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IMDbPro

Sanjuro

Original title: Tsubaki Sanjûrô
  • 19621962
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
38K
YOUR RATING
Toshirô Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in Sanjuro (1962)
  • Action
  • Drama
  • Thriller
A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
38K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Writers
    • Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
    • Hideo Oguni(screenplay)
    • Akira Kurosawa(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Toshirô Mifune
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Keiju Kobayashi
Top credits
  • Director
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Writers
    • Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
    • Hideo Oguni(screenplay)
    • Akira Kurosawa(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Toshirô Mifune
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Keiju Kobayashi
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 96User reviews
    • 63Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Photos82

    Toshirô Mifune, Reiko Dan, and Takako Irie in Sanjuro (1962)
    Toshirô Mifune in Sanjuro (1962)
    Toshirô Mifune, Reiko Dan, and Takako Irie in Sanjuro (1962)
    Toshirô Mifune and Yoshio Tsuchiya in Sanjuro (1962)
    Sanjuro (1962)
    Toshirô Mifune, Reiko Dan, and Takako Irie in Sanjuro (1962)
    Sanjuro (1962)
    Akira Kurosawa in Sanjuro (1962)
    Toshirô Mifune, Reiko Dan, and Tatsuya Nakadai in Sanjuro (1962)
    Toshirô Mifune in Sanjuro (1962)
    Sanjuro (1962)
    Toshirô Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in Sanjuro (1962)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Toshirô Mifune
    Toshirô Mifune
    • Sanjûrô Tsubakias Sanjûrô Tsubaki…
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Hanbei Murotoas Hanbei Muroto
    Keiju Kobayashi
    • The Spyas The Spy
    Yûnosuke Itô
    Yûnosuke Itô
    • Mutsuta, the Chamberlainas Mutsuta, the Chamberlain
    Yûzô Kayama
    Yûzô Kayama
    • Iori Izakaas Iori Izaka
    Reiko Dan
    Reiko Dan
    • Chidori, Mutsuta's daughteras Chidori, Mutsuta's daughter
    Takashi Shimura
    Takashi Shimura
    • Kurofujias Kurofuji
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    • Takebayashias Takebayashi
    Takako Irie
    Takako Irie
    • Mutsuta's wifeas Mutsuta's wife
    Masao Shimizu
    Masao Shimizu
    • Kikuias Kikui
    Akira Kubo
    Akira Kubo
    • Samuraias Samurai
    Hiroshi Tachikawa
    • Samuraias Samurai
    Yoshio Tsuchiya
    Yoshio Tsuchiya
    • Samuraias Samurai
    Kunie Tanaka
    Kunie Tanaka
    • Samuraias Samurai
    Tatsuyoshi Ehara
    • Samuraias Samurai
    Akihiko Hirata
    Akihiko Hirata
    • Samuraias Samurai
    Toranosuke Ogawa
    Toranosuke Ogawa
    • Sandayuas Sandayu
    Sachio Sakai
    • Foot soldieras Foot soldier
    • Director
      • Akira Kurosawa
    • Writers
      • Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
      • Hideo Oguni(screenplay)
      • Akira Kurosawa(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Sanjûrô has to kill about a dozen of Kikui's men and then smacks three of the young samurai for forcing him to kill so many, Toshirô Mifune slapped the three young actors for real. As seen in the film, the slaps both surprised the actors and knocked them backwards.
    • Goofs
      The three enemies who surrender are kept in a room with chicken wire / poultry mesh stretched across the door. This was invented in England in 1844 and did not exist in the era or place depicted in the film.
    • Quotes

      Mutsuta's wife: You glisten too brightly.

      Sanjûrô Tsubaki: Glisten?

      Mutsuta's wife: Yes. Like a drawn sword.

      Sanjûrô Tsubaki: A drawn sword?

      Mutsuta's wife: You're like a sword without a sheath. You cut well, but the best sword is kept in its sheath.

    • Connections
      Featured in Smashing UK Top 10: Top 10 Film Directors (2013)

    User reviews96

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Excellent - Superb - A Masterpiece
    Akira Kurosawa is probably the best Director in the entire History of film-making. He has not been that prolific given the amount of time he has spent making films, but many of these have subsequently been remade - Seven Samurai became the magnificent seven. Yoijimbo (the prequel to this one) became A fistful of dollars - and more recently last man standing. The hidden Fortress became Star Wars. Sanjuro marked the return of Toshiro Mifune as the Sardonic Ronin from Yoijimbo. Yet again, the photography is excellent - the period costumes and buildings beautiful to look at even in black and white. From one of the first scenes, in the grounds outside the Shrine, Mifune shows a 500% improvement in the art of Kenjutso - he must have been practicing night and day! But it is the character of Sanjuro itself that makes the film so absorbing. He is on the surface, a dirty, disrespectful abrasive man - but his deeds portray him as a hero - someone who once was a shining example of a Samurai and despite being put through the ringer still holds to a deeply rooted code of honor. When this shows however, he is most anxious to cover it up again..... The film involves a power struggle within a small city in Japan between the old faction and the new power-hungry one. It deals with false perceptions and truth. Two of the tenets that are at the heart of Kurosawa's films. This is a Gem - rent it - if you can, Buy it!
    helpful•54
    18
    • NEFARlOUS
    • Sep 30, 1998

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 7, 1963 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Sandžuro
    • Filming locations
      • Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Toho Company
      • Kurosawa Production Co.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $46,808
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $15,942
      • Jul 28, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $55,528
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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