Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (1973) User Reviews

To die is hell, but to live, is also hell.

[ickystay · 7/10 · 14 March 2008]

Bohachi Bushido is the story of an ex-samurai named Shiro. Believing life and death to be the same hell, he tries to kill himself by jumping into a river. A very hard man to kill, Shiro is revived by members of the Clan of the Forgotten Eight- an organization of men and women who have discarded god, servitude, loyalty, trust, propriety, justice, conscience, and shame. The Forgotten Eight run Japan's cruel sex industry and they recruit Shiro to rid them of their competition. Shiro agrees to work for them, more out of boredom than any real convictions.

So, we have a bad ass samurai running through the sexual underworld of 17th century Edo directed by Teruro Ishii for Toei studios in 1973. That means blood, lots of nudity, perhaps some misogyny, a couple moments of brilliant cinematography, and maybe just a little more nudity. Not a great movie, but definitely a lot of fun!

Tetsuro Tamba plays a wonderful "Shiro", both pained and bemused by the hell of life. Gorou Ibuki as "Kesazo Shirakubi", the Bohachi second in command, has a great chemistry with Tamba. Ibuki would pretty much play the "Shiro" role in another Bohachi film a few years later as a similar (but sicker) life loathing ex-samurai in "Bohachi Bushido: Saburai" with the lovely Reiko Ike as a pistol wielding Bohachi woman.

Wickedly perverse and dark tale that shamelessly flaunts its bloody, erotic and stunningly surreal imagery

[jmaruyama · 7/10 · 8 June 2008]

Many may know of prolific manga author Koike Kazuo's recent works such as his brilliant "Crying Freeman" series or his wildly erotic adventure comics like "Kizuoibito" or the "Offered" but his most lasting creation has been the influential and groundbreaking "Kozure Okami" (Lonewolf & Cub) series of the 70s. Together with talented artist Goseki Kojima, they brought new life to the traditional chambara/jidaigeki" (Samurai Costume Drama) by infusing their story with ultra violent swordplay, pornographic sex and near Shakespearian tragic melodrama. "Kozure Okami" was an epic tale that was perfect for film and thus it was adapted to the screen by famed Katsu Productions (who had produced the classic Zatoichi films). The "golden duo" of Koike and kojima followed up with other Samurai manga stories such as "Kubikiri Asa" and "Hanzo No Mon" but weren't able to capture the same impact as "Kozure Okami", although Koike's other manga stories like "Shirayuki Hime/Princess Snowblood" and "Goyokiba/Hanzo The Razor" were also made into films. Toei's "Bohachi Bushido" was adapted from a Koike/Kojima manga short and in an inspired selection, Ishii Teruo, who directed such films as "Edogawa Rampo Taizen: Kyofu Kikei Ningen/Horrors of the Malformed Man" and "Tokugawa Onna Keibatsu-Shi/The Joy of Torture" directed the film and the results were pure exploitative magic.

Tiring of his aimless existence, wanted Ronin, Ashita Ashita Shiro - lit. "Die Tomorrow" (Tetsuro Tamba) decides to commit suicide by drowning himself after massacring yet another band of pursuing "goemon" (state authorities) sent to capture him. As Shiro sinks to the bottom of a river, he remarks "To die is Hell, but to live is also hell", yet these words prove eerily prophetic as Shiro finds himself saved from his fate by hellish criminal syndicate "The Bohachi", a group so sinister and vile, they refer to themselves as "beasts wearing human skin".

The "Bohachi" are so named because they have made an unholy oath to reject all human virtues - Ko -Piety towards God; Tei -Group/State allegiance; Chu -Friendship/loyalty; Shin- trust, Rei -civilness/humanity; Gi -sense of justice/morality; Ren -conscience/regard; and Chi -Selfworth/shame. It's members are initiated through sadistic torture and are made to rape multiple women to show their worth to the syndicate. While the Bohachi Men are true human scum, the Bohachi woman are equally cruel, cunning and heartless (having been made that way through constant beatings and relentless sexual assaults).

Shiro is made a guest by Bohachi monarch, Daimon Shirobei (Endo Tatsuo) a wealthy merchant with vast amounts of wealth and widespread influence. He is aided by his lead henchman, the emotionless Shirakubi Kesazou (Ibuki Goro) and his paramour, the seductively beautiful but cruel Omon (Hishimi Yuriko).

The Bohachi have dominated the sex-trade in Tokugawa Era Edo's (now Tokyo) Yoshiwara district since government formation and have amassed enormous amounts of influence and money through their government contracts of providing prostitutes and harlots to Samurai, government workers and laborers.

