7 Amazing True Stories That Deserve To Be Made Into Films

4. The Standing Death Of Musashib Benkei

The legend of Musashibo Benkei could easily be adapted into a period action movie in the vein of 2010's underrated 13 Assassins, as the man was essentially the biggest, baddest, ugliest warrior monk to roam Japan. Upon leaving his Buddhist monastery, he set up shop guarding a bridge (Little John-style) in Kyoto, where he disarmed and/or killed a reputed 999 swordsmen, forging their swords into his own armour. On his 1,000th duel, he was bested by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the powerful and respected general of the Minamoto clan, and later its leader. Benkei, graceful in his first defeat, devoted his sword and life to Yoshitsune, accompanying and protecting him during a war against another clan. Eventually, Yoshitsune was betrayed by his brother and fled as an outlaw, Benkei by his side. Eventually Benkei's new brother and master decided to retreat to his ancestral home and commit Seppuku, just as his brother's men, a few hundred-strong, marched on its gates. Benkei went down in history as one of Japan's most honourable warriors, deciding to hold the bridge leading into the compound by himself in order to grant his master time to carry out his ritual suicide. The warrior monk is said to have slain 300 men that day, finally only felled by a storm of arrows from the cowering military force opposite. At first, the enemy thought they had been unsuccessful, as the dust cleared and Benkei was still standing, pierced by dozens of arrows; after a few moments, he toppled over, in what became known as 'the Standing Death of Benkei'. How To Make It Now, who doesn't want to witness that final (ridiculous and probably statistically untrue) battle play out? It's the logical next step of a film like 300, instead being one guy versus 300 enemies. The film itself could revolve around the burgeoning friendship and brotherhood between Benkei and Yoshitsune, leading to Benkei's decision to stay and protect his master and friend, and make for a damn entertaining hour and forty-five minutes.