Akira Kurosawa-Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi (’The Men Who Step on the Tiger’s Tail’) (1945)

Published by sybercope | Filed under Video

A fugitive lord and his bodyguards and followers, all disguised as monks, traverse a forest, where they must avoid capture and outsmart the border guards. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0038182/plotsummary)







The greatest of Akira Kurosawa’s wartime films tells the story of a nobleman’s attempt to escape death at the hands of his jealous brother. Based on a celebrated Kabuki play, this dramatic story is drawn from a real-life power struggle in feudal Japan. Kurosawa added his own extraordinary touches, including creating a role for the talented comic Kenichi Enomoto. (amazon.com)







This entertaining feudal drama is an early effort from master director Akira Kurosawa. It draws its inspiration from a traditional Japanese story of honor and obligation — an ancient tale that was first presented on the stages of Noh and Kabuki theatres, centuries ago. When a young Japanese lord is nearly murdered by his envious brother, he flees the court disguised as a lowly attendant. A handful of faithful servants protect and sustain the banished nobleman, but his situation is complicated by the strictness of the feudal canon and the troublemaking presence of a crude, comic sidekick. (Rotten Tomatoes)







The film was banned by Japanese censors, who felt that it mocked Kabuki tradition. It was also banned by the Allied Occupation Forces, probably because of its portrayal of feudal loyalty.

Notice: this is a VHS-rip in OGM format which has forced English s/t, downloaded from ed2k-network.