Samurai Rebellion

"In the end, we had no choice but to have it this way. We just took a roundabout path."

1967 2h 1m JA

🙌

8.2

BANGER

🔥

100%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

8.3

IMDB

★8.2TMDB · 282🍅100%Rotten Tomatoes●90Metacritic★8.3IMDB · 15,530

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped by the lord. Her husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to rescue her.

“In the end, we had no choice but to have it this way. We just took a roundabout path.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Toshirō Mifune
Isaburo Sasahara
Yōko Tsukasa
Ichi Sasahara
Gō Katō
Yogoro Sasahara
Tatsuyoshi Ehara
Bunzo Sasahara
Etsuko Ichihara
Kiku
Isao Yamagata
Shobei Tsuchiya
Tatsuya Nakadai
Tatewaki Asano
Shigeru Kōyama
Geki Takahashi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Writers: Shinobu Hashimoto
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

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi, shot by Kazuo Yamada. 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 Tōru Takemitsu. 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 Hisashi Sagara 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

Toshirō Mifune and Yōko Tsukasa and Gō Katō carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In the end, we had no choice but to have it this way. We just took a roundabout path.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0061847 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Masaki Kobayashi directs. Kazuo Yamada behind the camera. Tōru Takemitsu scores. Hisashi Sagara cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

159 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Masaki Kobayashi, shot by Kazuo Yamada. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Tōru Takemitsu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Hisashi Sagara shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Toshirō Mifune and Yōko Tsukasa and Gō Katō carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "In the end, we had no choice but to have it this way. We just took a roundabout path.".
8IMDB entry: tt0061847 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 9 themes, including "samurai", "based on novel or book", "kidnapping", "period drama".
10Released under 26 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazuo Yamada
Original score: Tōru Takemitsu
Editing: Hisashi Sagara
Production design: Yoshirō Muraki
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 90/100
IMDB rating: 8.3/10 · 15,530 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

7 wins & 1 nomination total

Also by

Masaki Kobayashi

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Hotsake2017-07-23
★ 10/10
Has some of the best acting I've ever seen in a film. You can taste the tension and anguish between the main character's loyalty for his lord and his son.

Production companies