The Fencing Master

1962 1h 26m JA

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 4

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Fencing Master tells the story of a man trying to survive as the only world he knows is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Danpei Ichikawa lives for swordfighting – he was once a renowned kabuki swordfight choreographer, and as the Chairman of the New National Theatre Company, he wants nothing more than to choreograph the swordfights for the modern plays put on by the company.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ganjirō Nakamura II
Danpei Ichikawa
Raizō Ichikawa
Shojiro Sawada
Kinuyo Tanaka
Oharu
Miwa Takada
Okiku
Kyū Sazanka
Hyogoishi
Kichijirō Ueda
Procurer of women
Fujio Suga
Kurahashi Sentaro
San'emon Arashi
Company Chief

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shunkai Mizuho
Writers: Akira Kurosawa
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

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

64 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shunkai Mizuho, shot by Hiroshi Imai. 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 Nakaba Takahashi. 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 Hiroshi Yamada 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

Ganjirō Nakamura II and Raizō Ichikawa and Kinuyo Tanaka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0186606 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shunkai Mizuho directs. Hiroshi Imai behind the camera. Nakaba Takahashi scores. Hiroshi Yamada cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
264 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Shunkai Mizuho, shot by Hiroshi Imai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Nakaba Takahashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Hiroshi Yamada shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ganjirō Nakamura II and Raizō Ichikawa and Kinuyo Tanaka carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0186606 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.