| Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate | |
| Director: | Yūzō Kawashima |
| Producer: | Takeshi Yamamoto |
| Music: | Toshiro Mayuzumi |
| Cinematography: | Kurataro Takamura |
| Editing: | Tadashi Nakamura |
| Studio: | Nikkatsu |
| Distributor: | Nikkatsu |
| Runtime: | 110 minutes |
| Country: | Japan |
| Language: | Japanese |
, also known as A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era, is a 1957 Japanese comedy film directed by Yūzō Kawashima and written by Kawashima, Shōhei Imamura and Keiichi Tanaka.[1] It was voted the fifth best Japanese film of all time in a poll of 140 Japanese critics and filmmakers conducted by the magazine Kinema Junpo in 1999.[2]
During the last days of the Bakumatsu era, rogue city dweller Saheiji and three friends visit a brothel in Tokyo's Shinagawa entertainment district. After spending the night there, Saheiji is forced to admit that he lacks the money to pay, so he must stay in order to settle his debt. Saheiji seeks to outwit the inhabitants of a brothel in order to survive. Meanwhile, a group of samurai seek to destroy any foreigners that cross their path. Saheiji attracts all employees, from brothel owners to prostitutes, successfully resolves any disputes with clients by using his wit, and fills his pockets. However, gradually it turns out that the seemingly life-loving Saheiji suffers from tuberculosis and his future is uncertain.
Parallels are drawn between the world of the samurai and the world of Kawashima's Japan. The hypocrisy surrounding prostitution, about to be outlawed in Japan at that time in 1950s Japan, the abuse of power, and financial greed at a time of crisis, are all portrayed.[3]
Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa cited Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate as one of his 100 favorite films.[4]