Watch Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight For Free

Why so much hype?

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

This film is so typically an effort of Teruo Ishii, adhering strictly to a range of conventions enacted by the director himself, that one may have hardships in distinguishing it from his other works. As significant drawbacks, the protagonist has rather restrained expressions of his substantial nihilism and other characters are seemingly superficial, even to the extent of being trivial. For those who search for a glimpse of the dark and wicked Bohachi universe, I would better recommend Takashi Harada's inspiring masterpiece, which gets to reveal Goro Ibuki's true potential to incarnate a surrealistically genuine nihilistic yet overtly conscious character, opposed to the one he is assigned in this film.

"Porno Jidaigeki: Bohachi Bushido" aka. "Bohachi: Clan Of The Forgotten Eight" of 1973, should be interesting to all my fellow fans of Japanese Exploitation cinema, as it is a film that combines the work of Teruo Ishii and Kazuo Koike. Teruo Ishii is the brilliant director responsible for films such as "Female Yakuza Tale", "The Black Cat's Revenge", "The Executioner" or "Horrors Of Malformed Men". Kazuo Koike is the genius writer behind such masterpieces as the "Kozure Ôkami" films with Tomisaburo Wakayama, the "Hanzo The Razor" films with Shintaro Katsu, or "Lady Snowblood" with Meiko Kaji (Koike wrote the comic-books these films were based on, and, in most cases, the screenplays). The pairing of Koike and Ishii promises something stylish, brutal and sleazy, and this memorable film truly has all these attributes. While "Porno Jidaigeki" is not one of the most memorable Chambara/Sexploitation crossovers (films like "Hanzo The Razor: Sword Of Justice" and "Sex And Fury" come with my highest possible recommendations) this is definitely a very interesting, blood-soaked and delightfully sleazy film that fans of Japanese Exploitation cinema should not miss.In 17th century Japan, a Ronin named Shiro (Tetsuro Tamba) is recruited by the ruthless Bohachi-Clan, which controls prostitution in the area. The Bohachi-Clan's forces include the 'Bohachi Women', some sort of mixture between prostitutes and beautiful but lethal (and mostly naked) female assassins. Shiro is to wipe out the Clan's competitors in prostitution business... Tetsuro Tamba is stone-cold and bad-ass as always, and he was the perfect choice to play Shiro. The yummy female cast members are naked for about 99% of their screen time, and the film is filled with vast amounts of perverted sleaze as well as lost of stylish bloodshed, so most of my fellow Exploitation-lovers should be satisfied. The score is also pretty cool, and the photography and choreography are great. The story may be a bit messy, but the film's great style, and, especially, the sexy female cast and tons of sleaze and violence make up for this easily. Overall, "Bohachi: Clan Of The Forgotten Eight" is a more than entertaining film that should satisfy all my fellow fans of Japanese Exploitation cinema. Highly Recommended. My rating: 7.5/10

