Category Feudalism

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

1920s, Children, Cinema, Feudalism, Folklore, Japan, Poverty, Silent Film, Slapstick, Uncategorized

Moving Tales of Youth: The Pure Heart (Shonen bidan: Kiyoki kokoro; 少年美談清き心), 1925

Several Japanese men in feudal dress stuck in the rungs of a ladder

Tale of a Boy: Noble Heart (alternate English title) Production Company Shakai Kyōiku Kenkyū-jo Scenarist Unknown (possibly Uchida) Source Kobayashi Sadaji (original story) Staging Oshimoto Shichinosuke Cinematographer Nagai Seiji Performers Kojima Takehiko (Mr. Sakai, the teacher); Mizushima Michitarō [as Mizushima…

RebelJack
November 21, 2021
2 Comments

16th Century, Feudalism, Japan, Madness, Samurai, Satire, Uncategorized, War

The Master Spearman (Sake to onna to yari, 酒と女と槍) (1960)

Image of a man in ancient Japan holding a spear while standing in front of a humble hut

Alternate Titles: Wine, Women and Spear (literal title); The Drunken Spearman; A Man’s Ambition Production Company Toei Kyoto Scenarist Ide Masato Source Kaionji Chōgorō (story) Cinematographer Washio Motoya Art Director Suzuki Takatoshi Music Kosugi Taiichirō Editing Miyamoto Shintarō Performers Ōtomo…