Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/how-cruel-tale-of-bushido1963-golden-bear-winner-and-part-of-berlinale-classics-debunks-the-samurai-mythos-8092961.html
The 70th anniversary of the Berlin Film Festival coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Tokyo Film Distribution Company, now known as Toei. It is one of Japan’s Big Four film studios, the others being Shochiku, Kadokawa and Toho. (The latter is better known as the home of Godzilla.) One of Toei’s most famous films is part of the Berlinale Classics section: Tadashi Imai’s Cruel Tale of Bushido, which won the Golden Bear in 1963. (In case you want to look for it, the film goes by quite a few names in English, including Bushido, Samurai Saga and Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai and Cruel Tales of Bushido.)
Most of us know of the samurai — or at least, were introduced to this mythical way of life — through Akira Kurosawa’s cinema. The very term “bushido” (“the way of warriors”) sounds so mythic. The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines it as a comprehensive system that stressed obligation or duty. Its one unchanging ideal was martial spirit, including athletic and military skills as well as fearlessness toward the enemy in battle. Frugal living, kindness, honesty, and personal honour were also highly regarded, as was filial piety. However, the supreme obligation of the samurai was to his lord, even if this might cause suffering to his family.
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2020 Firstpost.
Baradwaj Rangan 
Anu Warrier
February 28, 2020
Interesting. I grew up on tales of honour, chivalry, sacrifice, fealty… ‘Death before dishonour’ was a maxim that thrilled me. ‘Sar kata sakte hai lekin sar jhuka sakte nahin’ evoked a stong feeling of standing up for one’s principles, come what may. Now I’m slowly realising what these ‘codes’ cost the person who is sworn to live by them.
Thanks for shining a spotlight on this film – I hadn’t heard of it. Have to check to see if the Criterion Collection has it.
LikeLike