"Chushingura," the fictionalized story of a real-life revenge plot carried out by 47 ronin (masterless samurai), has been told and retold in every medium from traditional puppet theater to films. There was even a dire 2013 Hollywood version starring Keanu Reeves as a fictional member of the ronin plotters.
Yoshihiro Nakamura, who also made the feudal-era films "The Magnificent Nine" (2016) and "Mumon: The Land of Stealth" (2017), now gives us yet another version of the "Chushingura" story: "The 47 Ronin in Debt." Based on Hirofumi Yamamoto's non-fiction book, it is the definition of an "only for Japan" movie — and not only because "Chushingura" is little known in the wider world.
A University of Tokyo professor, Yamamoto unearthed period records for the planning and execution of the plot, which unfolded from 1701 to 1703. In bringing his research to the screen, Nakamura tries to humanize what has become a national myth by weaving in actual salaries, travel expenses and other financial figures, adjusted into present-day yen.