[1][2] It is the most popular and beloved film of Tsumasaburō Bandō, featuring the star at the height of his fame.

The film tells the story of a samurai who falls on hard times due to misunderstandings and explains the plots of his enemies.

Such explanations superbly depict the absurdity of the samurai's unjust world, making this work pertinent even today.

The kinetic sword fighting scenes masterfully performed by Bandō were novel in an age when kabuki-style, leisurely and dignified movies were the norm.

Due to the kabuki style, the makeup on the characters transformed them into almost identical representations of ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), a major Japanese art form.