Samurai Rebellion

Set in Tokugawa-era Japan, Samurai Rebellion centres on Isaburo Sasahara, a respected swordsman nearing retirement who serves a feudal lord. When their clan leader forces Isaburo's son Yogoro to marry a woman the lord has cast aside, the family reluctantly takes her in. The marriage becomes a genuine one, but the lord later demands the woman return to the castle. Refusing to surrender her, Isaburo and Yogoro defy their superiors and face the consequences of breaking the rule of absolute obedience.

Masaki Kobayashi directed the film, which followed Harakiri and Kwaidan in his filmography and was released in 1967. Toshirō Mifune, who also produced through his company Mifune Productions alongside TOHO and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, plays Isaburo. Shinobu Hashimoto wrote the screenplay, and the cast includes Yōko Tsukasa as Ichi, Gō Katō as Yogoro, Tatsuyoshi Ehara, Etsuko Ichihara and Isao Yamagata.

The result is generally well regarded: on IMDb it holds 8.3 out of 10 from around 16,000 votes, and on TMDB it also sits at 8.3 from a much smaller pool of 281 votes. A critics' rating of 7.6 from nine reviews places it a little below those audience scores, though still positive. The agreement between the two audience figures, drawn from very different sample sizes, indicates a strong and consistent reputation.