Benkei
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100% Critic Match

Benkei

10.0 / 10 1997 2h 26mNR Japanese
DramaHistoryTV Movie

Storyline

At the end of the Heian period, Musashibo Benkei, a warrior monk who hated the Heike clan, was humiliated by his fellow monks and left the mountain monastery. Soon, Benkei competes with the Heike warriors on the Gojo Bridge in Kyoto and takes away their swords. One night he tried to stop a young man who had a beautiful sword on his belt and fought him, but he could not win. Knowing that this young man Ushiwakamaru (Minamoto no Yoshitsune) is looking for an opportunity to overthrow the Heike clan, Benkei asks him to let him join him.

Cast & Crew

Ken Matsudaira

Ken Matsudaira

Lead
Kōtarō Satomi

Kōtarō Satomi

Makoto Fujita

Makoto Fujita

Kazuhiko Nishimura

Kazuhiko Nishimura

Narimi Arimori

Narimi Arimori

Akiko Hinagata

Akiko Hinagata

Yoko Minamino

Yoko Minamino

Sayuri Kokusho

Sayuri Kokusho

What People Are Saying

5.0
A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Akira Inoue's vision lands with breathtaking precision.
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
5.0
Every frame feels alive. Benkei is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker