Rikidozan: A Hero Extraordinaire

2004 2h 19m KO

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 12

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Story of Rikidozan, a sumo wrestler who can only achieve limited success in Japan because he's half Korean. But when Rikidozan goes to the United States and discovers professional wrestling, he becomes a hero back home.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Sul Kyung-gu
Rikidozan
Miki Nakatani
Aya
Tatsuya Fuji
Takeo Kanno
Masato Hagiwara
Yuzuru Yoshimachi
Masakatsu Funaki
Imura Mashahiko
Shinya Hashimoto
Higashinami
Keiji Mutō
Harold Sakata
Mike Polchlopek
Ben Sharpe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Song Hae-sung
Writers: Song Hae-sung
Languages: Japanese, Korean
Countries: South Korea

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

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, Korean.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Song Hae-sung, shot by Kim Hyung-koo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lee Jae-jin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sul Kyung-gu and Miki Nakatani and Tatsuya Fuji carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0435931 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Song Hae-sung directs. Kim Hyung-koo behind the camera. Lee Jae-jin scores. Park Gok-ji cuts. Produced in South Korea. Dialogue in Japanese, Korean.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 22 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, Korean.
3Directed by Song Hae-sung, shot by Kim Hyung-koo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Lee Jae-jin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Park Gok-ji shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Sul Kyung-gu and Miki Nakatani and Tatsuya Fuji carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0435931 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.