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Samurai Rebellion
上意討ち 拝領妻始末
1967 121 min Japan 16+
★8.4
Drama, History, Action
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Trailers
Description
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped by the lord. Her husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to rescue her.
Starring
Toshirô Mifune
Actor
Yôko Tsukasa
Actor
Gô Katô
Actor
Awards
Venice Film Festival 1967
— FIPRESCI Prize
Key opinion
Samurai Rebellion is widely praised as a masterful, hard-hitting critique of feudal authority and blind obedience. Masaki Kobayashi’s direction and Toshiro Mifune’s powerful performance anchor a film that favors human dignity and familial love over the rigid, abstract codes of the samurai era.
| Acting | Toshiro Mifune delivers a commanding and psychologically profound performance that anchors the emotional weight of the narrative. | |
| Theme | The film effectively deconstructs samurai tropes to present a grounded, realistic critique of the hypocrisy and cruelty inherent in feudal power structures. | |
| Cinematography | Masaki Kobayashi’s precise visual style and use of high-contrast black-and-white cinematography serve to heighten the film's stark, dramatic impact. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative meticulously explores the shift from performative duty to a courageous, individualistic commitment to one’s conscience and family. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is viewed divergently; some find it fluid and engaging, while others argue the first two-thirds of the story feel deliberate or slow compared to the explosive climax. |