Whirlwind (1964): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1964, Whirlwind is an action, adventure and history film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, running about 108 minutes.

What it’s about. Set at the end of the Siege of Osaka this film follows the exploits of several members of the defeated Toyotomi clan as they cope with the post battle chaos and the persecution of the Shogun's army. Five samurai decide on different fates when it becomes clear that their side is being destroyed. One wants to attack the enemy head on in a final honorable death. Another decides to commit hari-kiri but wants to find a glorious view to do it. His close friend, the "coward", just wants to run and give up the life of a samurai. The final two set their own castle on fire to garner favors from the enemy and therefore avert their own death during the massacre of all defeated soldiers as

Who’s in it. Whirlwind stars Toshirō Mifune as Lord Akashi, Akihiko Hirata as Ryutaro Inoue, Kumi Mizuno as The Witch and Yuriko Hoshi as Kozato, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.8/10, Whirlwind has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

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

If you liked it. Fans of Whirlwind 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.