In the 1960s, a new wave of jidaigeki flicks came into the fray that cast a dark shadow over the brave samurai heroes of old. So-called zankoku (cruel) jidaigeki offers a more cynical view of the samurai, critiquing the hierarchical society of Japan's past and presenting more realistic violence. This subgenre can, to a degree, be compared to the spaghetti western in how it blurs the lines between right and wrong, introducing more brutal anti-heroes to contrast traditional honour-bound warriors clad in white. Tadashi Imai's 1963 film “Bushido” fits nicely into this niche subgenre, as it delivers a scathing critique of its titular moral code.

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A tale told across generations, the film follows the lineage of the Iikura family, each member played by Kinnosuke Nakamura. The tale begins at the end, in the modern day, with salaryman Susumu Iikura whose fiancé has attempted suicide.