Samurai Rebellion
"We meet the Sasahara household. We see its master, Isaburo (Toshiro Mifune) in an opening scene with his best friend, Tatewaki (Tatsuya Nakadai). More precisely, we see his sword, its point and then its blade, and then the focus shifts to show his fierce eyes behind it, and then shifts to the blade again. They stand in a field before a straw man, which Isaburo cuts in two with one blow. They are testing swords. Walking back home, they talk of their boredom, and Isaburo notes he has been 'henpecked for 20 years.'" "Yes, this samurai warrior, said to be the deadliest swordsman of his clan, lives unhappily under the thumb of his wife. The film is so concerned with family life that in Japan it was released in 1967 as 'Rebellion: Receive the Wife.' This title was intended, says the critic Donald Richie, to attract women moviegoers who traditionally avoided samurai films. In America, the film was retitled "Samurai Rebellion," to attract martial arts fans. In the mind of its director, Masaki Kobayashi, its only title was 'Rebellion.'" "...It is a film of grace, beauty and fierce ethical debate, the story of a decision in favor of romance and against the samurai code." ----- Roger Ebert DVD - The Criterion Collection
Curator's Comments: Read Roger Ebert's essay on this DVD Classic. Director: Masaki Kobayashi Country: Japan
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