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Synopsis

Toshiro Mifune stars as Isaburo Sasahara, an aging swordsman living a quiet life until his clan lord orders that his son marry the lord’s mistress, who has recently displeased the ruler. Reluctantly, father and son take in the woman, and, to the family’s surprise, the young couple fall in love. But the lord soon reverses his decision and demands the mistress’s return. Against all expectations, Isaburo and his son refuse, risking the destruction of their entire family. Director Masaki Kobayashi’s Samurai Rebellion is the gripping story of a peaceful man who finally decides to take a stand against injustice. —The Criterion Collection

Director

Original

Masaki Kobayashi

Masaki Kobayashi (小林 正樹, Kobayashi Masaaki, February 14, 1916–October 4, 1996) was a Japanese director.

Among his films is Kwaidan (1965), a collection of four ghost stories drawn from the book by Lafcadio Hearn, each of which has a surprise ending.

Kobayashi also directed The Human Condition, a trilogy on the effects of World War II on a Japanese pacifist and socialist. The total length of the films is over 9 hours. Other notable films include Harakiri (1962) and Samurai Rebellion (1967). Harakiri won him an award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, solidifying his place in the history of cinema.

He was also a candidate for directing the Japanese sequences for Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) but instead Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda were chosen.

Kobayashi, himself a pacifist, was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, but refused to fight and refused promotion to a rank higher than private. —Wikipedia 

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Howard Orr

8Jan12

I think Kobayashi's other famous film on samurai rebellion "Harakiri" is in another class in terms of quality to this film, but this is fun nevertheless.

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apexa

11Jul11

Nice change for me in seeing a non-Kurosawa collaboration with Mifune and wow I was exceeded in expectations. Really fantastic & Mifune showed a lot of depth to his character.

Jonathan Vercoutere likes this

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Mathieu Langlois

13Jan11

It was nice to see Yoko Tsukasa in a Jidaigeki, I absolutely loved her in Late Autumn. And Toshiro Mifune is badass as always in this movie, I wish he was my dad.

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Berjuan

3Aug10

The film is so subdued. It reminds me of The Castle by Heneke because you never see the villain. The villain is an idea.

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Kobayashi's definitive rebellion.

By Rohit on November 22, 2010

I think Kobayashi could have been a freedom fighter if he wasn’t a filmmaker. Rebellion against injustice is a concept that seems to have been close to Kobayashi’s heart and Samurai Rebellion does…  read review

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DVD

Buy the DVD from The Criterion Collection.