Gate of Hell

Samurai Morito Enda conducts himself so bravely in defending his emperor that he is rewarded with a promise to have any wish he asks for granted. When he asks for a woman – an already married woman – to be his booty, however, Morito sets off a chain of events that will virtually destroy the lives of all involved. Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, the film is an emotionally charged thrill ride that takes viewers through passionate human emotions that are rarely spoken of, let alone explored, in Japanese films of this time. Unlike the lady in a more tawdry romance, Lady Kesa, the woman that Morito tries to steal away (played to perfection by Machiko Kyô) actually loves her husband and is willing to do anything to prove it. Watching Kesa fight off the  samurai’s advances, as well as the advancing suspicions and gossip of the people around her, is as thrilling as watching the well-staged fight scenes at the beginning of the film. Bold as it is in the telling, it is the uncompromising ending that has made Gate of Hell resonate over the years.