Musashibo Benkei

1942 1h 27m JA

🤯

9.0

MASTERPIECE

★9.0TMDB · 1

DramaHistory

Synopsis

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A 1942 Jidaigeki by the veteran jidaigeki filmmaker Kunio Watanabe about the legendary warrior Musashibo Benkei with Hideko Takamine portraying Minamoto no Yoshitsune (who is, of course, a man). The film climaxes in the famous encounter/fight btw Benkei and Yoshitsune at the Gojo Bridge.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Joji Oka
Isuzu Yamada
Hideko Takamine
Masaru Kodaka
Yataro Kurokawa
Kokuten Kōdō
Yoshio Kosugi
Yōji Misaki

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kunio Watanabe
Writers: Yoshitake Hisa
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 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

84 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kunio Watanabe, shot by Tatsuo Tomonari. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Joji Oka and Isuzu Yamada and Hideko Takamine carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0263766 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kunio Watanabe directs. Tatsuo Tomonari behind the camera. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
284 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Kunio Watanabe, shot by Tatsuo Tomonari. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Joji Oka and Isuzu Yamada and Hideko Takamine carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0263766 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.