Sword for Hire (1952): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1952, Sword for Hire is an action, drama and adventure film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, running about 135 minutes.

What it’s about. 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.

Who’s in it. Sword for Hire stars Rentaro Mikuni as Tachibana Jurata, Toshirō Mifune as Sasa Hayatenosuke, Danshirô Ichikawa as Kagami Yakeiji and Yoshiko Yamaguchi as Oryo, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, Sword for Hire has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Sword for Hire page.

If you liked it. Fans of Sword for Hire tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.