 |
Event
|
(Tsubaki Sanjuro)
Black & White / 16 mm. / 1962 / 96 mins.See Thai version
Producers :
Tanaka Tomoyuki, Kikushima Ryuzo Director :
Kurosawa Akira Scriptwriter:
Kurosawa Akira, Kikunuma Ryuzo, Oguni Hideo Original Storywriter : Yamamoto Shugoro Director of Photography : Koizumi Fukuzo, Saito Takao Music :
Sato Masaru Cast: Mifune Toshiro as Tsubaki Sanjuro, Nakadai Tatsuya as Muroto Hanbei, Kayama Yuzo as Izaka Iori
Synopsis
One dark night, nice young samurai are huddled in a secret meeting. Having discovered corruption in their clan they submitted a petition to the clan chamberlain through Izaka, one of their members and the chamberlain's nephew, requesting the necessary reforms. Disillusioned by the chamberlain's evasive answers, Izaka had enlisted the help of superintendent Kikui who kindly promised to look into the matter. The group of young samurai are listening to Izaka's report on the matter when suddenly, an unkempt masterless samurai with piercing eyes and wrinkled, worn-out clothes stands before them. To their utter amazement, he frankly tells them that the chamberlain is a fine man, and warns them not to trust the superintendent.
As if to prove his point, the superintendent's men surround the group, and only the stranger's quick wits save the situation. Muroto Hanbei, the superintendent's bodyguard and brains, is impressed by the man's prowess and offers him a position. The masterless samurai refuses, deciding to cast his lot with the nine young men, for he now fears for the safety of the chamberlain.
Chamberlain Mutsuda disappears, but the group of young samurai and the stranger succeed in saving his wife.
Notes
Kurosawa followed his 1961 smash hit "Yojimbo" with the entertaining period film using the same hero, Sanjuro. In this film, Sanjuro appears out of nowhere, helps settle dissension within a clan, then disappears again. In "Yojimbo", the hero is asked who he is, and seeing a field of mulberry trees (Kuwabatake), replies Kuwabatake Sanjuro. In this film, his eyes fall on camellias (Tsubaki) which inspire him to call himself Tsubaki Sanjuro.As in "Yojimbo", Mifune Toshiro plays the hero, and Nakadai Tatsuya plays his opponent. The action in this film is supplied by Kurosawa's characteristic super hero, and the humor is furnished by such characters as the chamberlain's wife, who retains a calm mood amidst the havoc, and the rival retainer who is held captive by Sanjuro and the young samurai.
The gushing blood in the last duel between Mifune and Nakadai startled viewers. The spectacular fight scenes and the eerie sound effects as swords slashed flesh exerted a great influence on later period films.
[HOME] [JCC] [BLC] [LIBRARY] [GRANT] [EVENT] [LINKS]