Aru kengo no shogai (1959)

Edmund Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac, transplanted to Japan. A poet-warrior with an oversized nose (matched only by his great heart) loves a lady. But she sees him only as a friend, so ... See full summary »

Director:

Hiroshi Inagaki

Writers:

Hiroshi Inagaki, Edmond Rostand (play)

Stars:

Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Akira Takarada

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Toshirô Mifune	...	Heihachiro Komaki
Yôko Tsukasa	...	Lady Ochii / Princess Chiyo
Akira Takarada	...	Jutaro [Jurota] Karibe
Keiko Awaji	...	Nanae
Seizaburô Kawazu	...	Nagashima
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	Rakuzo the sake seller
Akihiko Hirata	...	Akaboshi
Eiko Miyoshi	...	Okuni
Sachio Sakai
Yoshifumi Tajima
Akira Tani
Yutaka Sada
Senkichi Ômura
Hideyo Amamoto
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Haruo Tanaka

Storyline

Edmund Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac, transplanted to Japan. A poet-warrior with an oversized nose (matched only by his great heart) loves a lady. But she sees him only as a friend, so he helps another man to woo her by giving him the poetry of his own heart.

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Plot Keywords:

foreign language adaptation | jidai geki | martial arts | unrequited love | based on play

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

18 April 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Life of an Expert Swordsman

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Komaki (Toshirô Mifune) is telling Lady Ochii of the recent events at the end of the film, he mentions that on April 13th Miyamoto Musashi defeated Kojiro Sasaki in a duel. Mifune actually played Musashi in 4 different films: Kanketsu Sasaki Kojiro - Ganryu-to Ketto, Miyamoto Musashi, Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no kettô and Miyamoto Musashi kanketsuhen: kettô Ganryûjima (the last 3 movies comprising the Samurai trilogy).

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Quotes

Heihachiro Komaki: Yes, I did not tell you today's news. "And finally, on April 15, Heiachiro Komaki was murdered by Shogunate officers."... I vowed to die honorably, by a hero's sword. Yes, but behold me now: caught and killed in a trap set for me. So ends the life of a clown.

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Connections

Version of Cyrano de Bergerac (2007)

User Reviews

There are a thousand of you. But I fight alone.

Three Samurai: Heihachiro Komaki (Toshirô Mifune), Jutaro (Jurota) Karibe (Akira Takarada), and Akaboshi (Akihiko Hirata), all in love with the same woman: Lady Ochii aka Princess Chiyo (Yôko Tsukasa).

Komaki is a Japanese version of Cyrano. he has a big nose and knows that no woman would approach him, so he becomes the clown. Jurota is the one who the Princess loves, and, as a childhood friend of Komaki, asks him to protect her love. Akaboshi is in the shadows just hoping for a chance.

It is 1621 and a great war occurs. During the war Komaki writes many letters in Jurota's name. Jurota doesn't survive and Komaki goes into hiding as the Shogun never rests and continues to seek out his enemies

• even 10 years later. Akaboshi is determined to remove the one

remaining rival for his love and is a spy for the Shogun.

Mifune is spectacular in a beautifully done remake of Cyrano that has all the great elements of a Japanese movie. There are many fights, and a great battle, but there is no blood, as this is a love story. It is beautiful.