Samurai Rebellion (1967)

"Samurai Rebellion" is a feminist action movie. I find that almost unbelievable, since feminism and macho sensibilities usually don't go hand-in-hand, but here they blend together perfectly. That's what makes this film such a rewarding and unique viewing experience.

I won't delve too much into the plot details, but suffice to say that the film concerns some rebellious samurai (as if you couldn't tell!) who are dedicated to protecting a wronged woman, the Lady Ichi. Thankfully, Lady Ichi is no cardboard character - she's as intelligent and passionate as she is beautiful, and her interactions with the samurai are fascinating. So, as the samurai fall in love with her and line up to protect her, the audience falls for her, too. I have to give a lot of credit to actress Yôko Tsukasa for making her character so sympathetic.

The samurai are a strong point, too. The younger one, Yogoro, is played with sincerity and charisma by Takeshi Katô. And the older samurai, Isaburo, is played by that incomparable icon of Japanese cinema, Toshirô Mifune. When he's acting in Kurosawa films, I sometimes find Mifune a little hammy, but in this film he gives an extremely dignified and simply wonderful performance. (I particularly like his little laugh of disdain, which he unleashes when his superiors make unreasonable requests - "ho ho ho!")

Of course, even the best actors in the world need the support of a strong director, and they've got that support here. Unlike Kurosawa, director Masaki Kobayashi doesn't add much Western-style "flair" to his movies; instead, his films (so far as I can tell) are more starkly beautiful and gradually paced. Some might argue that Kobayashi's style is actually a little dull, but I've been conditioned to slowly paced foreign films and I don't mind it a bit. In fact, I appreciate the way that Kobayashi builds up tension and then hits the audience with a really satisfying payoff.

In short, everything about this movie works - the script, the actors, the design, the direction. It features a lovely romance, some cool (if stylized) action, and genuinely surprising plot twists. There's some explicit violence towards the end, too, but unlike most American films, "Samurai Rebellion" doesn't glorify combat. Fighting is depicted as a destructive last resort.

I was perhaps being a little glib when I described the movie as feminist - a Western viewer might not recognize it as such - but it certainly does feature one of the strongest and most compelling female characters that I've encountered in a long time. For that reason alone, this is worth seeing. But the film's many other virtues are impressive, too, and have helped to propel "Samurai Rebellion" right to the top of my list of favorite movies.

Fmovies: At the center of a clan's political intrigue and pride is a woman treated like a doll. Her feelings and human value are ignored in favor of a lord's whims and customs of the time. Her sympathizers are a new younger husband and his father who realize and will risk everythint to uphold her virtue. Ichi, the heroine, is not alone. Ichi's infant daughter Tomi, the precious life that Isaburo, her grandfather (played by Toshiro MIfune), must guard risks falling into the tragic pattern as that of her mother. The film moves at a calculated pace, much like water boiling, to the final duel which will decide whether or not the innocent Tomi remains in the arms of her now renegade grandfather or a secure life with Isaburo's friend (played by Tatsuya Nakadai). LIke all good movies, viewers can never fathom the ending. What makes Samurai Rebellion memorable are its vivid images of a toy cow slowly shaking it's head, a smooth field of sand disturbed by the footprints of an angry warrior, and the last scene you may miss if you blink!

Toshiro Mifune, trapped in a loveless marriage and bored with his position within his clan, would just like to enjoy his grandchild and see his sons have a happier life than he. But the same forces that conspired to trap him in his situation--duty to family and obligations to the clan and feudal chain of command--now threaten his son, daughter-in-law and granddaugher. Under great pressure, he resists the persuasion of his wife's family and his clan to bow to "duty". The tension builds--perhaps at one point a little too drawn out-- to an exciting climax.

Samurai Rebellion fmovies. I don't know why so little people have seen this film. This movie has place in history of cinema as one of the greatest masterpieces. Story has structure of ancient tragedy and we sit in permanent tense from beginning to end; none other film I saw isn't so suspenseful. Direction is perfect and there isn't one unnecessary second in all 2 hour film. Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai - duet well known from Kurosawa films like "Yojimbo", "Sanjuro" or "High and Low" - make peerless performances, really dramatic and deep. "Samurai Rebelion" is as excellent, humanistic and timeless as the best of Kurosawa films. Everybody I know agree with this opinion after watching Kobayashi's masterpiece. 10/10

Brilliant direction, excellent writing and superb acting make for one of the most intelligent and entertaining films to come out of Japan! Mifune is magnificent as the samurai who is forced to choose between family and duty. Scathing in its portrayal of feudal Japanese society this film works as both exciting historical drama and heart breaking melodrama. Mifune's stand against social injustice is presented in a totally believable yet poignantly touching manner. His scenes with his baby granddaughter are absolutely beautiful! The end of the film is both ferociously brutal and incredibly tender. What a combination! "Rebellion" leaves you emotionally drained yet asking for more!

SAMURAI REBELLION is not one of the best known Japanese films, although it deserves to be. It is very in theme to the masterful HARAKIRI from the same director, and with this film he matches that film's raw emotional power. It's a must for Toshiro Mifune fans.... he delivers one of his finest performances as a jaded elder samurai. He once again gets to share screen time with Tatsuya Nakadai, who has a small but memorable supporting role. The always reliable Toru Takemitsu delivers a fine score made up mostly of Japanese instruments, and Kobayashi's direction is flawless.... this film is filled with memorable set pieces, and it's just the sword fight scenes, although those are pretty incredible too. This is one of about six Kobayashi films available in the west (HARAKIRI, KWAIDAN, and the HUMAN CONDITION trilogy make up the rest)... that's a shame because, based on the quality of these works, he clearly stands among the greats of Japanese cinema.