Part of the 2023 season: Always Evolving
SAMURAI HUSTLE
Chokosoku! Sankin kotai, 超高速!参勤交代
Director MOTOKI Katsuhide
Cast SASAKI Kuranosuke, FUKADA Kyoko, IHARA Tsuyoshi
2014, 119 min, English Subtitles
Set in the northern region of Tohoku during the eighteenth century and the reign of the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, Samurai Hustle tells the story of the financially modest Nagaya clan. One day, Lord Naito Masaatsu (SASAKI Kuranosuke), suddenly receives a demand from the shogunate to perform “Sankin Kotai” – a ritual visit to the shogun in Edo (Tokyo) – within five days. If he fails to comply, the clan’s lands will be confiscated. This semes like an impossible mission, as it usually takes six months to prepare for such a visit and eight days to travel to Edo. However, Masaatsu is determined to prove to the shogun that he can turn the impossible into the possible. Meanwhile, evil and greedy people working for the shogunate try to prevent his journey.
Partly comical and with superb action scenes, this entertaining film follows a familiar jidaigeki (period drama) storyline, making it an easy watch. No prior knowledge of Japanese history is required. This samurai action film set in the eighteenth century delivers a story and characters relatable to modern audiences.
Past screenings
- Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Saturday 11 February, 13:00
- Firstsite Saturday 18 February, 14:00
- QUAD Saturday 25 February, 15:00
- Midlands Arts Centre Sunday 12 March, 17:00
- Phoenix Leicester Saturday 18 March, 20:15
- Exeter Phoenix Wednesday 29 March, 20:00
- Cameo Thursday 30 March, 20:30
If you like this you may like the following
All films in this season
- My Broken Mariko
- Wandering
- Tsuyukusa
- Lesson in Murder
- Joint
- Sensei, Would You Sit Beside Me?
- Under the Open Sky
- Angry Son
- The Million Ryo Pot
- SAMURAI HUSTLE
- Goodbye Cruel World
- It Comes
- What a Wonderful Family!
- The Past is Always New, the Future is Always Nostalgic: Photographer Daido Moriyama
- Ito
- BL Metamorphosis
- Till We Meet Again
- The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue
- Hold Me Back
- Blue Thermal
- Intolerance