Gate of Hell (1953)
"Jigokumon" (original title)

In 1159, during an attempted coup, one of the court's ladies in waiting disguises herself as the lord's wife, and a loyal samurai conveys her from the city. This diversion allows the royal ... See full summary »

Director:

Teinosuke Kinugasa

Writers:

Kan Kikuchi (play), Teinosuke Kinugasa,

Stars:

Kazuo Hasegawa, Machiko Kyô, Isao Yamagata

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kazuo Hasegawa	...	Moritoh Enda
Machiko Kyô	...	Lady Kesa
Isao Yamagata	...	Wataru Watanabe
Yataro Kurokawa	...	Shigemori
Kôtarô Bandô	...	Rokuroh
Jun Tazaki	...	Kogenta
Koreya Senda	...	Gen Kiyomori
Masao Shimizu	...	Nobuyori
Tatsuya Ishiguro	...	Yachuta
Kenjiro Uemura	...	Masanaka
Gen Shimizu	...	Saburosuke
Michiko Araki	...	Mano
Yoshie Minami	...	Tone
Kikue Môri	...	Sawa
Ryôsuke Kagawa	...	Yasutada

Storyline

In 1159, during an attempted coup, one of the court's ladies in waiting disguises herself as the lord's wife, and a loyal samurai conveys her from the city. This diversion allows the royal family to escape. After the coup fails, the samurai asks his lord to let him marry the woman as his reward. The lord grants the request and then discovers she is already married to one of the ruling family's lieges. The samurai clings to his desire, importuning her to leave her husband, then challenging the husband to release her. Although the husband stays calm and she stays faithful, the samurai remains intemperate and stubborn, with tragic consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

samurai | desire | lady in waiting | lust | guilt | 

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Taglines:

The Most Honored Screen Import in a Decade!

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

10 December 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gate of Hell

Filming Locations:

Daiei Tokyo Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Visa de contrôle cinématographique France : #15760(subtitled version) or #15760/D (dubbed version).

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Crazy Credits

Janus Films' re-subtitled version, prepared for video releases, translates Kazuo Hasegawa's name as "Cazuo Hasegawa."

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Connections

Referenced in Operation Teahouse (1956)

User Reviews

Utterly magnificent

It has been over 40 years (!) since I first saw this film, and I still see it, whenever I can. In my opinion, not only is it a masterpiece, but its use of colour may well be the the best of any film ever made.