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A Tribute to the World's Greatest Unknown Moviemaker

Category 17th Century

17th Century, Cinema, Drama, Feudalism, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Ninja, Samurai, Uncategorized

The Thief Is Shōgun’s Kin (Senryō-jishi, 千両獅子), 1958

A masked man in ninja costume, carrying swords, points pistols in the direction of the viewer; he is surrounded by similarly-dressed henchmen, while several Japanese in feudal period clothes watch them nervously

Other Titles: The Thousand-ryō Lion (literal English title) Production Company Toei Kyoto Scenarist Kessoku Shinji Source Yamate Kiichirō (“Edo Guntoki”: serialized story) Planning Sakamaki Tatsuo Production Manager Tokuda Yoneo Cinematographer Itō Takeo Art Direction Suzuki Takatoshi Music Yamada Eiichi Sound…

RebelJack
June 21, 2025

17th Century, Christianity, Cinema, Drama, Feudalism, Japanese Cinema, Samurai, Ship, Social justice, Violence

The Kuroda Affair (Kuroda sōdō; 黒田騒動),1956

Near a window, a middle-aged Japanese man in samurai costume, in a kneeling position, looks with concern at a man in a man lying in the floor with his hand outstretched to him, while two other men also watch with concern

Other Titles: Disorder of the Kuroda Clan; The Kuroda Incident; Unknown Treachery (alternative English titles) Production Company Toei Kyoto Scenarist Takaiwa Hajime Source Hōjō Hideji (novel) Producer Okawa Hiroshi Planning Makino Mitsuo, Tamaki Junichirō Cinematographer Yoshida Sadaji Art Direction Suzuki…

RebelJack
June 11, 2025

17th Century, Buddhism, Cinema, Feudalism, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Samurai, Uncategorized, Violence, War

The Miyamoto Musashi Series (Miyamoto Musashi, Parts I-V, 宮本武蔵), 1961-1965

A bearded Japanese man with long hair looks intensely into the camera

Part I: Miyamoto Musashi; Alternate title: Zen and Sword (also used as series title); 宮本武蔵. Part II: Miyamoto Musashi II: Duel at Hannya Hill; Alternate Title: Miyamoto Musashi: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights; Original Title: Miyamoto Musashi: Hannyazaka no kettō: 宮本武蔵…

RebelJack
January 9, 2025
1 Comment

17th Century, Bunraku, Children, Cinema, Drama, Feudalism, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Kabuki, Poverty, Prostitution, Road Movie, Samurai, Theater, Tragedy, Uncategorized

The Horse Boy (Abarenbō kaidō; 暴れん坊街道), 1957)

Picture of a surprised-looking Japanese man, shown against a dark (night) background, wearing clothing from Japan's feudal era

Alternate Titles: Horse Boy; Hooligans’ Highway (literal English title); La Route des malandrins (literal French title) Production Company Toei (Kyoto) Scenarist Yoda Yoshikata Original Draft (uncredited) Hirata Kenzo (see Notes on the Production below) Sources The Night Song of Yosaku…

RebelJack
September 15, 2024

17th Century, 1950s, 1960s, Ainu, Allegory, Bar, Cinema, Communists, Domestic drama, Drama, Feudalism, Film History, Foxes, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Koreans, Maoism, Mining, Politics, Poverty, Prostitution, Race, Samurai, Satire, Social justice, Tragedy, War

Uchida the Sellout?

An old Japanese man wearing a cap, sitting outdoors on a chair and holding a cigarette in his hand

Photo above: Uchida Tomu directing a film, probably Swords of Death (Shinken shōbu, 1971) Note: As I’ve already done several times for this blog, I am interrupting my series of reviews of the films of Uchida Tomu to post my…

RebelJack
July 1, 2023
2 Comments

17th Century, Allegory, Children, Cinema, Drama, Feudalism, Japan, Samurai, Uncategorized, Violence, War

Swords of Death (Shinken shōbu; 真剣勝負), 1971

Photo of a young Japanese woman in period dress, looking at the camera and shouting

Other titles: Miyamoto Musashi VI, Death Match; Swords of Doom; Battle of Life or Death; Serious Game (alternative English titles); Duel with Real Swords, Real Sword Fight (literal English titles); Duel à mort [Duel to the Death] (alternate French title);…

RebelJack
February 20, 2022