Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Lone Wolf

1966 1h 30m JA

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 2

CrimeAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The karashi Botan returns in the third chapter of the incredible Showa Zankoden series. This time legendary actor Ken Takakura plays Takei Shigejiro of the Shimazu family. When the boss of the Shimazu is killed, Shigejiro takes revenge and is sent to jail. Upon his release, he meets the dying widow of one of hid followers and takes her to her father, Boss Shiomasa, who take him into his family. But when Shiomasa is killed by an old enemy, Shigejiro is obligated to take revenge...

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ken Takakura
Sumiko Fuji
Harumi Sone
Akikane Sawa
Kenji Ushio
Keishiro Kojima
Shinsuke Mikimoto
Takeya Nakamura

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kiyoshi Saeki
Writers: Isao Matsumoto, Eimei Yamamoto
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Brutal Tales of Chivalry 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 Kiyoshi Saeki, shot by Ichirō Hoshijima. 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 Shunsuke Kikuchi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ken Takakura and Sumiko Fuji and Harumi Sone carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0060973 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kiyoshi Saeki directs. Ichirō Hoshijima behind the camera. Shunsuke Kikuchi scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
260 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Brutal Tales of Chivalry Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Kiyoshi Saeki, shot by Ichirō Hoshijima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Shunsuke Kikuchi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Ken Takakura and Sumiko Fuji and Harumi Sone carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0060973 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.