Samurai Banners
4 /10 1 Votes4
Running time 2h 46m | Music by Masaru Satoh Country Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date 1969 (1969) Genres Drama, Action Film, Samurai cinema, Adventure Film, Japanese Movies, Martial Arts Film, World cinema Cast Similar movies Toshiro Mifune movies, Movies about Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Samurai Banners (Japanese: 風林火山, Hepburn: Fūrin Kazan) is a Japanese samurai drama film released in 1969. It was directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and is based on the novel Furin kazan by Yasushi Inoue.
Contents
Plot
Yamamoto Kansuke (Toshiro Mifune) is a general of warlord Takeda Shingen (Yorozuya Kinnosuke), whose titular red banners are his trademark. Yamamoto has a ruthless but effective approach to battle and politics, and advises Takeda Shingen on almost everything he does, including the assassination of Suwa Yorishige (Akihiko Hirata). Of Lord Suwa's household, Princess Yu (Yoshiko Sakuma) refuses to commit suicide, and the film comes to center on a love triangle between the lord, his general, and the princess.
The film ends with the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima, in which Yamamoto erroneously believes his battle tactics have failed and commits a pincer attack, but is killed in action before the battle is won.
Cast
Release
Samurai Banners received a roadshow release in Japan by Toho on 1 February 1969. It received a wide release in Japan on 1 March 1969. The film was Toho's top grossing film of the year and the top grossing film among domestic releases in Japan in 1969.
The film was released in the United States by Toho International under the title Under the Banner of the Samurai on June 24, 1969. It was later released to home video as Samurai Banners.