Archive

The Series of Hibotan Bakuto

Red Peony: Hanafuda Game

KATO Tai

Japan1969 98min HD BW

Synopsis

On her way to visit the NISHINOMARU family, Oryu saves a blind girl from getting run over by a train. Meanwhile, in a gambling house in the Nagoya region, a woman posing as Oryu is committing fraud. The NISHINOMARU family is planning for their annual gambling competition but their rival, the KANEHARAS, have joined hands with Furuta, a senator, in order to take over the competition. KANEHARA wants his adopted daughter Yaeko to become Furuta’s second wife. Secretly, Yaeko is in love with Jiro, the only son of the NISHINOMARU clan.
Oryu, hearing about the fake Oryu, decides to find her. She discovers that the woman is Odoki and that she was doing this under the orders of KANEHARA to earn the money needed for her blind daughter’s operation. Oryu decides to save this woman. Oryu manages to save Jiro and Yaeko from the hands of KANEHARA but Odoki is killed in the process. Angered by KANEHARA’s evil deeds, Oryu decides to seek revenge with the help of Hanaoka, a wandering warrior who had been forced to work for KANEHARAuntil now.

Diretor

KATO Tai

Born in 1916, Tai Kato was a Japanese film director and writer. He was the nephew of the film director Sadao Yamanaka. He entered the Toho studio in 1937 and first began by working on documentaries. After World War II he switched to making jidaigeki. He is most famous for making jidaigeki and yakuza films at the Toei Company and three works of Red peony series that he has directed are very well known for his stylish visual elements.