Death of a Tea Master (1989)
"Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubô ibun" (original title)

Years after the death of legendary tea master Rikyu, his disciple Honkakubo attempts to resolve the mystery of the master's death. Years before: Sen Rikyu is a ceremonial tea master who ... See full summary »

Director:

Kei Kumai

Writers:

Yasushi Inoue (novel), Yaeko Nogami (novel),

Stars:

Eiji Okuda, Toshirô Mifune, Kinnosuke Nakamura

5 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eiji Okuda	...	Honkakubo
Toshirô Mifune	...	Rikyu Sen-no
Kinnosuke Nakamura	...	Urakusai Oda
Gô Katô	...	Oribe Furuta
Shinsuke Ashida	...	Hideyoshi Toyotomi
Eijirô Tôno	...	Kokei
Taketoshi Naitô	...	Toyobo
Tsunehiko Kamijô	...	Soji Yamagami
Taro Kawano	...	Sotan Sen-no
Teizô Muta	...	Daitokuya

Storyline

Years after the death of legendary tea master Rikyu, his disciple Honkakubo attempts to resolve the mystery of the master's death. Years before: Sen Rikyu is a ceremonial tea master who advises warlord Hideyoshi in sixteenth-century feudal Japan. His daughter, the beautiful Lady Ogin, has an unrequited love for Lord Ukon, who has angered Hideyoshi by becoming a Christian convert. Ogin's father Rikyu also displeases Hideyoshi by opposing the warlord's plan to invade China and Korea. When the animalistic Hideyoshi is rejected by Ogin, he threatens her and her father with arrest and worse.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | jidai geki | tea ceremony | based on novel | character name in title

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

1 June 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Death of a Tea Master

Filming Locations:

Kyoto, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seiyu Production, Shôchiku Eiga, Teshigahara Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

User Reviews

A flame in the wind

It seems to me that the film is one of the best of Mifune's films (if not THE best). One can read about the Japanese culture for years, but the film makes one feel the very essence, the very soul of Japan. It is a kind of 'satori' in itself, as one has no need for words, it's a kind of living-in. I think that the scene when Mifune's character is performing a tea ceremony in front of the army that is to go to battle next day and most probably perish is unsurpassed in beauty and laconic, but forceful expression.

It is also a story of conflict between art and power, and one more proof of the independence of art and of an artist's courage. The film shows that one can rebel in one's art, and the effect will be much greater than any other form of rebellion. It is also a tale of human dignity and the tragic solitude of a man in the transitory world. This is not a film for enthusiasts of sword-brandishing and rivers of blood, it is a film for those who can see beyond the lines.