefs and political tyranny. And Kagemaru was always seen at the battlefields fighting Nobunaga's troops. A group of ninja, called Kage, helped Kagemaru in many ways. As a result of the efforts of those who lived during those turbulent years, Japan emerged from its Middle Ages. Notes Director Oshima Nagisa describes as follows in his introductory note for this film: This motion picture exemplifies the adventurous ideas that any kind of material can be brought to screen. Eisenshtein once planned to film "The Capital". By no means am I attempting to compare myself with that great director. On the other hand, I am certainly not trying to conceal my desire to tread in the master's footsteps. To bring "any kind of material" to the screen means to film that which people generally consider difficult if not altogether impossible to film. The cartoon best-seller "Ninja Bugeicho" by Shirato Sampei, sixteen volumes in all, attracted the attention of numerous film makers when first published. But in the end the interested producers abandoned their ideas of bringing this giant work to the screen because of supposed production impossibilities: The scale of some scenes were too enormous, and the movement of the people, called ninja, and the animals, which play important roles, were considered too much to recreate with existing photographic techniques. I, however, proceeded where others withdrew and now consider it my honor as an adventurer-artist to have been able to bring "Ninja Bugeicho" to the screen. In order to bring such difficult material to motion picture audiences experimentation in film making techniques was necessary something I had yet to undertake when I decided to make the picture six years ago. Through my experimental "Diary of Yunbogi", which I did in 1966, I discovered how to film Shirato Sampei's original drawings by incorporating various photographic montages. It was not difficult for me to create such a technique. Yet the fact I discovered and brought about the realization of the technique fills my heart with the kind of pleasure that only one that loves to experiment can appreciate. It is important to understand that it is only with the combination of an adventurous spirit and a will to experiment that high standards and great themes can be maintained. Motion pictures nowadays are saddled with a lot of restrictions commonly referred to as common sense. The common sense of producers, critics, audiences, cultural and educational groups, the common sense of mass communication in general is what puts motion pictures in a framework. And naturally themes treated within a framework are severely limited. We must therefore remove the restricting framework, break it up and throw away the pieces. It is absolutely essential. For this, then, we need film-makers with adventurous spirits and the will to experiment. The theme of "Ninja Bugeicho" is revolution. What is the spirit of revolution? How did people shed blood to improve their lot? How did history change by bloodshed? In the comparatively pleasant social stability of postwar Japan, especially since 1955, people have forgotten that history is still moving. Heretofore the subject of revolution was not considered suitable for film-making in Japan. But recently social changes are evident. What should we do to make these changes work for the benefit of the people? In what way should our blood be shed? The answer lies in "Ninja Bugeicho". It should be seen by everyone who has hot blood in his heart.
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