The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.

Kobayashi is one of the most underrated classical Japanese directors in my mind. I would go so far as to put him above Kurosawa, Ozu and Mizoguchi. Don't let the title put you off, instead of a generic Chanbara romp, this is an incredibly effective examination of family, love and authority. The ending is one of the best I've seen.