However other criminal factions have begun to muscle in on their criminal enterprises. Daimon asks Shiro to help them to kill off the Samurai officials who go to the rival brothels and destroy the competition. Shiro at first refuses the offer but is then persuaded by Daimon through promises of protection from government authorities. Shiro soon acts as the Bohachi's assassin/enforcer and successfully crushes the Bohachi's rivals and the assassins sent to kill him. Shiro later finds out however that he was sold out by Daimon to the Tokugawa Chancellor in an arrangement to give the Bohachi complete control over Yoshiwara in exchange for Shiro's capture. Shiro vows to get revenge on the Bohachi for their treachery.

Ishii Teruo is one of the most visually artistic of the Toei directors of the 70s and his films, while controversial were always feasts for the eyes. "Bohachi Bushido" is no exception. From it's blood splattering opening title sequence (the blood and gore actually form the movie's title) to the various images of debauchery, opium use, over-the-top bloodshed and violence and wanton nudity, Ishii's film is not for the overly prude or easily offended. While the film promotes itself as a "Porno Jidaigeki" (Pornographic Samurai Film), the film is not all that graphic or hardcore. While there is ample shoots of nudity, the sex scenes are brief and not gratuitous.

Those familiar with Tamba Tetsuro's previous work on TV and film may find his character here in stark contrast to the jovial or stoic parts he's played in the past. I never thought of Tamba as an action star but he certainly pulls it off here, giving Ashita Shiro some decent nobility and honorable qualities as well as showing off his skills with the sword. His outsider character seems in the same vein as Clint Eastwood's "Man Without A Name" character in films like Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly".

Great character actor Endo Tatsuo (Daimajin, Zatoichi Royaburi) is no stranger to portraying vile and despicable characters and again delivers a truly menacing performance as the Bohachi leader Daimon.

Ibuki Goro (Jingi Naki Tatakai) is also wonderfully sinister as lead henchman Shirakubi Kesazou. He looks menacing and his cold and calculating performance is definitely chilling.

Many may be pleasantly surprised (as I was) by Hishimi Yuriko's performance as lead Bohachi Woman, Omon. Having only known her from her role as cute Yuri Anne in the cult Tokusatsu show "Ultra Seven" and Yuriko in the sexy all-female detective show "Playgirl", it was refreshing to see her in a much more darker and aggressive role. She definitely gets to show off her "ample assets" during her many scenes including one audacious sequence where she is assaulting a blonde foreign nun (Donna Kay).

"Bohachi Bushido" is not for the overly serious and it's bawdy and carnal subject matter may offend some but it is outrageous entertainment that has to be seen to be believed.

Teruo Ishii + Kazuo Koike = Stylish Sleaze

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 21 July 2008]

"Porno Jidaigeki: Bohachi Bushido" aka. "Bohachi: Clan Of The Forgotten Eight" of 1973, should be interesting to all my fellow fans of Japanese Exploitation cinema, as it is a film that combines the work of Teruo Ishii and Kazuo Koike. Teruo Ishii is the brilliant director responsible for films such as "Female Yakuza Tale", "The Black Cat's Revenge", "The Executioner" or "Horrors Of Malformed Men". Kazuo Koike is the genius writer behind such masterpieces as the "Kozure Ôkami" films with Tomisaburo Wakayama, the "Hanzo The Razor" films with Shintaro Katsu, or "Lady Snowblood" with Meiko Kaji (Koike wrote the comic-books these films were based on, and, in most cases, the screenplays). The pairing of Koike and Ishii promises something stylish, brutal and sleazy, and this memorable film truly has all these attributes. While "Porno Jidaigeki" is not one of the most memorable Chambara/Sexploitation crossovers (films like "Hanzo The Razor: Sword Of Justice" and "Sex And Fury" come with my highest possible recommendations) this is definitely a very interesting, blood-soaked and delightfully sleazy film that fans of Japanese Exploitation cinema should not miss.

In 17th century Japan, a Ronin named Shiro (Tetsuro Tamba) is recruited by the ruthless Bohachi-Clan, which controls prostitution in the area. The Bohachi-Clan's forces include the 'Bohachi Women', some sort of mixture between prostitutes and beautiful but lethal (and mostly naked) female assassins. Shiro is to wipe out the Clan's competitors in prostitution business... Tetsuro Tamba is stone-cold and bad-ass as always, and he was the perfect choice to play Shiro. The yummy female cast members are naked for about 99% of their screen time, and the film is filled with vast amounts of perverted sleaze as well as lost of stylish bloodshed, so most of my fellow Exploitation-lovers should be satisfied. The score is also pretty cool, and the photography and choreography are great. The story may be a bit messy, but the film's great style, and, especially, the sexy female cast and tons of sleaze and violence make up for this easily. Overall, "Bohachi: Clan Of The Forgotten Eight" is a more than entertaining film that should satisfy all my fellow fans of Japanese Exploitation cinema. Highly Recommended.

Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight

[mevmijaumau · 2 August 2016]

This film, also known as Bohachi Bushido: Porno Period Piece, is one of many wacky achievements by schlock-meister Teruo Ishii (based on a short manga by LWaC creator Kazuo Koike). Outrageously cheesy and sleazy, it never disappoints in delivering what it's set out to: lots of tits, lots of blood.

Tetsuro Tanba plays a stone-faced suicidally depressed ronin who joins an extremely immoral clan which turns women into prostitutes through rape and torture, only to rule over the local prostitution industry. It's never clear what the depression aspect of his character actually adds to the story, so that was kinda disappointing. Then again, this probably isn't the type of film where you can expect fully fleshed out characters.

Unsurprisingly, there's a lot of swordfights and nudity. Naked women being tortured, naked women raping nuns, naked women engaging in swordfights, naked women casually walking around, the protagonist slaughtering everyone while on opium, entertaining sleaze all around. The dialogue is sometimes didactic ("He stabs himself to get rid of opium's effects": Okay, thanks, I understood it fine), but who cares, really. Definitely check this out if you're into the pinky violence subgenre.

Sleaze Master

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 20 July 2019]

I had no idea what I was getting myself into and it turned out to be quite the ride. Now let's say the obvious thing and adress the elephant in the room: This is sleazy! If you think women are portrayed in a good light here, don't even consider watching this. Fortunately the focus switched a bit during the movie. After a very nicely shot and edited beginning (action wise), it gets quite dark and you see some despicable things.

Now as I mentioned it shifts gear, right before our main character is going over or rather crosses a line, I know I wouldn't have been able to overlook. But even so, apart from him there are quite a few despicable and quite obnoxious characters. Sleazy would be another word to describe them. Now I had not seen or read the Manga this is based on, but the DVD gives you a comparison option. You can see some of the drawings and the movie seems to come very close to those (changes were made of course).

So quite a lot of blood and violence and at least as much nudity (upper area and behind) made people call this "adult". For the 70s it more than was ...

Disappointing JOYS OF TORTURE ENTRY...

[EVOL666 · 6/10 · 8 December 2006]

So far, the JOYS OF TORTURE films have been very hit-or-miss with me. I've enjoyed the first film, I loved SHOGUN'S SADISM (the unofficial sequel that's not actually part of the series...), dug YAKUZA LAW: LYNCHING! and thought INFERNO was pretty weak. Seems that Ishii just can't stay predictable in this series.

As far as content - I don't really have much clue as far as this film goes, as it's in Japanese language only, and I don't speak Japanese. There's a lot of not very well done samurai-style fight scenes, and some OK nudity. There's nekkid girls and ninjas. The rest was pretty much lost on me...

Now normally, the things I mentioned above would be enough to warrant this as a grade-A piece of pinku-style sleaze, but honestly - most of it was too dull for my taste. There are a few good scenes (including a pretty hot lesbo scene with a Jap chick and a white girl who's tied up...) that make this one worth a look...but overall, it just doesn't live up to my sleaze-standards. Also, the story was too hard to follow and didn't seem all that engaging. Definitely worth checking out for pinku completists or serious fans of the JOYS OF TORTURE series...but this one lacks the strength of other, better entries...6.5/10

A pulp masterpiece for lovers of the lurid

[fertilecelluloid · 9/10 · 5 August 2008]

