When the patriarch of the Tokugawa family dies under mysterious circumstances, his seat as the second Shogun of Japan is left vacant. By birth, first-born son Iemitsu should become Shogun, but there are those they would see the younger, more handsome son Tadanaga assume that role. A deadly erupts as the two brothers attempt to establish themselves as ruler, while behind the scenes Tajima Yagyu, the swordsman who trained Iemitsu and served under his father, manipulates things to his advantage.

Although not directly adapted from the work of Shakespeare like Akira Kurosawa's Throne of BloodorRan,Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracyis definitely Shakespearean in its scope. The film is epic in every way imaginable, with beautiful cinematography and incredible battle sequences. But the film is driven by the powerful performances of the cast, which includes such legendary performers as Toshiro Mifune, Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Tetsuro Tanba and incomparable tough guy Sonny Chiba. Fans of either samurai films or director Kinji Fukasaku will not be disappointed. They may, however, become a bit confused but the complex plot that draws from actual people and events, and formulates conspiracy theories that would make Oliver Stone wet his pants. Even after multiple viewings it can be hard to figure out what's going, but Fukasaku's film is so beautiful and engrossing that a little confusion is fine.

Video:
Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracyis presented in 16:9 Anamorphic (2.35:1 widescreen. The transfer is clean, and the image presentation is beautiful. The film is presented in Japanese, with optional English subtitles that are easy to read, and don't interfere with the picture.

Audio:
The audio track for Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracyis in mono.

Extras:
The only bonus materials on Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracyare two promo teasers and the trailer from the original theatrical release. There are also liner notes by Patrick Macias, who book Tokyoscope: The Japanese Cult Film Companionis required reading for anyone interested in films from Japan.