Based on a famous incident from 1701, The Loyal 47 Ronin has been retold in countless theatrical versions and perhaps several dozen films, but none so magically as this. A band of masterless samurai seek revenge for the death of their beloved master and then commit hara-kiri, or ritual suicide by disembowelment. Beautifully photographed and masterfully told by Mizoguchi, it is one of the classics of Asian cinema.