The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail

1952 0h 59m JA

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 104

DramaHistoryAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

PhiloSubscription

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Fandor Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Denjirō Ōkōchi
Benkei
Susumu Fujita
Togashi
Kenichi Enomoto
Porter
Masayuki Mori
Kamei
Takashi Shimura
Kataoka
Akitake Kōno
Ise
Yoshio Kosugi
Suruga
Dekao Yokoo
Hidachibo

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writers: Akira Kurosawa, Gohei Namiki, Nobumitsu Kanze
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

Tight 59-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Akira Kurosawa, shot by Takeo Itō. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Denjirō Ōkōchi and Susumu Fujita and Kenichi Enomoto carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0038182 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Akira Kurosawa directs. Takeo Itō behind the camera. Tadashi Hattori scores. Toshio Goto cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 59-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
274 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Akira Kurosawa, shot by Takeo Itō. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Tadashi Hattori. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Toshio Goto shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Denjirō Ōkōchi and Susumu Fujita and Kenichi Enomoto carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0038182 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Takeo Itō
Original score: Tadashi Hattori
Editing: Toshio Goto
Production design: Kazuo Kubo
Runtime: 59 min · 0h 59m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952)

Also by

Akira Kurosawa

Production companies

Who made it

TOHO
JP

Key crew

Original StoryGohei Namiki
ProducerMotohiko Itō
Original StoryNobumitsu Kanze
Production DesignKazuo Kubo
EditorToshio Goto

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

jidaigeki
heian period

Release history · US

When it landed

Theatrical1960-02-28

Also known as

International titles

Les Hommes qui marchent sur la queue du tigreFR
Qui marche sur la queue du tigre...FR
Tora no o wo fumu otokotachiJP
Die TigerfährteDE
Die Männer, die auf des Tigers Schwanz tratenDE
Los hombres que caminan sobre la cola del tigreES
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (Series 23: The First Films of Akira Kurosawa)US
Tora no o o fumu otoko-tachiJP