Reviews
Shinsengumi (1969)
A great film but...
... a couple of slight historical corrections to previous reviews are in order.
Firstly, although the Roshigumi (Ronin Corps) were formed to protect the Shogun during a journey to Kyoto to discuss recent political divisions with the Emperor, when they arrived at Kyoto their leader revealed that he actually wanted to take the Imperial side rather than the Shogunate side. This is why Kondo and the others split and formed the Shinsengumi (Newly Selected Corps).
Secondly, although Kondo and some of the others were former farmers, they were all expert swordsmen. Kondo himself had been adopted into a samurai family and was headmaster of the Shieikan Dojo which taught Tennen Rishin style swordsmanship and several of his high ranking students and instructors had joined him in the Roshigumi and Shinsengumi. One in particular, Okita Soji is universally recognised as a "genius swordsman".
Other than that I completely agree with the other reviews - this is a film well worth watching!