A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo

Young, timid bowmaster Kazuma seeks to beat the archery record set by Hoshino Kanzaemon, a mysterious figure who, it is rumoured, drove the previous champion—Kazuma’s father—to suicide. Possessed of much raw talent, Kazuma is very much a coward, holing up in an inn and generally avoiding confrontation. Despite his best attempts to remain clandestine, the locals know of Kazuma’s purpose and an attempt is made on his life. He's saved by Karatsu Kanbei, a samurai who offers to help Kazuma hone his archery skills, though it becomes clear that this apparently selfless stranger has potentially shady ulterior motives.

Director: Mikio Naruse

Cast: Kazuo Hasegawa, Kinuyo Tanaka, Sensho Ichikawa, Akitake Kōno, Fumiko Katsuragi, Haruo Tanaka, Unpei Yokoyama, Tamae Kiyokawa

Audience-only score — full critic data not yet in the ReelXO vault.