By the time Samurai Rebellion came out, films like this in black and white were on their way out. It's got even an existential side to it that reminds one of Kurosawa as well, though it fits into a mode that is both formal, but also breaking a mold as well. Samurai Rebellion stands on its own as a great film in that it gives Mifune, as well as actors Tatsuya Nakadai, Takeshi Kato, and especially Yoko Tsukasa as Ichi, very memorable parts. It's got an excellent, subtle screenplay by Kurosawa regular Hashimoto, and it could be said that that last quarter, of which is one of the most violent I have seen from various 60s black & white samurai movies, is 2nd only to Kurosawa in this regard. But for the most part this is really a film squarely about its characters, and an incredibly interesting one on both thematic and pure cinematic scales. True, the last quarter of the picture does have a kind of cathartic release of swordplay action and (more than usual for the period) bloodshed. It's got a misleading cover, however, with Toshirio Mifune's face mad as hell all covered in blood. Masaki Kobayashi more than proves his worth as a filmmaker here (though he more than proved his worth with The Human Condition and Harakiri, this is the one most seen abroad), in this tragic, technically amazing film Samurai Rebellion.
Reviewed by Quinoa1984 10 / 10 the cover art is slightly mis-leading, for what is one of the best black & white samurai pictures ever Isaburo's only hope is to take his case to Edo to expose the clan's cruelty. The clan orders their suicide, then sends soldiers to kill them. Yogoro and Ichi, who now have a baby daughter, stand with him.
Their love renews Isaburo, so when the clan lord's elder son dies and the lord sends for Ichi to return to his side as mother of his heir, Isaburo opposes his lord. Isaburo wants to refuse, but his son Yogoro accepts the woman, Ichi, and they fall deeply in love. During peace in 1725, aging swordsman Isaburo is living a henpecked life when his clan lord requests that Isaburo's son marry the lord's mistress, with whom he's displeased, even though she's born him a son.
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