THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER'S TAIL Movie Review

Tora No O Wo Fumu Otokotachi
They Who Step on the Tiger's Tail
Walkers on the Tiger's Tail

The wartime Japanese government commissioned Akira Kurosawa to film the most popular of kabuki dramas, the story of a 12th-century lord forced to escape with only six retainers to guard him. The expectation was that Kurosawa would produce a rousing, patriotic movie that would sing the praises of obedience and feudal values. Instead, he turned out this satire of not only the original kabuki piece, but of militarism as well. The picture was promptly banned and remained banned until the end of the war, when it was unexpectedly—and ironically—banned again, this time for allegedly being in favor of feudalism. Though it's not typical Kurosawa fare, the compact, hour-long Those Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail is enormously enjoyable, highly theatrical fun—low comedy of a high order.

NEXT STOP … The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, At War with the Army

1945 60m/B JP Denjiro Okochi, Susumu Fujita, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Kosugi; D: Akira Kurosawa; W: Akira Kurosawa; C: Takeo Ito; M: Tadashi Hattori. VHS IHF