荒木又右衛門 (1955): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1955, 荒木又右衛門 is a notable film.

What it’s about. Watanabe Kazuma and Kawai Matagorō from the Bizen Okayama Ikeda clan were close friends, but they inevitably became enemies after Matagorō killed Kazuma's younger brother, Gentayū, and fled. Seeking assistance, Kazuma asked his brother-in-law, Araki Mataemon, for help, but Mataemon refused, saying that it was against the code for a brother to avenge another brother's death. On the other hand, the lord of the clan, Ikeda Tadao, ordered a search for Matagorō, who was found to be sheltered by the Hatamoto, including Andō Jiemon, in Edo. Tadao was furious but unable to act. Matagorō, in Edo, came to regret his birth as a samurai. He met and fell in love with Okō, a bathhouse maid. As the discord between the Hatamoto and the Ikeda clan deepened, Tadao died of illness. Seizing the opportunity to ease the conflict, the shogunate ordered the Ikeda clan to be succeeded by the young lord Katsugorō and to relocate to the Ikeda clan of Inshū Tottori. Meanwhile, Matagorō was exiled from Edo.

Who’s in it. 荒木又右衛門 stars Matsumoto Hakuō I as 荒木又右衛門, Eitarō Ozawa as 河合甚左衛門, Hideaki Nagai as 池田宮内少輔忠雄 and Kinzō Shin as 津田豊後, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch 荒木又右衛門 page.