Rebellion

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Audience Member This film has a fantastic story, and a lot of great shots. Unfortunately though that doesn’t save it from being somewhat boring, when you watch a samurai movie you expect to see a lot of action. I know there is other intimate slow samurai flicks like the original 47 Ronin, but I feel the same way about that one too. Good movie but could have been better if there was more fighting. This story is kinda a Romeo and Juliet story too, so 4.5/5 stars. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/28/24 Full Review Dani G An intense samurai drama in the most typical fashion of Kobayashi, with two of the biggest japanese classic stars in Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/16/24 Full Review Lars N Crazy pretty, heartfelt and flat out cool AF. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/23 Full Review Nawt W A very grim Kobayashi movie about defiance. Once again plucking on his country's obsession for rituals, rules, and hierarchy, he masterfully showcases the lowest of the low, the "cruelest form of tyranny," where duty and honor are somehow supposed to triumph over humanity and simple emotions.  It's all great. The cinematography makes a movie that 3/4 consists of interiors seem very lustrous and refreshing; the direction; the Japanese ambient; the characters.  Mifune and Nakadai are incredible as always. Even if Nakadai is a little bit underutilized for my liking.  Mifune's role is, by and large, the most fascinating part of the film. He is a father who projects his own unhappiness and life regrets over his son, nudging him to not betray his integrity and feelings even when he knows that he is definitely dooming his family. In the end, he sees this rebellion as a better sum total than just shuffling around the house lamenting his life choices and the lord chasing his family into the corner and stripping them of any dignity for no other reason but feudal optics. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/10/22 Full Review Christopher B While I have seen only one other of Masaki Kobayashi's films (At the time of this review), "Harakiri" (1962), I have no doubt whatsoever in his mastery as a director. Both films are masterpieces telling of injustices during Japan's feudal era and the enormity of the class differences. Samurai Rebellion which stars the legendary Toshiro Mifune, displays both a touching and emotionally investing film that has perfect balance. For the first hour and a half we are introduced to our characters and the plight that will soon spell disaster. The last half hour is a brilliantly filmed samurai showdown where Mifune truly shines as a man of justice and morality. The cinematography of the various Japanese landscapes and wonderfully detailed traditional Japanese housing really add depth and a sense of being that is hard to replicate. What an amazing and beautiful film to see and be moved by. If you love Japanese films, culture or samurai this is an absolute necessity to watch! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/01/22 Full Review William L "The mats? It's a custom at times like these. So our feet won't slip in the blood." While the title and quote above may give the impression that Samurai Rebellion is among the more gratuitous period samurai films, in reality it is one of the more restrained, focusing instead on love, honor, family, and custom than swordplay. But that's the MO of Masaki Kobayashi, tough moral choices made even sharper with emotional involvement and mortal consequences. Toshiro Mifune gives a performance that leaves much of his talent for comedy behind in one of his most sincere dramatic turns, as he and his son (Go Kato) explore the boundary between justice and adherence to traditional order. When the swordplay finally does arrive in the final acts of the film, there is some great cinematography to support it, particularly the waving reeds and windswept landscapes, though the choreography could have used a bit of work (a couple extras seem to fall down with a shockingly light touch). While not as thoroughly engrossing as Harakiri, Samurai Rebellion beenfits from solid performances, excellent set design, and compelling conflicts; it's a samurai film that goes well beyond flashy knife fights. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/25/22 Full Review Read all reviews

Rebellion

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