I am sure I have said it before, and I am sure I will say it again, Toshiro Mifune is the man. He is just so damn cool, and so hard to stop. And in this movie it is no exception. This is an excellent tale of rebellion when samurai find that their lords rule is in fact tyrannical and unjust, and will risk their lives to take the world. A powerful message in a Japanese tale, especially one about Samurai who are supposed to follow the orders of their master without question. An excellent and spectacular. I highly recommend this film.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

Toshiro Mifune plays Sasahara Isaburo, a vassal to his lord in charge of the armory, whose best friend runs the borders. He is in a unhappy marriage, and all he wants is his son to have a good marriage, not one like his own with no love in it. The Lord Matsudaira (Matsumaru Tatsuo) decides to get rid of his mistress who has born him a son, but then attacked his new mistress and him. So he wants the Lady Ichi (Tsukasa Toko)to marry Isaburo’s son Sasahara Yogoro. Isaburo is against it, and doesn’t want his son to be forced into a marriage with no love like he was, but Yogoro agrees to the marriage, and is happily married to his wife, even if his wicked mother doesn’t approve. Isaburo retires leaving Yogoro as the head of the family, and they are happy for 2 years ,and Ichi bares a beautiful daughter, but then the lord’s heir dies, and Ichi’s first son is made heir so they want her back as the mother to the heir, but the Sasahara’s nor lady Ichi will agree, as she would rather die. The whole family fights them, but they refuse to back down, even when Isaburo’s other son Bunco (Ehara Tatsuyoshi) tricks Ichi into returning to the castle. Instead of submitting Isaburo sends a letter challenging the lord as tyrant who has kidnapped the wife of his vassall, and that they will let all of Japan know. the lord sends his men with Ichi to make the men give up, but she refuses and plunges herself on a sword. Yogoro is also killed before his father dispatches the lords men, and Isaburo buries his children and then takes their baby and vows to go to Edo and expose the tyranny of the lord. He is accosted at the gate, and must fight and kill his best friend. So he thinks he is free but he is jumped by men, and only taken down by multiple rifle shots, but before he dies he tries to tell his granddaughter to grow up like her mother and marry a man just like her father.

I love how Mifune is brought back to life by the love of his son and his wife, and how he won’t let them ever give up, because their love is too important, more important than following ridiculous rules of a tyrant leader. What a great film.