The Orphan Brother

1961 1h 23m JA

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 12

HistoryAnimationFamilyFantasyAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After their father quarrels with local military men, Anju and Zushio are forced to flee, but they are captured and sold into slavery. When their mother dies, they are sold to Sansho the Bailiff, a cruel man who subjects them to hideous torments. While Anju falls into a lake and is transformed into a swan, Zushio escapes and after being adopted to a nobleman grows to a young man. He will then fight to defeat the evil Dayu and free all the slaves.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Yoshiko Sakuma
Anju (voice)
Isuzu Yamada
Yashio (voice)
Shigeko Arai
Harue Tone
Kikuno (voice)
Kinya Kitaoji
Jo Mizuki
Saburô, second son (voice)
Morio Kazama
Young Zushiômaru (voice)
Jun Usami
Judge Iwamoto (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Taiji Yabushita
Writers: Sumie Tanaka, Taiji Yabushita, Yugo Serikawa
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shintarō Miyamoto shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Yoshiko Sakuma and Isuzu Yamada and Shigeko Arai carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054631 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Taiji Yabushita directs. Chūji Kinoshita scores. Shintarō Miyamoto cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
265 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Original score by Chūji Kinoshita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Shintarō Miyamoto shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Yoshiko Sakuma and Isuzu Yamada and Shigeko Arai carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0054631 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Released under 17 different titles around the world.