If you ever thought that life for most samurai under the reign of Tokugawa was a condition of subdued martial bliss, think again. Masaru Kobayashi's bloody, heartbreaking tragedy is a bitter indictment of the era and its dominant class.

Set in the late Tokugawa period, an experienced clinic physician (Toshiro Mifune) teaches a talented, arrogant young post-graduate (Yuzo Kayama) about medical procedure and the value of compassion. Featuring an impressive period design, this film is notable for being the rare humanist fable that tells a fine, ethical story without ever seeming preachy or condescending.

Akira Kurosawa's fictional account of Takeda Shingen's doppelganger is a gigantic, rousing tale of war, courage and defeat. A parallel is clearly drawn between the fall of the Takeda and the moral and cultural decline that led to the downfall of the Showa era.