Siro Ihara is an actor sent from Tokyo to Osaka for his first lead performance. He is, however, more than that, although he doesn't know it. He is the twin of the heir of an important clan; because of a family curse, he had to be sent away. But fate cannot be denied, and when he saves the heir's fiancee, his fate tangles gain with his family, and the efforts to end the shogunate and restore the imperial court to power.Sounds rather pulpish, doesn't it, with the actual heir having a birth mark and all? This movie, originally released in two parts, is based on a novel by Kikuo Tsunoda that appeared in a magazine. I suspect that's why I find I find its reliance on what might be Japanese pulp convention a bit obscure.... as does director Tamizo Ishida habit of shooting every shot, including the exteriors, in such a confined manner that it has a consistent air of artificiality.