Samurai Rebellion
Japan
1967
121 Min
Black and White
2.35:1
Japanese
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
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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Lorna Singh
8Sep12
Another brilliant performance from Toshiro Mifune.He commands in this story of fighting injustice in feudal Japan.The violence at the end takes nothing away from its impact as a touching family drama.
Howard Orr
7Jan12
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.
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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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.
