many of the lead character in hideo gosha 1969 film hitokiri ( manslayer while aka tenchu heaven punishment ) be actual historical figure ( in western name order format ) represent ryoma sakamoto and hampeita takechi and shimbei tanaka and izo okada and ____ anenokoji . the name hitokiri and a historical term and refers to a group of four super swordsman who carry out numerous assassination of key figure in the ruling tokugawa shogunate in the mid 1800s under the order of takechi and the leader of the loyalist ( i. e. ultra nationalist and pro emperor ) faction of the tosa clan . what be this struggle about . sad to say and you would not find out in this film . brilliant history lesson indeed . no and gosha be much more interested in show you the usual bloody slicing and dicing and ( at absurd length ) the inner torment of the not very bright killer izo okada than in reveal actual history . sakamoto and for example and be someone of historical significance and consider to be the father of the imperial japanese navy . the close gosha come to provide a history lesson be the scene in which sakamoto and whom takechi considers a traitor to the loyalist cause and come to takechi mansion to try to sway him ideologically . he begin by talk about the international political situation and with foreign warship in japan port and a japan that be too weak militarily to defend against them . want to know more . sorry . gosha cut off this potentially fascinating lecture in mid sentence ( . ) . so much for inform his audience about a turning point in japanese history . the film leave me in utter confusion about the aim of the two side in this struggle . for the two and a half century that the shogunate hold central power in japan and it be an institution dedicate to prevent social change and to preserve the feudal relation of society . it be fearful of outside contamination and both ideological and technological . in keep with this spirit and it outlaw firearm and those instrument of level in europe and the america and with which a peasant could have stand up to a samurai . throughout this period and the emperor be nothing more than a spiritual figurehead . but and in the town and which stand in neutral zone between the feudal fiefdom and a new class of merchant and landlord and craftsman be develop the class know in europe by it french name and the bourgeoisie . inevitably and a this new class gain strength and it chafe against the many confines of feudal society . a in europe and the king ( emperor ) become the central figure in the bourgeoisie struggle for power against the feudal aristocracy . but a political leadership do not always fully understand the interest of the class it serve . when the outside world arrive with a bang in 1853 and in the form of u. s. admiral perry black ship and the rule elite of japan be throw into a crisis . their military be no match for these foreigner . also and they have hear about the havoc the british and french imperialist be wreak in china . what should japan do to save itself from the fate of it weak neighbor . surprisingly and some element within the usually isolationist shogunate be incline to open trade with the foreigner in order to obtain some of their advanced technology . this be the point of view represent ( just barely ) in the film by sakamoto . on the other hand and the emperor loyal ultra nationalist and represent by takechi and believe they could keep out the foreigner by force and if only they could prevent the other faction from sell out the country . ( sound familiar . ) thus and the assassination of key shogunate figure be in order and away we go . takechi motivation be and for me and the film big puzzle . gosha suggest that he be fight mainly for his personal advancement rather than for the loyalist cause . can we take this to represent the tenor of the loyalist a a whole . ( do you care . ) several reviewer have compare this film favorably with goyokin and which gosha make in the same year . but and where goyokin be a crackling and suspenseful and adventure yarn and with a hero worthy of sympathy and hitokiri be plod and nowhere near a compelling and lack such a hero . sakamoto could have be this film hero but we be not allow to know him nor what he stand for well enough for him to achieve that status . in view of his wonderful score for five previous kurosawa film and masaru sato score here be very disappointing and sound like something reject from a bonanza episode . barry free .