Japan Synopsis
赤穂城断絶
This is the story of "The Forty-Seven Ronin." Based on historical events in 1701-2, the movie tells the tale of the Asano clan's downfall and the revenge of its former samurai on the perpetrator of the catastrophe. Lord Asano was goaded, or tricked, into drawing his sword inside the Shogun's palace — a crime which carried the death penalty. The newly installed Shogun was furious at Asano and ordered all his clan's assets seized, meaning some 20,000 samurai and commoners were unemployed and landless at a stroke. Forty-seven of these ronin (masterless samurai) banded together to take attempt revenge on Lord Kira, who had goaded Asano into drawing his sword.
The 1977–1979 Japan Window
52 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. The Fall of Ako Castle sits at position #24.
Other Titles From Toei Company
The 1970s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1970s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Fall of Ako Castle premiered. 197 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #2,631 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (43rd percentile by TMDB audience score).
Among Japan Action productions specifically: #1,040 of 1,714 (top 61%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | Toei Company |
| Runtime | 2h 39m |
| Release Date | October 28, 1978 |
| IMDb | tt0077135 |