Many may know of prolific manga author Koike Kazuo's recent works such as his brilliant "Crying Freeman" series or his wildly erotic adventure comics like "Kizuoibito" or the "Offered" but his most lasting creation has been the influential and groundbreaking "Kozure Okami" (Lonewolf & Cub) series of the 70s. Together with talented artist Goseki Kojima, they brought new life to the traditional chambara/jidaigeki" (Samurai Costume Drama) by infusing their story with ultra violent swordplay, pornographic sex and near Shakespearian tragic melodrama. "Kozure Okami" was an epic tale that was perfect for film and thus it was adapted to the screen by famed Katsu Productions (who had produced the classic Zatoichi films). The "golden duo" of Koike and kojima followed up with other Samurai manga stories such as "Kubikiri Asa" and "Hanzo No Mon" but weren't able to capture the same impact as "Kozure Okami", although Koike's other manga stories like "Shirayuki Hime/Princess Snowblood" and "Goyokiba/Hanzo The Razor" were also made into films. Toei's "Bohachi Bushido" was adapted from a Koike/Kojima manga short and in an inspired selection, Ishii Teruo, who directed such films as "Edogawa Rampo Taizen: Kyofu Kikei Ningen/Horrors of the Malformed Man" and "Tokugawa Onna Keibatsu-Shi/The Joy of Torture" directed the film and the results were pure exploitative magic.Tiring of his aimless existence, wanted Ronin, Ashita Ashita Shiro - lit. "Die Tomorrow" (Tetsuro Tamba) decides to commit suicide by drowning himself after massacring yet another band of pursuing "goemon" (state authorities) sent to capture him. As Shiro sinks to the bottom of a river, he remarks "To die is Hell, but to live is also hell", yet these words prove eerily prophetic as Shiro finds himself saved from his fate by hellish criminal syndicate "The Bohachi", a group so sinister and vile, they refer to themselves as "beasts wearing human skin". The "Bohachi" are so named because they have made an unholy oath to reject all human virtues - Ko -Piety towards God; Tei -Group/State allegiance; Chu -Friendship/loyalty; Shin- trust, Rei -civilness/humanity; Gi -sense of justice/morality; Ren -conscience/regard; and Chi -Selfworth/shame. It's members are initiated through sadistic torture and are made to rape multiple women to show their worth to the syndicate. While the Bohachi Men are true human scum, the Bohachi woman are equally cruel, cunning and heartless (having been made that way through constant beatings and relentless sexual assaults).Shiro is made a guest by Bohachi monarch, Daimon Shirobei (Endo Tatsuo) a wealthy merchant with vast amounts of wealth and widespread influence. He is aided by his lead henchman, the emotionless Shirakubi Kesazou (Ibuki Goro) and his paramour, the seductively beautiful but cruel Omon (Hishimi Yuriko). The Bohachi have dominated the sex-trade in Tokugawa Era Edo's (now Tokyo) Yoshiwara district since government formation and have amassed enormous amounts of influence and money through their government contracts of providing prostitutes and harlots to Samurai, government workers and laborers. However other criminal factions have begun to muscle in on their criminal enterprises. Daimon asks Shiro to help them to kill off the Samurai officials who go to the rival brothels and destroy the competition. Shiro at first refuses the offer but is then persuaded by Daimon through promises of protection from government authorities. Shiro soon acts as the Bohachi's assassin/enforcer and successfully crushes the Bohachi's rivals and the assassins sent to kill him. Shiro later finds out however that he was sold out by Daimon to the Tokugawa Chancellor in an arrangement to give the Bohachi complete control over Yoshiwara in exchange for Shiro's capture. Shiro vows to get revenge on the Bohachi for their treachery. Ishii Teruo is one of the most visually artistic of the Toei directors of the 70s and his films, while controversial were always feasts for the eyes. "Bohachi Bushido" is no exception. From it's blood splattering opening title sequence (the blood and gore actually form the movie's title) to the various images of debauchery, opium use, over-the-top bloodshed and violence and wanton nudity, Ishii's film is not for the overly prude or easily offended. While the film promotes itself as a "Porno Jidaigeki" (Pornographic Samurai Film), the film is not all that graphic or hardcore. While there is ample shoots of nudity, the sex scenes are brief and not gratuitous.Those familiar with Tamba Tetsuro's previous work on TV and film may find his character here in stark contrast to the jovial or stoic parts he's played in the past. I never thought of Tamba as an action star but he certainly pulls it off here, giving Ashita Shiro some decent nobility and honorable qualities as well as showing off his skills with the sword. His outsider character seems in the same vein as Clint Eastwood's "Man Without A Name" character in films like Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly". Great character actor Endo Tatsuo (Daimajin, Zatoichi Royaburi) is no stranger to portraying vile and despicable characters and again delivers a truly menacing performance as the Bohachi leader Daimon. Ibuki Goro (Jingi Naki Tatakai) is also wonderfully sinister as lead henchman Shirakubi Kesazou. He looks menacing and his cold and calculating performance is definitely chilling.Many may be pleasantly surprised (as I was) by Hishimi Yuriko's performance as lead Bohachi Woman, Omon. Having only known her from her role as cute Yuri Anne in the cult Tokusatsu show "Ultra Seven" and Yuriko in the sexy all-female detective show "Playgirl", it was refreshing to see her in a much more darker and aggressive role. She definitely gets to show off her "ample assets" during her many scenes including one audacious sequence where she is assaulting a blonde foreign nun (Donna Kay). "Bohachi Bushido" is not for the overly serious and it's bawdy and carnal subject matter may offend some but it is outrageous entertainment that has to be seen to be believed.

Bohachi Bushido is the story of an ex-samurai named Shiro. Believing life and death to be the same hell, he tries to kill himself by jumping into a river. A very hard man to kill, Shiro is revived by members of the Clan of the Forgotten Eight- an organization of men and women who have discarded god, servitude, loyalty, trust, propriety, justice, conscience, and shame. The Forgotten Eight run Japan's cruel sex industry and they recruit Shiro to rid them of their competition. Shiro agrees to work for them, more out of boredom than any real convictions.So, we have a bad ass samurai running through the sexual underworld of 17th century Edo directed by Teruro Ishii for Toei studios in 1973. That means blood, lots of nudity, perhaps some misogyny, a couple moments of brilliant cinematography, and maybe just a little more nudity. Not a great movie, but definitely a lot of fun!Tetsuro Tamba plays a wonderful "Shiro", both pained and bemused by the hell of life. Gorou Ibuki as "Kesazo Shirakubi", the Bohachi second in command, has a great chemistry with Tamba. Ibuki would pretty much play the "Shiro" role in another Bohachi film a few years later as a similar (but sicker) life loathing ex-samurai in "Bohachi Bushido: Saburai" with the lovely Reiko Ike as a pistol wielding Bohachi woman.