Back to browse
70% Critic Match
Shogun's Samurai
7.0 / 10• 1978• 2h 10m•NR• Japanese
ActionDramaAdventure
Storyline
Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.
Cast & Crew
Kinnosuke Nakamura
Yagyu Tajima
Lead
Sonny Chiba
Jûbê Yagyû
Hiroki Matsukata
Iemitsu Tokugawa (Older Prince)
Teruhiko Saigō
Tadanaga Tokugawa (Younger Prince)
Reiko Ōhara
Okuni (Singer)
Yoshio Harada
Sanza Nagoya (Flute Player)
Isao Natsuyagi
Shozaemon Bekki
Mikio Narita
Ayamaro Karasumasu
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Kinji Fukasaku's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. Shogun's Samurai is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
