20 Duels of Young Shingo, Part 1

1961 1h 28m JA

🤯

9.0

MASTERPIECE

★9.0TMDB · 1

ActionHistoryDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

With plenty of action, and a strong story about the growth and development of an expert swordsman, who just happens to be from an extremely privileged background.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Hashizo Ōkawa
Minoru Chiaki
Mikijiro Hira
Ryuji Kita
Masao Mishima
Eitarō Ozawa
Sonosuke Sawamura
Denjirō Ōkōchi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sadatsugu Matsuda
Writers: Shoji Matsumura, Matsutarō Kawaguchi, Matsutarō Kawaguchi
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "20 Duels of Young Shingo" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda, shot by Shintarō Kawasaki. 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 Saburo Tominaga. 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 Katsumi Kawai 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

Hashizo Ōkawa and Minoru Chiaki and Mikijiro Hira carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0201113 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sadatsugu Matsuda directs. Shintarō Kawasaki behind the camera. Saburo Tominaga scores. Katsumi Kawai cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
265 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "20 Duels of Young Shingo" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda, shot by Shintarō Kawasaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Saburo Tominaga. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Katsumi Kawai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Hashizo Ōkawa and Minoru Chiaki and Mikijiro Hira carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0201113 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.