Hunter in the Dark (1979)
"Yami no karyudo" (original title)

Yataro Tanigawa, a one-eyed hired assassin, impresses yakuza boss Gomyo Kiyoemon with his skill. Gomyo hires Tanigawa as his bodyguard, or yojimbo, to protect him during an inter-clan ... See full summary »

Director:

Hideo Gosha

Writers:

Hideo Gosha, Shotaro Ikenami (novel)

Stars:

Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoshio Harada, Ayumi Ishida

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Gomyo Kiyoemon
Yoshio Harada	...	Yataro Tanigawa
Ayumi Ishida	...	Oriwa
Keiko Kishi	...	Omon
Ai Kanzaki	...	Osaki
Kayo Matsuo	...	Oren
Tetsurô Tanba	...	Okitsugu Tanuma
Hajime Hana	...	Hanba
Kôji Yakusho	...	Kuwano
Hideo Murota	...	Hino
Daisuke Mine	...	Someyoshi
Tatsuo Umemiya	...	Kawazu
Mikio Narita	...	Gosun
Makoto Fujita	...	Kasuke
Hideji Ôtaki	...	Shiba

Storyline

Yataro Tanigawa, a one-eyed hired assassin, impresses yakuza boss Gomyo Kiyoemon with his skill. Gomyo hires Tanigawa as his bodyguard, or yojimbo, to protect him during an inter-clan conflict. Tanigawa quickly rises in stature in the clan, but finds his boss's enemies almost overwhelming.

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Plot Keywords:

assassin | jidai geki | murder | missing person | rape | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

17 June 1979 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Hunter in the Dark

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

A lot of famous faces, mediocre story

A lot of famous faces. Fun to watch "Sonny" Chiba on home turf. And isn't that "Tiger Tanaka" with the bald wig? Nakadai Tatsuya as expected puts in most of the acting force. Some obligatory blood sprays, one amputated arm, but not really sufficient for the true "chambara" aficianado. Kishi Keiko is uninspiring. Ayumi Ishida makes a good effort despite being a pop singer just turned actress. Watch out for the camerman, he's determined to make you dizzy. The music? A little cheesy. In fact different music might have changed the entire tone of the film. Leaves one with the question; "Did they really have strip joints like that in 18th century Edo?".