NIGHT DRUM
A film review by Thomas E. Billings
Copyright 1991 Thomas E. Billings
Synopsis: In 1706 Japan, a samurai returns home after a year of work in Edo (old Tokyo) to rumors that his young wife committed adultery in his absence. This is very serious, for he loves his wife very much, and the standard penalty for adultery is death! Very good historical drama.
Japan (English subtitles), black-and-white, 1958, 95 minutes. Director: Tadashi Imai. Based on a (puppet) play by Monzaemon Chikamatsu (written in the early 1700's).
Hikokuro is a samurai who works for the government in Edo. He must spend every other year in Edo; this is a real hardship for him, for he loves his young, beautiful wife very much. One year he returns home to hear whispered rumors about his wife, Tane. He attends a family meeting; they are very concerned about the rumors, for they disgrace the family and could give the clan leader an excuse to seize their land holdings.
After the meeting, he learns new information about his wife's activities which is deeply troubling. The story continues as he confronts the man who originated the rumors, a fellow samurai....
This is one of those historical samurai dramas that are quite common in Japan. It's certainly not the best of the samurai films, but it is well made and has an interesting story. The direct message of the film addresses husband/wife relationships, specifically the issues of fidelity and truthfulness. Indirectly, the film illustrates the low status of women in feudal Japan, and the cruelty of feudalism. The film shows how hard it is for a husband to protect his wife when "the system" (in this case, the family, backed by tradition and the clan leadership) calls for her execution.
The acting is excellent, and production values high. The story moves quickly and smoothly. The story begins as Hikokuro is on the way home from Edo; extensive flashbacks are used to tell the story of Tane while her husband was away. The flashbacks are neatly integrated into the story line.
An interesting side note on the film - the puppet play on which the film is based, was based on an actual incident. This is a very good samurai historical drama, with an interesting story. It's worth seeing if you have an opportunity.
Distribution: Screened at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, CA. The print was from the Archive's collection of Japanese films. The owner of the film copyright is Films Inc.
Reviewer contact: teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU
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