Blood Spilled at Takadanobaba
7.2
The tale of Nakayama Yasubei’s duel is famous, even if he in reality probably did not cut down 18 opponents. The story has been related in film, rakugo, kodan and on stage many times, in part because Nakayama later joined the famous 47 Ronin (Chushingura) as Horibe Yasubei. But Makino and Inagaki’s version gives no hint of this more serious future, playing up the thrills and the comedy with Bando’s bravura performance. The multiple pans of Yasubei running to the duel are an exemplar of the experimental flourishes of 1930s Japanese cinema and the final duel, performed virtually like a dance number, is a marker of Makino’s love of rhythm and one of the best sword fights in Japanese film history. The film was originally released under the title Chikemuri Takadanoba (Bloody Takadanobaba) with a length of 57 minutes, but suffered some cuts and a title change when it was re-released in 1952.
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Cast
29 people
Tsumasaburō Bandō
Yasubei Nakayama
Also in
Orochi
The Life of Matsu the Untamed
Takashi Shimura
Takusan
Known for
Seven Samurai
Ikiru
Hiroshi Inagaki
Also in
Kin no tamago: Golden Girl
Hideo Ishimoto
Tokumaro Dan
Genjihei Segawa
Also in
Miyamoto Musashi: Dai-san-bu - Kenshin ichiro
Kurama Tengu
Masahiro Makino
Also in
Raiden
Monster-Cat of Sanno
Rokusaburô Mitsui
Ryōsuke Kagawa
Rokuzaemon Sugano
Known for
Ugetsu
Sansho the Bailiff
Chiyoko Ôkura
Otae
Known for
Osaka Elegy
Momonosuke Ichikawa
Kumako
Also in
An Unforgettable Grudge
Kunisada Chuji
Shunzaburo Iba
Tengan
Also in
Tanuki goten
A Samurai's Love
Komako Hara
Osai
Known for
The Life of Oharu
Hiroshi Inagaki Director · Masahiro Makino Director Maki Tozo Screenplay
First release December 31, 1937 · Produced in Japan · Original title 血煙高田の馬場
Production
Nikkatsu Corporation
Production
Japan
Produced in
Languages
Original title
血煙高田の馬場
Original language
Japanese
Spoken on screen
Japanese
Release dates
Japan · December 31, 1937
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
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Some details come from TheTVDB.