Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu (1967)

Director:

Masaki Kobayashi

Writers:

Shinobu Hashimoto (writer)
Yasuhiko Takiguchi (novel)

Release Date:

December 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.

Plot Keywords:

Katana Sword | Based On Novel

Awards:

6 wins

Cast

Toshirô Mifune	...	Isaburo Sasahara
Yôko Tsukasa	...	Ichi Sasahara
Takeshi Katô	...	Yogoro Sasahara (as Go Kato)
Tatsuyoshi Ehara	...	Bunzo Sasahara
Etsuko Ichihara	...	Kiku
Isao Yamagata	...	Shobei Tsuchiya
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Tatewaki Asano
Shigeru Kôyama	...	Geki Takahashi
Michiko Otsuka	...	Suga Sasahara
Tatsuo Matsumura	...	Lord Masakata Matsudaira
Masao Mishima	...	Sanzaemon Yanase
Jun Hamamura	...	Hyoemon Shiomi
Emi Yamada	...	Shiomi's wife
Takamaru Sasaki	...	Kenmotsu Sasahara
Hideo Fukuhara	...	Sahei

Also Known As:

Joî-uchi
Rebellion (USA)
Rebellion: Receive the Wife (literal English title)
Samurai Rebellion

Runtime:

128 min | 121 min (cut version)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Mifune Productions Co. Ltd.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Music for the Movies: Tôru Takemitsu (1994)

Wonderful

Samurai Rebellion is one of the best films I've ever seen. Masaki Kobayashi is my favorite Japanese director next to Kurosawa, at times even surpassing the latter. Samurai Rebellion is a well-acted, brilliantly directed film about standing up against injustice that manages to tug firmly on one's heart strings without ever being cloying. Mifune shows the full extent of his acting abilities by not having to play the sort of macho character that he came quite close to being typecast as, and Yôko Tsukasa is no less remarkable. The soundtrack by Toru Takemitsu is also wonderful, serving to add another layer to the film's narrative and emotional impact rather than merely emphasizing it. Another remarkable aspect of the film is the use of violence: Although the fight scenes near the end are brilliantly choreographed and filmed, they're not in the least glamourous, depicting the desperation, sadness and anger of Mifune's character. It's a terrible shame that most people will never see this film, one that most likely deserves to be considered a classic of world cinema, just because it isn't directed by Kurosawa.