Blu-ray release: 'Samurai Revolution Trilogy'

Arrow Video will release Eiichi Kudo’s ‘Samurai Revolution Trilogy’ on Blu-ray in the UK on March 30 and in the US on March 31, 2026.

Throughout Japanese cinema, the image of the noble samurai righting wrongs, katana in hand, remains a fixture of the jidaigeki genre, with the authoritarianism and corruption of the country’s feudal past often attenuated for the sake of spectacle and entertainment. But in the 1960s, director Eiichi Kudo’s Samurai Revolution trilogy shattered this idealised conception of the samurai, providing an authentic and scathing portrayal of Japan’s tyrannical past to question the social and political landscape of his day.

Beginning in 1963 with ‘13 Assassins’ (remade in 2010 by Takashi Miike), followed by ‘The Great Killing’ in 1964 and ‘11 Samurai’ in 1967, the Samurai Revolution trilogy depicts the rot at the heart of the Tokugawa shogunate: despotic lords oppress their people and abuse their power with impunity, loyalty to the Shogun is valued above compassion and righteousness, and samurai have shed any trace of nobility in favour of their own self-interest, which they pursue with gleeful cruelty. Each film portrays a group of honourable samurai driven to plan the political assassination of a corrupt lord, hoping to light the fuse that will eventually destroy the regime. But the rebels must understand the fatal consequences of their mission. Should the Shogun falter, then their lives and the entire samurai class will be forfeit.

Eiichi Kudo masterfully deploys expressive black and white cinematography, spectacular swordfights and compelling performances to paint a rich visual and narrative tapestry, using each film to further explore questions of ethics and morality. Featuring a who’s who of iconic jidaigeki actors including Chiezo Kataoka, Ko Nishimura, Kei Sato and Toru Abe, Kudo’s Samurai Revolution trilogy ranks among the most important samurai films ever made and is a must-have for chanbara connoisseurs.

Limited Edition Contents:

High-definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all three films
Original lossless Japanese mono audio on all three films
Optional newly translated English subtitles
Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tom Fournier
Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Chris D., Earl Jackson and Alain Silver

Disc One – 13 Assassins:

Brand new audio commentary by Tom Mes
The Samurai Variations, a new video essay by James Balmont on Akira Ifukube’s score
Samurai Guerilla Part 1, archival interview with Misao Arai and Dirty Kudo on Eiichi Kudo and Toei in the 1960s

Disc Two – The Great Killing:

Brand new audio commentary by David West
Magician of Light and Shadow, a new video essay by Daisuke Miyao on the film’s cinematography
Samurai Guerilla Part 2, archival interview with Misao Arai and Dirty Kudo on the jidaigeki genre and the political themes of The Great Killing
Masaaki Ito Remembers Eiichi Kudo, a tribute to the director by his former assistant and brother-in-law

Disc Three – 11 Samurai:

Brand new audio commentary by David West
Fighting the Poison, a new video essay by Jonathan Clements on the film’s historical context
Samurai Guerilla Part 3, archival interview with Misao Arai and Dirty Kudo on Kudo’s filmmaking techniques and depiction of the samurai
Eiichi Kudo: The Art of Realism, archival interview with Fabrice Arduini on jidaigeki and Kudo’s work

‘Samurai Revolution Trilogy’ is available for pre-order now from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.