1970's Japanese Movie Blog

December 30, 2017

BOHACHI BOSHIDO - CODE OF THE FORGOTTEN EIGHT (1973)

ポルノ時代劇　忘八武士道

directed by Teruo Ishii

Production: Toei (Kyoto studio)　
Feb 3, 1973
81 minutes Color Widescreen

Tetsuro Tanba as Shino the Assassin

Goro Ibuki as Kesazo

Tatsuo Endo as Shirobei Daimon

Yuriko Hishimi as Omon

This movie is everything exploitation is supposed to be!

(Tetsuro Tanba as Shino the Assassin)

Its the story of Shiro, a 17th century ronin, who comes into contact with the Clan of the Forgotten Eight. They're essentially pimps with a lot of time on their hands who come up with eight guidelines to their way of life (no god, loyalty, servitude, trust, property, justice, conscience, or shame), and they figure Shiro is just their kind of guy.

(Tetsuro Tanba as Shino the Assassin)

But he’s such a badass that he can’t even follow THOSE rules, so the big boss decides instead to employ him to go and destroy the clans enemies (i.e. Anyone ELSE who are selling women for money) and he does so with the calm, efficient manner of a steamroller set on automatic pilot.

(Tetsuro Tanba and Yuriko Hishimi)

Of course, they screw him over in the end and he has to make them pay, but all along the way it’s sex and violence galore - when they tell you a movie has a lot of nudity in it… well, no - THIS movie has a lot of nudity in it. You could create a drinking game call 'spot the maebari’ and you and your friends would never get bored.

(See the maebari?)

Legendary Japanese actor Tetsuro Tanba is perfect as the nihilistic, depressed, stone faced assassin Shiro, and Ultra 7’s Anne, Yuriko Hishimi, prances around naked throughout; but really the whole cast is excellent, including Gorou Ibuki as second in command, Endo Tatsuo as the despicable and evil boss.

(Yuriko Hishimi)

By accident or not, director Teruo Ishii has created art here - maybe the story could’ve been a bit deeper? And it never lags, but rather moves along at a nice steady gallop throughout.

“To Die is Hell. But to Live is also Hell.” - Shiro tells us a few times, surrounded in a world of scum, he has to slice his way through, only to be pursued by more people - is this his life or is he really in hell?