Kogarashi Monjirô (1972) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

1:1 sourced from the imported Blu-Ray with English Subtitles added.

Title: Kogarashi Monjirô (1972)

Alternate Title: Withered Tree, the Adventures of Monjiro

Genre: Samurai, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Kogarashi Monjirô, a wandering samurai, agrees to take responsibility for a murder committed by his friend, allowing his friend to care for his dying mother. Monjirô expects his friend to confess after his mother’s passing, securing Monjirô’s pardon. However, Monjirô is sentenced to a prison island. Upon learning that his friend’s mother died over a year ago, Monjirô plans an escape with fellow prisoners to seek revenge.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Sadao Nakajima
• Writers:
  • Sadao Nakajima
  • Saho Sasazawa
  • Yakayuki Yamada
• Cast:
  • Bunta Sugawara as Monjirô
  • Kyôko Enami as Oyû
  • Yukie Kagawa as Ohana
  • Ryûko Azuma as Tami
  • Takayuki Akutagawa as Narrator (voice)

IMDb Link:
Kogarashi Monjirô (1972)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Nathan Stuart – ★★★★☆
   “Wandering gambler Kogarashi Monjiro spends his time traveling and gambling for money, staying at yakuza offices and fighting in territory disputes as repayment for their hospitality as per the code. When a friend murders a police officer, he takes the blame and is sent into exile on a remote island, taking his place amongst the fellow prisoners who spend their time eking out a pitiful existence, waiting for nonexistent pardons or dreaming of escape.”
2. Pachinko Pop – ★★★½☆
   “Kogarashi Monjiro is back in the second of two Sadao Nakajima / Bunta Sugawara Monjiro films. The plot is a little more loose than the first one, perhaps intended to be just another adventure in a long series. Monjiro is reunited with his long-lost sister, and she is pulled into a conspiracy to use and then later to kill the wandering swordsman.”

Meta Description:
Kogarashi Monjirô (1972), also known as Withered Tree, the Adventures of Monjiro, is a Japanese samurai drama directed by Sadao Nakajima. The film follows the journey of Monjirô, a wandering samurai who takes the blame for a murder committed by his friend, leading to his imprisonment and quest for revenge.