The 47 Ronin
Seen it?1941 | 223 min | Drama, History
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With soft box office and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved The Miracle Worker, start here.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 3 hr 43 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 3 hr 43 min.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1941: an older pace and style.
In the early 18th-century, Lord Takumi-no-kami Asano, feuding with Lord Kira, tries to kill his opponent in the corridors of the Shogun's palace. The Shogun sentences Asano to seppuku and deprives the palace and lands from his clan, but does not punish Kira. Asano's vassals leave the land and his samurais become ronin and want to seek revenge against the Lord's dishonour. But their leader Kuranosuke Oishi seeks to restore the Asano clan with his brother Daigaku Asano. One year later, the Shogun refuses, and Oishi and 46 rōnin are out for revenge.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 20K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
- Chōjūrō KawarasakiKuranosuke Oishi
- Kan'emon NakamuraSukeimon Tomimori
- Kunitarō KawarasakiJurozaemon Isogai
- Chōemon BandōSozaemon Hara
- Kikunojo SegawaGengo Ootaka
- Utaemon IchikawaTsunatoyo Tokugawa
- Yoshizaburo ArashiLord Takumi-no-kami Asano
- Daisuke KatōFuwa Kazuemon
- Seizaburō KawazuLord Etchumori Hosokawa
- Mantoyo MimasuKozunosuke Kira