47 Ronin (2013 film)

47 Ronin is a 2013 historical fantasy action film written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. An American and Japanese co-production starring Mark Wahlberg, Willem Dafoe, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, Ko Shibasaki, Neil Fingleton, Rick Genest, Jin Akanishi, Togo Igawa, Min Tanaka, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, it is a work of Chūshingura ("The Treasury of Loyal Retainers"); a fictionalized account of the forty-seven rōnin, a real-life group of masterless samurai under daimyō Asano Naganori in 18th-century Japan who avenged Naganori's death by battling his rival Kira Yoshinaka. The film bears little resemblance to its historical basis compared to previous adaptations, and instead serves as a stylized interpretation set "in a world of witches and giants". 47 Ronin is Yamazaki's first English-language film.

Principal photography for the film began on March 14, 2011 in Budapest. Origo Film Group contributed to the film. Production moved to Village Roadshow Studios in Gold Coast, Australia while additional filming in Japan was planned. It was released by Toho in Japan on December 6, 2013, worldwide on December 25, 2013 by Warner Bros. Pictures, and in Australia and New Zealand on January 16, 2014 by Roadshow Films. The film received mostly mixed reviews from critics, but received some praise for the action sequences, Yamazaki's direction and screenplay, choreography, visual effects, Ramin Djawadi's musical score and Wahlberg and Dafoe's performances. Although it grossed $351 million worldwide, the film was considered a box office failure due to its high production and marketing costs, with losses as high as $100 million. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the website's consensus reads, "For a Takashi Yamazaki film featuring Mark Wahlberg and Willem Dafoe battling ancient samurais, 47 Ronin is a surprisingly dull fantasy adventure, one that leaves its talented international cast stranded within one dimensional roles." Despite its box office failure, a television series 47 Ronin: Reincarnated was released on the HBO Max streaming service, in which Wahlberg, Dafoe, Kikuchi and Shibasaki reprised their roles, received mostly positive reviews and surpassed the original.

Plot
In late medieval Japan, Kai is half-Japanese, half-English outcast who lives in the Ako Domain, which is ruled by the benevolent Lord Asano Naganori. When Kai was young, Asano adopted him as a foundling. Asano's daughter Mika and Kai eventually fall in love, despite Kai being scorned by her father's samurai due to his mixed ancestry.

Before a planned visit from Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Asano is visited by Shogun's master of ceremonies Lord Kira Yoshinaka, who wants to take Ako for himself. Kira enlists the help of a shapeshifting kitsune, Mizuki, who sends a kirin to kill Asano in the forest of Ako during a hunting trip. Asano's samurai struggle in their battle with the monster, so Kai joins in riding an abandoned horse. As the monster charges him, Kai recovers a lost sword that he uses to slay it. He spots Mizuki watching the battle, disguised in her white fox form with different colored eyes. Later during Shogun's visit, Kai notices a concubine with the same multi-colored eyes. He tries to warn Asano's principal counselor, Oishi, that a witch is present among Kira's household, but Oishi dismisses his warning.

Later, Kira arranges a duel for the entertainment of the Shogun: Kira's best warrior, a golem, will battle a warrior of Asano's choosing. However, before the duel begins, Mizuki uses her magic to incapacitate Asano's combatant. Kai secretly dons his armor and fights in his stead, but his disguise is revealed and the Shogun orders him severely beaten as punishment. Later that night, Mizuki casts a spell to make Asano believe that Kira is raping Mika, causing him to attack the unarmed lord in his delirium. Asano is sentenced to death for attempting to murder an official of the Shogun, and is compelled to perform seppuku to preserve his honor. The Shogun then gives Kira both the Ako domain and Mika, although he grants Mika one year to mourn the death of her father before marrying Kira. The Shogun also brands Oishi and his men Ronin and forbids them from seeking vengeance for Asano's death. Kira has Oishi imprisoned in an outdoor pit, intending to break his spirit as he fears Oishi will seek retribution regardless.

Nearly a year later, Oishi is released by his captors as they believe he is now harmless. During his captivity, Oishi deduces that Kira is guilty of treachery for using sorcery to frame Asano. Oishi reunites with his family and asks his son Chikara to aid him in reuniting the scattered ronin. Phoebus, an English mercenary, visits his home as Oishi agrees to help him find Kai. They learn that Kai has been sold into slavery and Oishi rescues him from the fighting pits of the Dutch colony of Dejima. Kai leads them to the Tengu Forest, a mystical place he escaped from as a child, so that they can obtain the special blades of the Tengu. Kai instructs Oishi to never draw his sword while inside the Tengu temple and continues alone to another room to face the Tengu Master, who once trained Kai in their fighting ways. While Kai confronts the Tengu Master in a battle of wills, Oishi watches an illusion of his men being slaughtered by the Tengu, during which he successfully fights the urge to draw his sword. With Kai and Oishi having proven themselves worthy, the ronin receive their blades.

