Samurai Rebellion (1967) in Color — Starring Toshirō Mifune & Yōko Tsukasa

Samurai Rebellion (1967) — Buy This Classic in Color

Discover Samurai Rebellion, originally titled 上意討ち 拝領妻始末 (Jōi-uchi: Hairyō tsuma shimatsu), Masaki Kobayashi’s 1967 Japanese drama starring Toshirō Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai, now available as a professionally colorized version. Own this classic movie in color as a DRM-free MP4 digital download for just €15.00.

Plot Summary

Isaburo Sasahara is an aging but supremely skilled samurai swordsman who has spent his entire life in quiet, obedient service to his feudal lord, enduring a loveless arranged marriage and the suffocating rigidity of the clan hierarchy. When the lord’s former mistress, Lady Ichi, falls from favor after an outburst at court, the clan delivers a humiliating command: Isaburo’s son Yogoro must take this disgraced woman as his bride. The order is meant as punishment, and Isaburo’s wife bitterly opposes it, but Isaburo reluctantly agrees out of a lifetime’s habit of obedience.

To everyone’s astonishment, what was intended as a degrading arrangement blossoms into genuine love. Yogoro and Ichi fall deeply for each other, and their tender, authentic happiness transforms the entire Sasahara household. For the first time in his life, Isaburo witnesses real love within his own family, and it awakens something in him that decades of dutiful service never could.

But catastrophe strikes when the lord’s legitimate heir suddenly dies. Ichi’s young child, fathered by the lord before her dismissal, is now needed as the clan’s successor. The lord demands that Ichi be returned to the castle immediately, tearing her from the family that has come to cherish her. When the clan’s counselors arrive to enforce the order, Isaburo faces the defining moment of his life: obey the cruel, unjust command that will destroy his family’s happiness, or rebel against the entire feudal system that has governed his existence.

Isaburo chooses love and justice over blind obedience, taking up his legendary sword in a stand that will shake the foundations of the samurai social order. The film builds to a series of devastating confrontations as the full weight of clan authority is brought to bear against one man’s conscience. This classic movie is a devastating portrait of courage against tyranny and one of cinema’s most powerful statements about the human cost of authoritarianism.

Cast & Crew

Director: Masaki Kobayashi

Stars: Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yōko Tsukasa, Gō Katō, Tatsuyoshi Ehara

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

Samurai Rebellion was originally filmed in elegant black and white, with Kobayashi’s precise and rigorously composed frames emphasizing the rigid geometric structures of feudal Japan — the straight lines of castle corridors, the formal arrangement of tatami rooms, the structured ceremonies that govern every aspect of life. This professionally colorized restoration transforms every scene with frame-by-frame precision, from the soft pinks of cherry blossoms that represent fleeting happiness, to the subdued greens and browns of the tatami-lined interiors, to the steel-blue gleam of samurai blades drawn in righteous fury. The colorized version adds emotional richness to this restored classic film. Now also available in colour — カラー化 — for audiences worldwide.

Buy Samurai Rebellion in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Samurai Rebellion is considered one of the greatest Japanese films ever made about the conflict between personal conscience and feudal duty. Director Masaki Kobayashi, who also directed the equally devastating Harakiri (1962) and the supernatural anthology Kwaidan (1964), was celebrated for his unflinching critiques of Japanese authoritarianism, drawing on his own traumatic experiences as a reluctant soldier forced to serve in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Toshirō Mifune delivers one of his most restrained and powerful performances as a man who discovers moral courage late in life, while Tatsuya Nakadai is riveting as the conflicted clan counselor. The film was based on the novel Hairyō tsuma shimatsu by Yasuhiko Takiguchi. Through professional colorization, this masterpiece of samurai cinema reaches international audiences who can appreciate its timeless themes of individual conscience against institutional cruelty.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original Japanese mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 128 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this connected to other Mifune samurai films?
A: While Mifune is best known for Kurosawa’s samurai films, Samurai Rebellion is directed by Masaki Kobayashi and offers a more intimate, politically charged drama about defying unjust authority through personal sacrifice.

Q: Is Tatsuya Nakadai the same actor from Harakiri?
A: Yes, Nakadai starred in Kobayashi’s Harakiri (1962) and reunites with the director here in another powerful exploration of the moral costs of the samurai code and the cruelty of feudal hierarchy.

Q: Does this film have English subtitles?
A: This is a Japanese language film. Please check the product description for specific subtitle availability.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as an MP4 file compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: Is there DRM on the file?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free so you can watch it on any device without restrictions.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchase?
A: Your download link is available instantly after payment, so you can start watching within minutes.

Related Colorized Classics

• Samurai Assassin (1965)
• Bataan (1943)
• The Great Spy Chase (1964)
• One Million B.C. (1940)
• General Della Rovere (1959)