Taboo (1999)

Kyoto, Japan, 1865. At Nishi-Hongwan-ji Temple, desirable young recruit Sozaburo Kano catches the attention of the Shinsengumi, an elite samurai group. Hyozo Tashiro, a lower-ranking Kurume clan officer, also joins the ranks. After all, with the Tokugawa period nearing its end, it falls on new fighters to defend the shogunate. Instead, forbidden feelings and silent suspicion sow the seeds of confusion and envy among the militia. Is the tight-knit all-male community ready to face taboo? —Nick Riganas