Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy

1978 2h 10m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 49

ActionDramaAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Kinnosuke Nakamura
Yagyu Tajima
Sonny Chiba
Jûbê Yagyû
Hiroki Matsukata
Iemitsu Tokugawa (Older Prince)
Teruhiko Saigō
Tadanaga Tokugawa (Younger Prince)
Reiko Ōhara
Okuni (Singer)
Yoshio Harada
Sanza Nagoya (Flute Player)
Isao Natsuyagi
Shozaemon Bekki
Mikio Narita
Ayamaro Karasumasu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Writers: Hirō Matsuda, Kinji Fukasaku, Tatsuo Nogami
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

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, shot by Tôru Nakajima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Kinnosuke Nakamura and Sonny Chiba and Hiroki Matsukata carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0078513 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 49 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kinji Fukasaku directs. Tôru Nakajima behind the camera. Toshiaki Tsushima scores. Isamu Ichida cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

148 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, shot by Tôru Nakajima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Toshiaki Tsushima. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Isamu Ichida shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Kinnosuke Nakamura and Sonny Chiba and Hiroki Matsukata carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0078513 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 49 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.