Rikyu

1989 2h 15m JA

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 35

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Late in the 1500s, an aging tea master teaches the way of tea to a headstrong Shogun. Through force of will and courageous fighting, Hideyoshi becomes Japan’s most powerful warlord, unifying the country.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Rentaro Mikuni
Rikyu
Yoshiko Mita
Riki's Wife
Tsutomu Yamazaki
Hideyoshi Toyotomi
Kyôko Kishida
Wife
Tanie Kitabayashi
Mother
Ryo Tamura
Lord Hidenaga
Matsumoto Hakuō II
Lord Oda
Kichiemon Nakamura II
Lord Ieyasu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara
Writers: Genpei Akasegawa, Hiroshi Teshigahara
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Part of the "Rikyu" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

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 Hiroshi Teshigahara, shot by Fujio Morita. 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 Tōru Takemitsu. 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 Taniguchi 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

Rentaro Mikuni and Yoshiko Mita and Tsutomu Yamazaki carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0098204 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hiroshi Teshigahara directs. Fujio Morita behind the camera. Tōru Takemitsu scores. Toshio Taniguchi cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Rikyu" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, shot by Fujio Morita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Tōru Takemitsu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Rentaro Mikuni and Yoshiko Mita and Tsutomu Yamazaki carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0098204 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 35 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "japan", "tradition", "tea", "biography".