The ronin plan to ambush Kira on his pilgrimage to a shrine where he seeks blessings for his wedding to Mika. However, the procession turns out to be a trap and the ronin are ambushed by Kira's retainers, led by Mizuki and her samurai guardian. Several of the ronin are killed, and Mizuki, thinking they are all dead, takes Oishi's sword and presents it to Kira as a trophy. Mizuki later taunts Mika with their deaths and attempts to manipulate her into committing suicide from despair.

Oishi and Kai (having actually survived the attack) rally the surviving ronin. They lead half of the ronin to infiltrate Kira's castle by disguising themselves as a band of traveling wedding performers. With Kira's men distracted during the performance, the remaining ronin scale the castle walls, and launch a coordinated attack against the castle guards. While Oishi fights Kira, Kai, Phoebus and Mika are attacked by Mizuki, who shape-shifts into a dragon. Kai uses his sword and draws on the mystical powers of the Tengu to finally kill her. After gutting him, Oishi emerges with Kira's severed head and Kira's surviving retainers surrender.

After winning the battle, the ronin (including Kai) surrender themselves to the authorities of the bafuku and are sentenced to death as they explicitly voilated the Shogun's prohibition on avenging Asano. However, the Shogun finds that they allowed the principles of bushido in their actions and restores their honor as samurai. Thus, instead of execution, the ronin are allowed to perform seppuku. They are also given the honor of burial with their master, Lord Asano. The Shogun gives Ako back to Mika, and at the seppuku ceremony, he pardons Chikara and Phoebus so that Chikara may serve Ako and preserve Oishi's bloodline for the country while Phoebus may return to London, England to his family.

A closing caption informs the audience of the tradition of paying respect at the graves of the 47 Ronin which continues every year on December 14.

In the present day, Kai, reincarnated as Kang, meets a woman named Yuki who strikingly resembles Mika and Phillip who strikingly resembles Phoebus, in the streets of modern Tokyo. The witch, who casted a spell on Asano, watches them from afar and says "Let the games begin".

Cast

 * Mark Wahlberg as Kai, a half-Japanese, half-English outcast adopted by the household of Lord Asano who joins the Ronin.
 * Wahlberg also portrays Kang, the reincarnation of Kai, as a part of the present-day ending.
 * Daniel Barber as Teen Kai.
 * Willem Dafoe as Phoebus, an English mercenary who helps Kai and Oishi.
 * Dafoe also portrays as the reincarnation of Phoebus named Phillip as part of the present-day ending.
 * Hiroyuki Sanada as Oishi Yoshio, the leader of the Ronin.
 * Tadanobu Asano as Lord Kira Yoshinaka, Lord Asano's rival daimyō.
 * Rinko Kikuchi as Mizuki the Witch, an odd-eyed sorceress who serves Lord Kira.
 * Ko Shibasaki as Mika, Lord Asano's daughter and Kai's love interest.
 * Shibasaki also portrays as Yuki as part of the present-day ending.
 * Arisa Maekawa as Teen Mika.
 * Neil Fingleton as Lovecraftian Samurai, an armored golem warrior of Lord Kira.
 * Rick Genest as Foreman
 * Jin Akanishi as Chikara, Oishi's son.
 * Togo Igawa as Tengu Lord.
 * Min Tanaka as Lord Asano, the former master of the Ronin.
 * Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.
 * Masayoshi Haneda as Yasuno
 * Hiroshi Sogabe as Hazama
 * Takato Yonemoto as Basho
 * Hiroshi Yamada as Hara
 * Yorick van Wageningen as Kapitan
 * Masayuki Deai as Isogai
 * Shu Nakajima as Horibe
 * Natsuki Kunimoto as Riku
 * Gedde Watanabe as Troupe Leader (Kabuki Actor)
 * Daniel Dae Kim as Narrator

Development
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Filming
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Music
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Release
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Home media
Warner Home Video released 47 Ronin on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on April 1, 2014, which include both theatrical and extended editions.

Box office
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Critical reception
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Accolades
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Television series
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