- Legend of the Eight Samurai
Infobox_Film
name = Legend of the Eight Samurai
caption =
director =Kinji Fukasaku
producer =Haruki Kadokawa
writer =Toshio Kamata
Kinji Fukasaku
starring =Hiroko Yakushimaru Hiroyuki Sanada Sonny Chiba
music = Nobody
cinematography =Seizō Sengen
distributor = Toei
released = flagicon|Japan Dec 10,1983
runtime = 136 min
country =Japan
language = Japanese
budget =
imdb_id = 0086244nihongo|"Legend of the Eight Samurai"|里見八犬伝|Satomi Hakkenden is a 1983 Japanese historical martial artsfantasy film , directed byKinji Fukasaku . The script is adapted from a 1982 novel "Shin Satomi Hakkenden" (新・里見八犬伝) byToshio Kamata , a loose reworking of the epic serial "Nansō Satomi Hakkenden " byKyokutei Bakin .ynopsis
The story follows Shizu-
hime (Hiroko Yakushimaru ), her family slain and on the run from her enemies. As the escapes she is found by the vagabond Shinbei (Hiroyuki Sanada ), before being rescued from her pursuers by Dōsetsu (Sonny Chiba ). He tells her the legend of a curse on her family, and of eight beads that identify eight dog-warriors who can lift it, of which he and his companion are two. To defeat the evil queen Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki ) who killed her family, they must find all eight. But Shinbei hears of Shizu-hime's identity, and vows to collect the reward for capturing her.Cast
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Hiroko Yakushimaru ... Shizu-Hime
*Hiroyuki Sanada ... Inue Shinbee Masashi
*Sonny Chiba ... Inuyama Dōsetsu Tadatomo
*Minori Terada ... Inumura Daikaku Masanori
*Masaki Kyomoto ... Inuzuka Shino Moritaka
*Etsuko Shihomi ... Inusaka Keno Tanetomo
*Takuya Fukuhara ... Inukawa Sōsuke Yoshitō
*Shunsuke Kariya ... Inuta Kobungo Yasuyori
*Kenji Ōba ... Inukai Genpachi Nobufuchi
*Keiko Matsuzaka ... Fuse-Hime
*Mari Natsuki ... Tamazusa
*Yūki Meguro ... Hikita Gonnokami Motofuji
*Nagare Hagiwara ... Yōnosuke
*Mamako Yoneyama ... Funamushi
*Akira Shioji ... Genjin
*Nana Okada ... Hamaji
*Akira Hamada ... Akushirō
*Nagare Hagiwara ... YōnosukeProduction
Adaption
The film preserves little of the plot or characterization, and none of the feel of the Bakin original. Instead it builds on the basic template – collecting a band of warriors together to accomplish a task, better known from films such as Kurosawa's
Seven Samurai . While some of the back story and key elements like the beads remain, even the eight dog brothers are substantially changed, to the extent of Keno's feminine disguise becoming actual womanhood.Fact|date=February 2007Effects
Fantastical elements in the film are brought to life with a combination of combination of props, wire work, and
post-production special effect s. While the best of these like the eight glowing beads work well, others such as the rubber giant flying snake have aged less gracefully. The film version maintains the "ero-guro " elements of Kamata's book, including a nude blood-bathing rejuvenation scene.Fact|date=February 2007core
The film features a
soft rock soundtrack produced by Nobody, and a couple ofpower ballad s performed byJohn O'Banion : "Satomi Hakkenden", composed byJoey Carbone and written by Kathi Pinto, and "Hakkenshi no Tēma (White Light)" (八剣士のテーマ), composed by Joey Carbone andRichie Zito , written by David Palmer. An LP of the music was released by Eastworld, product id WTP-90258.Versions
Various English releases have been sold since the 80s under the title "Legend of the Eight Samurai", or "Legend of Eight Samurai".
Sonny Chiba 's involvement is often emphasized, and American releases feature a cut and ineptly dubbed version which somehow works zombies and ninja into the script. In 2005 an uncut, English subtitled version of the film was released, still marketing off the back of Chiba.External links
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* " [http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1983/dg004130.htm Legend of the Eight Samurai] " at the Japanese Movie DatabaseReviews
* [http://www.thegline.com/dvd-of-the-week/2003/08-02-2003.htm thegline.com]
* [http://www.dighkmovies.com/v5/277/277.html Review Hong Kong Digital]
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