Mifune plays Robin Hood with a katana and a gambling problem. What could go wrong?
Chuji Kunisada returns to his home village to find that Jubei Matsui, the corrupt magistrate, has been responsible for virtually destroying Kunisada's family. A final tragedy leads Kunisada to join with a band of rogues living in the forest in robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, always with an eye toward avenging himself on Magistrate Matsui.
Acting
Mifune's controlled rage simmering beneath every gesture
Direction
Taniguchi's crisp action staging cuts through the melodrama
Director
Senkichi Taniguchi
Toshirō Mifune
Kunisada Chuji
Michiyo Aratama
Niko Enzo
Tetsuro Tamba
Fumizo Mitsuki
Eijirō Tōno
Kansuke
Daisuke Katō
Enzo Niko
Michiyo Aratama
Toku
Yū Fujiki
Gentetsu Shimizu
Susumu Fujita
Magistrate Jubei Matsui
Nakamura Kanzaburo
Kantaro at age 6
Kumi Mizuno
Kiku
Yoshio Kosugi
Tokisaburo
Senkichi Ōmura
Yoshi
Minosuke Yamada
Uemon
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
Takuzō Kumagai
Seiichiro Nakajima
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kunisada Chuji was a real folk hero in 19th-century Japan, a gambler-turned-outlaw celebrated in ballads and kabuki—this film adapts his legend with Mifune's star power.
Senkichi Taniguchi directed Mifune in several films but was also Akira Kurosawa's mentor; this production shows that influence in its muscular staging.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
JP
