Country: Japan
Year: 1999
Run Time: 111 minutes

Cast: Koji Yakusho, Yuko Asano, Bunta Sugawara

Producer: Yoshinobu Nishioka
Editor: Chizuko Osada
Cinematographer: Yukio Isohata Screenwriter: Akira Kurosawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Kon Ichikawa; Masaki Kobayashi
 

Dora-Heita
Directed by Kon Ichikawa

That�s gotta hurt� What we have here is an epic samurai situation! Koheita Mochizuki (Koji Yakusho: Shall We Dance) is rumored to be a hard drinking, womanizing magistrate (with the nickname Dora Heita-- alley cat) is sent by his Lord to clean up the corruption in Horisoto. He plays his hand slyly as he works his way into the confidence of the bosses and their henchmen, trusting no one, he doesn�t miss a trick. The screenplay was originally written by the "Four Knights" (Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi, Keisuke Kinoshita and Kon Ishikawa) in 1969. Thirty years later it�s Ishikawa (the last of the Four Knights) who puts it to film.
His 74th film is like a time machine: I can smell the insense! The cinematography is lush and the samurai sword action quite impressive. Koheita�s spunky geisha girlfriend comes all the way from Edo to find him and bring him back with almost fatal results. In the end the bow is neatly tied and Yojimbo applauds!

Reviewed by Eric Michel, FilmCities

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Dora-Heita is the new magistrate in a town where three previous magistrates have disappeared mysteriously. He carefully cultivates a notorious image of himself to get rid of three yakuza but realises that they are in cahoots with the courtiers in the castle.

However, his disgraceful behaviour leads a group of noble young samurai to vow to kill him. The yakuza, too, decide to kill him since he appears to be getting too close to their dirty business.

Dora-Heita�s only weakness is his long-term relationship with a geisha from Edo. In the fights that ensue, he defeats several assassins sent to kill him, and does not stop at using blackmail and forgery to get his way.