The General and His Empire of Joy

Feb 11, 1977

1h 21m

★ 4.5

Overview

Zenjiro (Masaru Shiga) is a lowlife criminal, roaming the country with his merry band of crooks, gamblers and rapists. When he gets done with his latest escapade of banging a samurai's wife, he finds that his love Okoyo (Eiko Matsuda), has managed to be recruited as one of Shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna's (Kantaro Suga) concubines. While attempting to win her back, Zenjiro becomes involved in increasingly murderous palace intrigues.

Genres

Drama

Production Companies

Toei Company

The General and His Empire of Joy Trailers

Cast

Okoyo

Eiko Matsuda

Kumemura

Tokuko Watanabe

Hatsuse

Hiromi Maya

Yūsuke Kazato

Masataka Iwao

Kikutaro

Ryumei Azuma

Akira Shioji

Nun

Rena Uchimura

Mika Kaneko

Ryuji Katagiri

Takashi Noguchi

Yoshinobu Hirose

In the spring of 1945, Japan established a secret base, Unit 731 in Manchuria, where many innocent Chinese, Korean and Mongolian people were killed in grotesque experiments. An idealistic young doctor , Morishima, is horrified by the experiments being performed in the camp and when his fiancée arrives disguised as a Chinese prisoner he sets out to liberate the camp. A docudrama sequel to the notorious Men Behind the Sun, which pulls no punches when it comes to delivering the shocks!

2.0

Tenement Apartment: Obscene Affair

Jan 21, 1978

The ordinary life of an executive’s wife is altered when she begins to attend a mysterious club that serves more than just tea.

3.9

Hard Scandal: Sex Drifter

Oct 4, 1980

A junior high school student spends his nights hanging out at the disco. At home his parents are more interested in swapping partners with willing couples than spending time with their son. One evening, while shoplifting, a young woman gives him a hand and helps him pull off the snatch. Mesmerized by the woman he follows her to where she lives. After he makes a fumbled attempt at raping her she lets him stay and they spend a lazy summer together.

6.5

Too Late the Hero

May 20, 1970

A WWII film set on a Pacific island. Japanese and allied forces occupy different parts of the island. When a group of British soldiers are sent on a mission behind enemy lines, things don't go exactly to plan. This film differs in that some of the 'heroes' are very reluctant, but they come good when they are pursued by the Japanese who are determined to prevent them returning to base.

6.6

Hapkido

Oct 1, 1972

Yu Ying, Kao and Fan return to China to start a martial arts school but are bullied by the Japanese competitor who runs the Black Bear school. The harassment leads to intense conflicts between them.

4.0

Friday Bedroom

Apr 29, 1978

An executive is having an affair with one of his office ladies. But mysterious phone calls threaten to upend his blissful life of adultery.

8.0

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

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Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.

5.9

My Sex Report: Intensities

Feb 21, 1976

Akemi is a laboratory technician who spends her evenings spying on her gangster neighbor as he makes love to his stripper girlfriend. The objects of Akemi's voyeuristic attentions learn of her interests and suggest that she would make a fine prostitute. Surprisingly Akemi agrees and channels her interests into this more lucrative occupation.

8.1

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

Jan 15, 1959

After handing in a report on the treatment of Chinese colonial labor, Kaji is offered the post of labor chief at a large mining operation in Manchuria, which also grants him exemption from military service. He accepts, and moves to Manchuria with his newly-wed wife Michiko, but when he tries to put his ideas of more humane treatment into practice, he finds himself at odds with scheming officials, cruel foremen, and the military police.

7.2

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

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7.3

Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island

Jan 3, 1956

A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.

5.0

Ballads

Apr 29, 1993

The story of a young man who tragically lost his lover in a horriffic motorcycle accident. Now working at a video store and selling uncensored gay hardcore pornography under the counter, he one day discovers the worlds most bizarre snuff video... which happens to "star" a man who looks exactly like his dead lover. Pushed over the edge by this event, the protagonist goes on a violent rampage, attempting to murder everybody involved in the video's creation.

2.0

Embraced by a Horse and the Sea Breeze

Jul 23, 2005

18 year old Yukio breaks up with his boyfriend in order to work at a horse farm and take care of an injured racehorse.

8.2

The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity

Nov 20, 1959

Kaji is sent to the Japanese army labeled Red and is mistreated by the vets. Along his assignment, Kaji witnesses cruelties in the army and revolts against the abusive treatment against the recruit Obara. He also sees his friend Shinjô Ittôhei defecting to the Russian border, and he ends in the front to fight a lost battle against the Russian tanks division.

8.4

The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer

Jan 28, 1961

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5.3

Ecstasy of the Angels

Mar 11, 1972

A militant revolutionary group is torn apart by betrayal as its members descend into paranoia and sexual decadence.

5.6

No Boys, No Cry

May 28, 2009

A couple of smugglers don't know what to do when one day their boss gives them a kidnapping job.

2.0

Wakazuma ga nureru toki

Jun 3, 1978

What was the trauma that turned a demure middle class wife into a slum dwelling whore while the husband is away at work?