As America, once the world's greatest democracy, becomes the world's greatest hypocrisy -- a morally confused society that sells everything with sex, yet denies its existence beyond commerce -- it is more than comforting to watch Teruo Ishii directing like a demon in "Bohachi Bushido - Code of the Forgotten Eight", a cinematic masterpiece that celebrates the lurid, the violent, and the surreal without an ounce of shame. The comic book this is based on provides director Ishii with one of the most solid screenplays of his uneven career. The subject matter is the perfect marriage for the director's obsessions and bizarre style. A ronin named Shino (Tetsur Tamba) is invited to join the Forgotten Eight, a clan of cold-hearted outcasts who have sworn off shame and society's unwritten "rules" of conduct. The clan is ruled by a smart old nutbag who convinces Shino to help him rid Yoshiwara (the Red Light district) of illegal prostitution. Once Shino has done his job in the bloodiest fashion imaginable, a plot is hatched that will lead to his destruction. This bare-bones synopsis doesn't even hint at the lurid pleasures contained within this film's pink-curtained frames. There is a plethora of naked woman, and anybody who appreciates the female breast is guaranteed of a jolly good time not had since combing the floor of Russ Meyer's cutting room. Dozens of beautiful, lethal women adorn the frames of this beautifully shot and choreographed fantasy. Ishii even throws a syphilitic old hag into the mix and gives us garish, amazing images ripped from the covers of the sleaziest pulp paperbacks. For mine, most movies that attempt to emulate the pulps fall short of expectations. Apart from a few token gestures to emulate the feel and content, the discipline to stick with the program isn't there. No so with this excellent achievement in cinema. A special nod must go to Tetsur Tamba, who plays Shino with absolute conviction. His performance is mesmerizing. This is not "Lone Wolf and Cub" with breasts and it's not "Captured for Sex 2" with swords -- it is its own unique creature, a product of a fertile imagination that was given adequate finance and free rein to create a work of beauty, raw sexuality, and stylish bloodshed.

For Teruo Ishii enthusiasts

[Eunus · 7/10 · 29 December 2009]

This film is so typically an effort of Teruo Ishii, adhering strictly to a range of conventions enacted by the director himself, that one may have hardships in distinguishing it from his other works. As significant drawbacks, the protagonist has rather restrained expressions of his substantial nihilism and other characters are seemingly superficial, even to the extent of being trivial. For those who search for a glimpse of the dark and wicked Bohachi universe, I would better recommend Takashi Harada's inspiring masterpiece, which gets to reveal Goro Ibuki's true potential to incarnate a surrealistically genuine nihilistic yet overtly conscious character, opposed to the one he is assigned in this film.

Crazed comic-book Chanbara excess from Teruo Ishii.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 22 June 2011]

Pursued by the authorities, rōnin assassin Shiro (Tetsurô Tanba) is taken in by the immoral Bohachi clan, who use the warrior's awesome sword-fighting skills to help them seize control of the local prostitution industry. When no longer of any use, the evil Bohachi leader tries to dispose of Shiro by getting him addicted to opium and caging him up with a syphilitic whore; but even stoned out of his gourd, the assassin proves to be a formidable opponent...

I'm of the opinion that, like cyborgs and dwarfs (and cyborg dwarfs), gratuitous female nudity and gore can make virtually any film more entertaining; director Teruo Ishii clearly agrees, loading Bohachi, a delightfully sleazy Chanbara movie, with countless naked Japanese cuties and very bloody sword-fights, which means that when the screen isn't full of tits (no muff: this being a Japanese film the ladies keep their hands in front of their nether regions at all times), there's severed body-parts flying everywhere instead. Sometimes, Ishii even combines the two, having his naked Bohachi women whipping out weapons and partaking in the violence themselves—something I'm all in favour of.

The name of the game here is clearly 'exploitation excess' meaning that on top of the all the wonderful big-breasted Asian babes and bright crimson blood, viewers can also expect a smidgen of torture, a smattering of lesbianism, and some opium-fuelled sex (with hero Shiro entertaining not one woman, but four!), all realised with hyper-stylised direction that uses strong experimental lighting effects to really add to that cool 70s vibe.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

"Stealing prostitutes is like picking up money someone dropped on the ground"

[Groverdox · 6/10 · 4 November 2020]

There are more bare breasts than you can shake a stick at in "Boachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight". In fact it seems like there is scarcely a scene in the movie in which female nudity is not depicted, usually from many naked or topless women in the scene at once. Some of them are quite beautiful, but I didn't find it erotic.

The violence is overrated. Mostly it's just sword swipes with people falling over, and maybe a bit of blood, which of course looks like bright red paint. It's only in the climactic scene that legs and heads are chopped off, and you can clearly see the strings attached to these prop-body parts as they fly, or rather hang, in the air.

I'm not entirely sure what the movie was about. I get that it was something to do with a joyless samurai assassin who was hired by a guy who owns a cadre of cooze, but other than that, I don't really know. The guy who hires the anti-hero is pretty damn ugly, which black teeth, a pig like face, and an ability to talk without moving his mouth, apparently.

Most of the movie is just girls baring their breasts, walking around naked, being "stolen" by men, or molesting them. In one scene they molest a Western woman, who is tied to a bench, and then fight over her, saying they each wanted to taste her body.

