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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1952
Runtime2h 15m
LanguageJapanese
CertificationNR
GenresDrama, Action, Adventure
Votes10
DirectorHiroshi Inagaki
WritersHiroshi Inagaki, Akira Kurosawa
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.7 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsSword for Hire
About Sword for Hire
Soldiers Hayate and Yaheiji secretly escape from their besieged castle. Hayate has left behind his lover, Kano. On his way, Hayate is wounded and cared for by O’Ryo, who falls in love with him. But when Hayate accidentally kills her caretaker, he flees, with O’Ryo in pursuit. Subsequently, Hayate's comrade Yaheiji falls in love with Oryo. Kano, the lover left behind by Hayate, believes him dead, and becomes involved with another soldier, Jurota. When Jurota defects to the opposing army, he takes Kano with him. A double set of love triangles has developed, wherein each man and each woman loves one and is loved by another. Finally only combat and self-sacrifice can untangle the weave.
Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, Sword for Hire leans on a strong ensemble — Rentaro Mikuni, Toshirō Mifune, Danshirō Ichikawa — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1952.
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