Cruel Tale Of Bushido

EUREKA! are releasing Tadashi Imai's classic samurai movie Cruel Tale Of Bushido. It chronicles a family history, from the Edo period to the present day, in seven stories. Blending action, character and social commentary each story has its own unique tragedy resulting from following the warrior's code.

The 1963 Golden Bear winning film is presented in HD from the 4K restoration by Toei. The fading transitions that Imai uses in the film and the framing of characters are greatly improved by the restoration. The delineation is better. The nuances of actors' facial expressions and movement that are so important in this piece can be seen more clearly.

The special features on the review copy differ from those advertised. the two pieces that differ are Tony Rayns On Cruel Tale Of Bushido and Seven Kinds Of Samurai Tadashi Imai's Cruel Tale by Jonathan Clements. I do not know if this is simply a retitling of the advertised pieces Telling a Cruel Tale with the film critic Tony Rayns and Years of Honour by Japanese history by Jonathan Clements.

In any event, both Tony Rayns and Jonathan Clements know their subjects well and can talk about them with enthusiasm.

The original trailer for Cruel Tale Of Bushido is on the review disk as advertised. It has been given a little advertising spin that doesnt quite match up with the film.

Reviewed on: 23 Mar 2026