Samurai Rebellion
An aging samurai risks his life and status to defend his son's forbidden family against the cruelty of a feudal clan.
Overview
A tale of honor and defiance unfolds as an aging samurai fights for his family's love and freedom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- austere
- tragic
- tense
- classic cinema night
- samurai film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Masaki Kobayashi's disciplined samurai drama as a powerful, beautifully staged indictment of feudal obedience, elevated by exceptional performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Isaburo, Yogoro, and Ichi unite against the clan lord's demand that Ichi abandon her family.
The clan orders coerced marriage, separation, suicide, and execution to preserve its hierarchy.
Yogoro and Ichi's mutual love renews Isaburo's sense of purpose and resistance.
The film's restrained compositions emphasize the Sasahara household's pressure before opening into confrontations and pursuit.
Films like Samurai Rebellion, and why
Harakiri
feudal japanese drama centered on rigid social hierarchy, moral resistance, and a samurai confronting institutional power
The Hidden Fortress
period samurai drama combining formal swordsmanship with anti-authoritarian critique and tragic family loyalty
The Sword of Doom
emotionally intense chanbara about individual conscience challenging oppressive feudal authority
When the Last Sword Is Drawn
measured historical drama portraying personal dignity and family conflict within a coercive warrior society
Movie Details
- Director
- Masaki Kobayashi
- Release Date
- 1967-05-27
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 8.3 / 10 (281)
Cast
- Toshirō Mifune
- Yōko Tsukasa
- Gō Katō
- Tatsuyoshi Ehara
- Etsuko Ichihara
- Isao Yamagata
- Tatsuya Nakadai
- Shigeru Kōyama
- Michiko Otsuka
- Tatsuo Matsumura
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Samurai Rebellion about?
- An aging samurai risks his life and status to defend his son's forbidden family against the cruelty of a feudal clan.
- What is Samurai Rebellion like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Samurai Rebellion as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Samurai Rebellion violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Samurai Rebellion as brutal.
- What did critics think of Samurai Rebellion?
- Critics broadly regard Masaki Kobayashi's disciplined samurai drama as a powerful, beautifully staged indictment of feudal obedience, elevated by exceptional performances.
- Which films are like Samurai Rebellion?
- Films with a similar feel include Harakiri, The Hidden Fortress, The Sword of Doom, and When the Last Sword Is Drawn.
- How long is Samurai Rebellion?
- Samurai Rebellion runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Samurai Rebellion?
- In United States, Samurai Rebellion streams on Criterion Channel.
