| Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (1973) |
|---|
| Director: | Teruo Ishii |
| Writers: | San Kaji (screenplay), Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima (manga) |
| Starring: | Tetsuro Tanba, Yuriko Hishimi, Goro Ibuki, and Kyoichi Sato. |
 |
The Plot: Bohachi Bushido tells a heartwarming story about forced prostitution, extreme violence, and cult activities. It begins in the Edo period where we find The Bohachi, a group that lives by a very distasteful code. They regularly track down women and then molest them until they no longer have regular desires or emotions. The group uses these brainwashed women for both financial and political gain, and when they save the wandering assassin Shino (Tetsuro Tanba), they assume that they now have the muscle needed in order to bring their group to a higher level. However, Shino is a man who takes orders from no one. When this group presses him to join their ranks, they quickly develop an enemy that they are unprepared for. |
| The Review |
|---|
While the movie is stunning to look at, for some viewers these visual characteristics may not prove to be the first thing they gravitate to. There is no question about it, Bohachi Bushido begins its runtime by being mercilessly misogynistic, and it rarely relents from this ideology. As we meet the Bohachi, we see that they are completely over-the-top in their longing to subjugate all females. Kidnapping women, torturing them, then raping them until they are effectively brainwashed, these Bohachi men are more than just a little nasty. What is more peculiar is how Ishii paints these morally-retarded men in a way that almost seems to be understanding with a tiny bit of awe. Despite their immoral and awful ways, these men are also wholly dedicated to their “craft.” They have intricate philosophies and symbolism behind all of their actions. Even the kanji of their motto has a deep four-part message behind it. While it might be argued that the Bohachi only use women in order to appease their political goals, it does not do anything to quell the “misogynist” taunts that this movie might receive. However, there is still a story to be told here, and Ishii brings it to the forefront as best he can.
| The Conclusion |
|---|
