This is one of the many films based on the legend of Chuji Kunisada, a wandering gambler and a defender of the weak in the Edo period. In other words, he was the Japanese Robin Hood. In this film Kunisada (Chiezo Kataoka) arrives to a small town terrorized by an evil gang. He insists that he is not Kunisada, as the word is Kunisada has been executed, but of course the audience know better. Sonny Chiba plays an unusual supporting role as a helpless young man unable to defend himself from the gangsters. He does, however, get to play taiko drums and dance with Junko Fuji (who makes her film debut here). Chiba's father, an old judge who helps Kunisada, is played by Takashi Shimura. The film hardly anything exceptional, but it's a pretty decent jidai geki / yakuza drama.

片岡千恵蔵が、訳ありで謎多き旅がらすを演じた股旅もの。時代劇の定番の国定忠治ものの1作で藤純子のデビュー作。国定忠治処刑の噂が流れて2年。上州磯部温泉では、非情で悪名高い地元やくざの松五郎一家が祭礼を仕切るべく画策していたが、亡夫が忠治に仕えていたお志乃が女中として働く旅籠に身を寄せる源次が立ち上がる。