Synopsis
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.
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Cast
- Toshirō MifuneIsaburo Sasahara
- Yōko TsukasaIchi Sasahara
- Gō KatōYogoro Sasahara
- Tatsuyoshi EharaBunzo Sasahara
- Etsuko IchiharaKiku
- Isao YamagataShobei Tsuchiya
- Tatsuya NakadaiTatewaki Asano
- Shigeru KōyamaGeki Takahashi
- Michiko ŌtsukaSuga Sasahara
- Tatsuo MatsumuraLord Masakata Matsudaira
Recommendations
- 100
Chicago Sun-Times
Samurai Rebellion can be seen as a statement against the conformity that remained central in Japanese life long after this period. It is the story of three people who learn to become individuals. - 100
Chicago Tribune
This is a moving, powerful drama, with a rarity in samurai flicks--a very strong female character in Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa). [05 Dec 2003, p.C1] - 90
The New York Times
Amazing: stirring, subversive and, beneath their dauntingly severe surfaces, sneakily lyrical. - 90
Variety
This Toho-Mifune production represents all the best in the Japanese period film. - 88
The Seattle Times
Kobayashi's 1967 hit reflects the social tumult of its time by depicting a defiant swordsman amidst totalitarian excess. The film's escalation of tension is almost unbearable, and Mifune erupts with a ferocity that's as righteous as it is ultimately tragic, for Kobayashi refuses to soften the film's devastating imbalance of power. [16 Jun 2006, p.I22] - 88
Chicago Tribune
Ferocious action saga about an old samurai (Mifune) taking a stand against his lord's cruelty and injustice. [03 Mar 2006, p.C5] - 80
The New Yorker
No one could seethe better than Mifune, but what gives the movie equal shares of exhilaration and heartbreak is the feeling that pours out of him when his son finds happiness in his own marriage. - 80
Total Film
Kobayashi's films frequently puncture the legend of the ever-obedient samurai, scrutinising the value of such a rigid feudal system without completely dispensing with the adrenaline-soaked fun of a good old-fashioned sword-fight.
