(1964, 35mm, 93m, Japanese w/English subtitles) dir Hideo Gosha w/Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirô Hira. A world-weary ronin (Tanba) and two samurai (Nagato and Hira) join a group of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of a corrupt magistrate to coerce him into lowering their exorbitant taxes. Gosha’s exceptionally crafted film delves into themes of revenge, loyalty, and justice.

For Perisphere, Lucas Hardwick takes a comedic look at representations of samurai in Japanese cinema, and Dan Howard assesses the impact of legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa on this samurai adventure.

Promotional support for this series has been provided by Japan America Society of Minnesota.

SUN 8:00 MON/TUE 7:00 9:00