Hanzo the Razor: The Snare

1973 1h 29m JA

😐

6.2

MID

⭐

6.9

IMDB

★6.2TMDB · 38★6.9IMDB · 1,470

HistoryActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Against the backdrop of the Edo treasury devaluing currency and driving many into poverty, Hanzo Itami enforces the law without regard to status. He shows inadequate respect to the treasurer, who wants him dead.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami
Toshio Kurosawa
Junai Mikoshiba
Kō Nishimura
Magobei "Snake" Onishi
Kei Satō
Shobei Hamajima
Kazuko Inano
Keizo Kanie
Shin Kishida
Hōsei Komatsu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Yasuzō Masumura
Writers: Yasuzō Masumura, Kazuo Koike, Takeshi Kanda
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Hanzo the Razor Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Yasuzō Masumura, shot by Kazuo Miyagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shintarō Katsu and Toshio Kurosawa and Kō Nishimura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Yasuzō Masumura directs. Kazuo Miyagawa behind the camera. Isao Tomita scores. Toshio Taniguchi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
253 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Hanzo the Razor Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Yasuzō Masumura, shot by Kazuo Miyagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Isao Tomita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Shintarō Katsu and Toshio Kurosawa and Kō Nishimura carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0174707 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 38 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.