Since the 1962 "Chushingura - Hana no maki yuki no maki" is one of my favorite films, I was expecting this to compare unfavorably, but I really enjoyed it. Keeping the focus on Oishi gives a really different flavor than the true ensemble structure of Chushingura. I think that reducing the number of major characters makes it a little easier to understand, but if you didn't grow up hearing the story, it's going to be a bit confusing. How fantastic would it be if there were a separate film telling the story from the perspective of each of the 47 ronin? It's quite beautifully filmed and makes good use of color to set the mood, particularly with the white funerary costumes at the end. I actually liked the 70's wawa music at the beginning, partly because it made me think of Lone Wolf and Cub.
Review of The Fall of Ako Castle
