Bushido

Taciturn Kakunoshin, renowned for his formidable skills both with a sword and in the game of Go, embodies the purest ideals of the samurai code. But when his unwavering honesty is exploited, he is framed by his own clan for a theft he did not commit. Disgraced and forced to become a ronin, he survives as a humble seal maker, quietly supporting his grown daughter while burying the wounds of betrayal. Years later, when a case of missing gold pulls him into a new web of intrigue, Kakunoshin finally uncovers the truth behind his long-buried downfall…

Board games and patience are not typically associated with the samurai film, but these are the key components in Kazuya Shiraishi’s gripping and authoritative Endo period drama. It’s not that there’s no swordplay, but the psychological and moral battles are every bit as compelling as the action, thanks to the high calibre, intentional craftsmanship, confident storytelling and imposing performances.

A lovingly conceived and meticulously executed throwback that revitalizes the genre.

Mark Schilling, The Japan Times

Engagingly slow-boiling…. Bushido holds you with its performances and a story that circles around questions of honor, loyalty, masculinity and the ties that bind and sometimes throttle. It’s the movie’s questioning of what makes a man a man, as well as its stillness, that leaves the strongest impression. Here, when men face each other across a Go board, they find themselves.

Manohla Dargis, New York Times

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