Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Directed by: Masaki
Kobayashi.
Written by: Shinobu
Hashimoto based on the novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi.
Starring: Toshirô Mifune (Isaburo
Sasahara), Yôko Tsukasa (Ichi Sasahara), Gô Katô (Yogoro Sasahara), Tatsuyoshi
Ehara (Bunzo Sasahara), Etsuko Ichihara (Kiku), Isao Yamagata (Shobei
Tsuchiya), Tatsuya Nakadai (Tatewaki Asano), Shigeru Kôyama (Geki Takahashi),
Michiko Ôtsuka (Suga Sasahara), Tatsuo Matsumura (Lord Masakata Matsudaira),
Masao Mishima (Sanzaemon Yanase), Jun Hamamura (Hyoemon Shiomi), Emi Yamada
(Shiomi's wife), Takamaru Sasaki (Kenmotsu Sasahara), Hideo Fukuhara (Sahei),
Noriko Kawajiri (Nui), Tetsuko Kobayashi
(Otama), Hisano Yamaoka (Sannojo Kasai's mother), Tomoko Hito (Yoshino),
Yoshirô Aoki (Takazo Komiya).
Masaki
Kobayashi’s Samurai Rebellion is similar to his 1962 masterpiece Harakiri –
which is one of the best samurai films (hell, one of the best Japanese films)
in history. Both are historical dramas about samurai – which spend most of its
time talking, then ending with an explosion of violence at the end. Harakiri
was an intricately structured film – with flashbacks upon flashbacks, which
slowly builds to its intense climax. Samurai Rebellion is somewhat different –
it’s basically a domestic drama for about 90 minutes, before it again explodes
into violence. It isn’t quite as good as Harakiri – but it’s still an effective
film, in part because of the lead performance by Kurosawa favorite Toshirô
Mifune (who at this point, had made
his last of 16 films with Kurosawa), and in part because Kobayashi knows how to
tell this story. He didn’t really want the word Samurai in the title – he
wanted it to simply be called Rebellion – because it’s not just a samurai film after all.
Like
Harakiri, Samurai Rebellion focuses on an older samurai. This is Isaburo
Sasahara (Mifune), the leader of his family, who is approaching the age of
retirement. All he really needs to do is find a wife for his son – something he
takes very seriously, as his own marriage, while lengthy, hasn’t exactly been
happy. This is thrown into a little chaos when the lord decrees that Isaburo’s
son, Yogoro (Go Kato) marry Lady Ichi (Yoko Sasahara) – a young woman who
became the Lord’s mistress (not out of choice), even gave birth to his son, but
eventually grew angry in her position – and struck the lord. Because of her
position as a woman who birthed a son to the Lord, she cannot be completely discarded
– so, she is pawned off on Yogoro. The family isn’t happy about this – but
refusing the request from the lord would bring more shame than excepting it.
Years pass, and Isaburo is happy in “retirement” – with Yogoro now the head of
the household. He and Ichi have genuinely fallen in love – they have a child
together, and are happy. Then, of course, the lord comes back. He wants Ichi
back – as the son she bore him has now become next in line for the lord’s
position – it doesn’t look good to have that child’s mother married off to
someone else.
This is
the plot for most of its runtime – it is all about these various maneuverings,
and the domestic life of Isaburo and his family. Isaburo has been married for
years – but he and his wife don’t really love each other. He is, of course, the
head of the family – but she really runs things, make the decisions, and he
basically goes along. When the lord, or more accurately the lord’s steward (we,
of course, don’t see the lord until near the end) comes to try and pawn off his
mistress, Isaburo at first wants to stand up then – and only backs down when
his son makes it clear he accepts the match. He was prepared, then, to finally
stand up to his wife. Years later, again the wife wants to capitulate to the
lord’s whims – but this time, Isaburo will not be dissuaded from rebelling
against the wishes.
There is
a giant battle at the climax of the films. Dozens of people are chopped down at
the end of Isaburo’s sword. It is probably what we expect all along – after
all, we have seen Mifune as a samurai many times before, and know what he is
capable of. This is one of his best performances because for so much of the
movie, he isn’t the Mifune we know from those other films. He seems more mild
mannered, meek and mild – willing to let his wife run things, and just go along
for the ride. For his own life that is good enough. It’s only when his son –
and his beloved daughter-in-law – face something similar that he finally
manages to stand up. He slowly becomes the Toshiro Mifune we know from Yojimbo
and other Kurosawa films.
The
rebellion in Samurai Rebellion is one against conformity and complacency in
Japanese society. Everyone in the film is unusually polite – as long as you do
what is asked of you. If you don’t, that it where the problems start. Samurai
Rebellion is about Isaburo deciding to fight back against the system that
forces them to all be the same. It isn’t the masterpiece that Harakiri is – but
it’s still a great Samurai film just the same.
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