There's no full frontal nudity in the movie though. Japan has always been weird like that. A country synonymous with tentacle rape, sharking, gokkun, futanari... but pubic hair and genitals are a bridge too far, to this day.

I still enjoyed the movie. It is not made without skill, and has a crazy, phantasmagoric feeling to it, like Jodorowsky.

Masterpiece of Sleaze, More Pleaze!

[fullboostorbust · 10/10 · 13 June 2011]

It's been a while since I first laid eyes on this film, I now feel it's my duty to share my feelings and views on what happened here. Firstly, if the opening scene does not grab you and slam you into your seat, then you don't really enjoy Grindhouse Chanbara! From the vivid colors to the stylish camera angles, to the Badassery of the lead character Shino, Bohachi - Clan of the forgotten 8 is a masterpiece of sleaze that no male should miss! Nudging elbows with the Baby Cart series, Bohachi adds tons more skin to get your blood pumping even more. Many scenes are reminiscent of a comic, same style as Baby Cart. Violent, while not going over the top reaching gorebore. There is plenty red stuff spraying to keep your utmost attention. It screams style, cult and just looks so damn beautiful doing it. Shino could be related to Ogami Itto, or even Charles Bronson in fact! This film may be wildly off the wall, but it takes it's self dead serious, I believe. All you men, next time girls night out comes around, treat yourself to this beast!

Death, sex and dark secrets ...

[devonkentao · 9/10 · 14 November 2018]

A sober and very well-made story about some of the dark clans that moved behind the shadows of the shogunate in feudal Japan ...

Both the fight of the first scene, and the end are great, especially that brutal closure. Liters of blood, enough sex without reaching vulgarity and Tetsuro Tamba making a dark, nihilistic and surprising Ronin in search of the path of death ...

What more you can ask?

The evil Clan of eight forgotten virtues, colorful and essential !!!

[elo-equipamentos · 8/10 · 16 April 2021]

Staggering soft-porn samurai picture that impresses by stunning visual, utterly choreographed on those numberless mist night fights, almost shot at sound stage which is easily noticed on the projector focuses the light on the Ronin during one fight scenes, a clever insight of the director of photography, also a well-conceived story about a lonely Ronin Shinô Ashita (Tetsurô Tanba) on his fabulous dexterity on the use of sword against a crowd, he is invites to enter in a mighty Borachi's clan, led by an old wicked Shirobei Daimon (Tatsuo Endo) and their evil lackeys, the appealing is about the rules to became one of them, the applicant ought swear outright leave all eight virtues which he got, regret, lowliness, magnanimity, charity, meekness, temperance, continence and finally forgiveness, the Clan exploits a high profile w.h.o.r.e.d.o.m.

He is accepts on the Borachi's clan even had failed on a phony test, nonetheless the thoughtful boss has a bold plan to stand out of the opposite Yoshihara's Clan that shares the same dirty business on nearby on the town with cheapest prostitutes, also the gorgeous women are used as skillful bodyguards, thus the forthcoming and relentless clash took effects, ends up in the bloodshed, the emperor's forces spring into action at Magistrate's behest, the strife has to be end, although it has a price, a fair agreement which both sides must yeld, the sneaky Boss also shall deliver the expendable Shino's head.

Based in a grass-roots comic book the cunning and dared director Teruo Ishii made a masterful feature, even being labeled as pornographic, whereby it is today an eligible soft one only, where the most hard-nose puritans wouldn't give a s.h.i.t for it, actually a bashful eroticism deployed gave a faint hope for those that were seeking something a little harder, a fine piece of sexploitation mixing with epic samurai tale, colorful and essential, I've agree with a reviewer who wrote that stuff sounds like Russ Meyer did in America and was thereafter worshipped by countless fanatic cinephiles including myself !!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 2021 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.

Samurai Sleaze!

[themidnitekrawlr-29918 · 10/10 · 2 March 2020]

The wanted assassin Shiro is recruited by the immoral Bohachi clan after he is nursed back to health due to injuries suffered from throwing himself into a river to escape capture. The Bohachi clan run an organized prostitution ring and enlist the help of Shiro to kill any prostitute and john who risk doing business freelance and not paying the clan fee. Shiro is granted temporary immunity from the government but as his body count escalates every one is after his head including his own clan. This film is gorgeously shot with empathize on a variety of color tones and spectacular wide angle shots when swordplay is initiated. The female nudity is plentiful and beautifully captured filling the screen with a lethal dose of sensual atmosphere and mean spirited sleaze. The final act is an opium induced orgy that transcends into an epic final showdown that features dismemberments and blood geysers aplenty!