The Rambling Guitarist

1959 1h 18m JA

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 7

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Arriving in the town of Hakodate, a wandering musician, Shinji Taki, is soon recruited by the local gang as a hired hand. However, with the arrival of a sinister gunman, Taki's mysterious past catches up with him.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Akira Kobayashi
Taki
Joe Shishido
George
Ruriko Asaoka
Yuki
Nobuo Kaneko
Akitsu
Sanae Nakahara
Sumiko
Misako Watanabe
Rie
Kyōji Aoyama
Yasukawa
Hiroshi Nihon'yanagi
Detective Numata

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Buichi Saitō
Writers: Kenzaburo Hara, Ei Ogawa
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 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Rambler Series" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Buichi Saitō, shot by Kuratarō Takamura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Akira Kobayashi and Joe Shishido and Ruriko Asaoka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0270394 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Buichi Saitō directs. Kuratarō Takamura behind the camera. Taichiro Kosugi scores. Mitsuo Kondō cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
267 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "The Rambler Series" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Buichi Saitō, shot by Kuratarō Takamura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Taichiro Kosugi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mitsuo Kondō shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Akira Kobayashi and Joe Shishido and Ruriko Asaoka carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0270394 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.