简介：BasedinpartonthelifeoftherakugoartistBeikyoKatsurathe2nd(1860-1904),SongoftheDevilisastoryaboutthepursuitforultimateartistry.ThisfilmisbasedonthenovelbyYoshikazuFujimoto,ascreenwriter-turned-novelistwhowasanapprenticetoYuzoKawashima.TheleadingrolesofBakyoandRokyuareperformedbyactualrakugoartists. Bakyoisatalentedbutunsuccessfulrakugoartist.TheverysuccessfulRokyuwantstotakeBakyounderhiswings,butBakyorefuses,claimingthatRokyu’srakugoiscompromisedbytheelementsofkabuki.ButBakyochangeshismindanddeterminestolearn(orsteal)Rokyu’scraftandmakesithisown. BakyoisobsessiveincopyingeverydetailofRokyu’sperformance,evenRokyu’slifestyle.OnenightwhileBakyoiswatchingRokyuperform,Bakyo’spregnantwifehasanaccidentathomeanddiesinagony.Bakyoemergesfromtheshockbycreatingarakugostoryinwhichheimpersonatesafemalepsychicwhowilleatanythingofferedbytheaudience,evenhorseshit.TheshowisawildsuccessbutBakyogetsstruckbysmallpox.Histotallydisfiguredfacebecomesyetanotherrakugostory……