Saga from Chichibu Mountains - Sword Cuts the Shadows

1967 1h 24m JA

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 1

Action

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During the 1880's a young swordsman, Saotome Gengo, on his way to Tokyo stops at an inn in a small town. But he does not know that his prowess has already attracted envious attention and that Senzo, the boss of the local gang, plans to have him killed. Seiji, the disowned son of the innkeeper, has run up a big gambling bill and, to settle it, the hoodlums decide to kill him. He is saved, however, by Hanako, star of the dancing troupe also staying at the inn. Gengo meets Hanako and learns that the troupe cannot open their show because the local police corruptly demand too much of the receipts. After another fight, Gengo sees the police-chief on behalf of the troupe, but is refused. So he suspects that the police and the hoodlums are implicated with each other. There seems no way to open the show until they hear that the governor is coming to the town for a local banquet. They appeal to him and he promises to investigate. It is decided that a duel will settle the matter...

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Hideki Takahashi
Gengo Saotome
Michitarō Mizushima
Sangorô Oiwake
Hiroshi Minami
Keijirô Ichinose
Yōko Yamamoto
Emi
Ryōji Hayama
Kakunoshin Okada
Tōru Abe
Detective Kuroshima
Shōki Fukae
Morita
Osamu Takizawa
Yoshida

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Motomu Ida
Writers: Takeshi Iwasaki, Tomoichiro Miyamoto
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Seitaro Omori. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Hideki Takahashi and Michitarō Mizushima and Hiroshi Minami carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0198591 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Motomu Ida directs. Seitaro Omori scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
259 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Original score by Seitaro Omori. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Hideki Takahashi and Michitarō Mizushima and Hiroshi Minami carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0198591 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.