Gate of Hell

"The most honored screen import in a decade!"

1953 1h 26m JA

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 101

DramaHistoryRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Japan, 1159. Moritō, a brave samurai, performs a heroic act by rescuing the lovely Kesa during a violent uprising. Moritō falls in love with her, but becomes distraught when he finds out that she is married.

“The most honored screen import in a decade!”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Kazuo Hasegawa
Moritō Endō
Machiko Kyō
Lady Kesa
Isao Yamagata
Wataru Watanabe
Yataro Kurokawa
Shigemori
Kōtarō Bandō
Rokurō
Jun Tazaki
Kogenta
Koreya Senda
Gen Kiyomori
Masao Shimizu
Nobuyori

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa
Writers: Masaichi Nagata, Teinosuke Kinugasa
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

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, shot by Kōhei Sugiyama. 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 Yasushi Akutagawa. 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 Shigeo Nishida 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

Kazuo Hasegawa and Machiko Kyō and Isao Yamagata carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The most honored screen import in a decade!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0045935 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Teinosuke Kinugasa directs. Kōhei Sugiyama behind the camera. Yasushi Akutagawa scores. Shigeo Nishida 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.
273 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, shot by Kōhei Sugiyama. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Yasushi Akutagawa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Shigeo Nishida shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kazuo Hasegawa and Machiko Kyō and Isao Yamagata carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The most honored screen import in a decade!".
8IMDB entry: tt0045935 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.