The Rickshaw Man (1958)

A poor rickshaw driver finds himself helping a young woman and her son after the woman's husband dies suddenly.

Director:

Hiroshi Inagaki

Writers:

Hiroshi Inagaki, Mansaku Itami

Stars:

Toshirô Mifune, Hideko Takamine, Hiroshi Akutagawa

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Toshirô Mifune	...	Matsugoro
Hideko Takamine	...	Yoshiko Yoshioka
Hiroshi Akutagawa	...	Capt. Kotaro Yoshioka
Chishû Ryû	...	Shigezo Yuki
Chôko Iida	...	Otora (innkeeper)
Haruo Tanaka	...	Kumakichi
Jun Tatara	...	Theatre employee
Kenji Kasahara	...	Toshio Yoshioka
Kaoru Matsumoto	...	Young Toshio
Nobuo Nakamura	...	Yoshiko's brother
Ichirô Arishima	...	Medicine peddler
Chieko Nakakita	...	Yoshiko's sister-in-law
Seiji Miyaguchi	...	Fencing master
Bokuzen Hidari
Kokuten Kôdô

Storyline

In the turn of the Twentieth Century, the rickshaw driver Matsugoro "Matsu" is a happy man and a troublemaker well-known by everyone in his village. One day, Matsu sees an injured boy, Toshio, and brings him home. His mother Yoshiko Yoshioka asks Matsuo to take the boy to the doctor and then her husband Capt. Kotaro Yoshioka asks her to reward Matsu. However the rickshaw man refuses the money and becomes a friend of the family. When Kotaro unexpectedly dies, Matsuo helps Yoshiko to raise her son. Soon he falls in love with her, but he does not dare to open his heart to Yoshiko since they belong to different social classes.

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Plot Keywords:

rickshaw | magistrate | drunken singing | singing | head wound | 

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Taglines:

Awarded the Golden Lion of St. Mark at the Venice Film Festival. A tender love story, scorching characterizations, deeply human qualities, and a wonderous and colorful background of Japan's festivals.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

3 May 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Rickshaw Man

Filming Locations:

Kokura, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Perspecta Sterophonic Sound)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Remake of Muhomatsu no issho (1943)

User Reviews

A soap opera but an amazing one filled with great acting.

Like the other comments, this movie should be available on DVD or VHS. I remember seeing it 40 years ago and its brilliance stands out in my mind as if I saw it yesterday.

Toshiro Mifune plays against type. No samurai warrior he, but a humble Rickshaw man secretly in love with an upper class woman. He shepherds her son throughout the years and the woman, while almost recognizing the Rickshaw Man has helped make her son a man, never comprehends the love Mifune has for her.

A classic woman's film that caused this man to cry. And the fact that it stars Mifune and is directed by a macho director who likes to do period Samurai movies is amazing. Two macho stars making one of the great soaps of all time. And I mean that in the best of ways.