What we saw in this film is a guy, Sakichi, who put righteousness, justice, morality and fairness before everything else. A dreamer, a very unpractical person tried so hard to be politically correct in the chaotic Japanese feudal period. A guy with conscience and loyalty to his master, with a bigger heart and love of Japan, an idealist. But he was also so stubborn and arrogant, could never hide his despise to those who were ambitious and not loyal to their master. Such person was doomed to be a loser. His old friend reminded him: "There's no justice or righteousness once you are dead."
To the film itself which was adapted from the famous Japanese author, it was not well crafted, so sometimes it just looked vague and awkward. The cinematography was good though, the mountains, the field and the lake....all of them looked just so beautiful.