A Samurai Never Tells a Lie

1963 1h 25m JA

🤯

9.5

MASTERPIECE

★9.5TMDB · 2

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The shogun's vassal Harima Aoyama and a chamber maid are in love with each other, but they cannot be together due to a difference of their status. Soon, an offer of marriage is brought to Harima. Trying to test his love, Okiku breaks one of the plates of the family treasure of the Aoyama family, but Harima doesn't notice. However, someone surrounding her witnesses the moment Okiku breaks the plate on purpose.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Raizō Ichikawa
Harima Aoyama
Yukiko Fuji
Okiku
Tomisaburō Wakayama
Shindo Genjiro
Yutaka Nakamura
Sawa Mondo
Jūrō Sasa
Yoshimatsu
Jun'ichirō Narita
Tonosuke Kondo
Eijirō Yanagi
Matsudaira Izu no kami
Michiko Ai
Ochika

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tokuzō Tanaka
Writers: Fuji Yahiro, Kido Okamoto
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

63 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tokuzō Tanaka, shot by Chikashi Makiura. 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 Akira Ifukube. 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

Raizō Ichikawa and Yukiko Fuji and Tomisaburō Wakayama carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0057573 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tokuzō Tanaka directs. Chikashi Makiura behind the camera. Akira Ifukube scores. Hiroshi Yamada cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
263 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Tokuzō Tanaka, shot by Chikashi Makiura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Akira Ifukube. 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.
6Raizō Ichikawa and Yukiko Fuji and Tomisaburō Wakayama carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0057573 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.