Samurai Cowboy (1994)

When his best friend dies of an heart attack due to permanent stress at work, the Japanese businessman Yutaka Soto quits and fulfills himself a dream: he buys a ranch in Montana to live on.... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Keusch

Writers:

Dave Hunsaker (story), Michael Keusch,

Stars:

Hiromi Gô, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Conrad

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hiromi Gô	...	Yutaka Sato
Catherine Mary Stewart	...	Jessie Collins
Robert Conrad	...	Gabe McBride
Matt McCoy	...	Colt Wingate
Conchata Ferrell	...	Bobbi Bob Pickette
Ian Tyson	...	T.J. Welsh
Byron Chief-Moon	...	Jack Eagle Eye
Bradley M. Rapier	...	C.C. Ryder
Mark Acheson	...	Flint Clayton
Tom Glass	...	Ben
Rick Harvey	...	Gil
Owen Smith	...	Mudslinger #1
Ehud Ellman	...	Mudslinger #2
Tom Bonny	...	Mudslinger #3
Harold Ludwig	...	American Businessman

Storyline

When his best friend dies of an heart attack due to permanent stress at work, the Japanese businessman Yutaka Soto quits and fulfills himself a dream: he buys a ranch in Montana to live on. However the ranch turns out to be due for demolition and the welcome by the people is less than friendly: Hotel owner Cord Wingate wanted the ranch himself and now sabotages Yutaka. Only veterinarian Jessy and an old Cowboy help him.

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Plot Keywords:

ranch | redneck | cattle drive | racial slur | japan | 

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1994 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Cardston, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Den Pictures, Den Pictures Inc., Entertainment Securities

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the cattle drive through town, a Canadian maple leaf is clearly visible on a storefront, even though the story is set in Montana.

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Connections

References High Noon (1952)

User Reviews

Japanese URBANE MEETS WILD WEST

It's more of a story of a conflict between urbane versus rednecks than a cliché of the East meets West story. A successful Japanese sarariman (salary-man) who lost his best friend from karo-shi (death from over-working) settled in a ranch in Montana to fulfill his growing up dream of becoming a cowboy. Undertaking several conflicts against local people he gathers a band of five including old cowboy (Robert Conrad), a female veterinarian (Catharine Mary Stewart), a Native American nerd (Byron Chief-Moon) and a Country Western singing African American barnstormer (Bradley M. Rapier) to transport a herd of the cattle to pay off the mortgage. What is so different here from regular East meets West stereotype is that the Japanese cowboy is portrayed as a rich smart-ass backed by the image of powerful economy of Japan rather than another poor and stupid Oriental martial-artists like Jacky Chan. And it is remarkably enough that this film is of as early as 1992's even in the 21st Century many movies still trapped with the old fashioned image of the mysterious Orient such as the costume of Princess Amidara in Star Wars trilogy or the shallow spiritual image that self-conscious Steven Segal always try to emit, to name a few. In terms of a low budget flick it still is pretty close to be paired with classic Western films like Howard Hawks' masterpiece Red River. The director Michael Keusch tried his best to show humorous conversations, some musical sequences (don't forget that Go is one of Japanese top pop music icons!) dangerous stunts and even real cattle transportation as a herd. Overall, its very entertaining while skillfully avoiding unnecessary stereotypes.