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Hitokiri (film)

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Wikipedia article




is a 1969 Japanese samurai film directed by Hideo Gosha set during the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and based on the lives of the historical Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu. It is notable for starring the famous author Yukio Mishima.[http://moviefeast.blogspot.com/2008/06/tenchu-hitokiri-1969.html review of Hitokiri]

Plot



Okada Iz is a rnin born into poverty who joins the , a group of Imperial loyalists based in Tosa and headed by Takechi Hanpeita. Iz soon becomes a well known and successful killer, and he is stubbornly loyal to Hanpeita. However, Sakamoto Ryma warns him that he is merely "Takechi's dog" and that Hanpeita will end up betraying him. After Iz fouls a night attack by the Kinn-T on Ishibe Station by revealing his identity, Hanpeita's wrath at his blunder and resentment at his own subordinacy begins to test Iz's loyalty. Eventually abandoning Hanpeita, the regretful Iz returns and apologizes. He is then ordered to assassinate the aristocrat using the sword of Tanaka Shinbei. The assassination is successful, and during his interrogation over Anegakji's death, Tanaka commits harakiri after his recovered sword is presented to him as evidence. As Hanpeita becomes increasingly determined to succeed in his plan to become daimyo of Tosa by eliminating his opponents, it becomes necessary to sacrifice Iz, which he does by betraying him after he is arrested as a rnin by the Aizu Mimawarigumi and later by trying to poison him with amygdalin-drugged sake (). Iz survives, but, disillusioned, confesses to his murders for the Kinn-T, and is condemned to crucifixion. Before being killed, he is told that Hanpeita will be forced to commit harakiri.[http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/hitokiri.shtml review of Hitokiri]

Cast



*Shintaro Katsu as Okada Iz

*Tatsuya Nakadai as Takechi Hanpeita

*Yujiro Ishihara as Sakamoto Ryma

*Yukio Mishima as Tanaka Shinbei

*Mitsuko Baisho as Omino

*Ichir Nakatani

*Kunie Tanaka

*Noboru Nakaya as Anegakji Kintomo

*Tsutomu Shimomoto as Matsuda

*Ysuke Takita as Hiramastu

*Takumi Shinjo as Minakawa

Production



* Yoshinobu Nishioka - Art direction

References




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