The Hidden Blade

2004 2h 12m JA

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 131

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest friend.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Rakuten VikiRent

Cast

Masatoshi Nagase
Munezô Katagiri
Takako Matsu
Kie
Hidetaka Yoshioka
Samon Shimada
Yukiyoshi Ozawa
Yaichirô Hazama
Tomoko Tabata
Shino Katagiri
Chieko Baisho
Mrs. Katagiri
Kunie Tanaka
Kanbê Katagiri
Sachiko Mitsumoto
Mrs. Iseya

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Yoji Yamada
Writers: Yoji Yamada, Yoshitaka Asama, Shuhei Fujisawa
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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Samurai Trilogy (Yoji Yamada) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Yoji Yamada, shot by Mutsuo Naganuma. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

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#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Masatoshi Nagase and Takako Matsu and Hidetaka Yoshioka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0442286 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Yoji Yamada directs. Mutsuo Naganuma behind the camera. Isao Tomita scores. Iwao Ishii cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 22 years ago.
2Part of the "Samurai Trilogy (Yoji Yamada) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Yoji Yamada, shot by Mutsuo Naganuma. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Isao Tomita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Iwao Ishii shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Masatoshi Nagase and Takako Matsu and Hidetaka Yoshioka carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0442286 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 14 themes, including "samurai", "based on novel or book", "sword fight", "revenge".