Name: Seizoroi kenka wakashû
Genre: Action
Released: 1955-01-15
Duration: 2 h 3 min
Cast: Jûzaburô Akechi, Ryûtarô Aoyagi, Teruyo Asagumo

Five thieves are looking for a sword. It's not for profit. Their house, the Matsuyama, was dissolved over a succession fight, and if they can deliver the sword Sanshinmaru to the Shogun in two days, they have a chance of reviving it.

It's a potboiler based on BENTEN KOZO by the prolific and well-regarded Kabuki playwright Kawatake Mokuami; I have seen an elaborate 1958 version which reminded me of a dark SCARAMOUCHE. Checking the IMDb, I discovered at least a dozen movie versions under something like the original name from 1910 through 1931. Clearly the themes of honorable, cross-dressing thieves who, when unmasked, recite long speeches of their perfidy appealed to the Japanese audiences. This one has a rather cheesy love interest and ending; perhaps they was in the original play.

According to the IMDb, this movie was a touch over two hours in length. The version I saw was only 83 minutes. Perhaps they omitted some scams and boasting speeches.

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)

The action genre features fast-paced, thrilling, and intense sequences of physical feats, combat, and excitement. The characters of these stories are involved in daring and often dangerous situations, requiring them to rely on their physical prowess, skills, and quick thinking to overcome challenges and adversaries.

Five thieves try to find the sword Sanshinmaru in the town of Edo. But time is short and their goal is more than a simple robbery.

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