Japan, February 1868. As the Tokugawa shogunate declines and the power of Emperor Meiji grows, Gonzo, a soldier of the Restoration Army, returns to Sawando, his hometown, to announce the end of tyranny.
Acting
Mifune's wild-eyed charisma carries pure chaos.
Direction
Okamoto's sharp tonal whiplash between slapstick and brutality.
Costume
The scarlet lion wig—iconic, ridiculous, perfect.
Director
Kihachi Okamoto
Toshirō Mifune
Gonzo
Shima Iwashita
Tomi
Etsushi Takahashi
Ichinose Hanzo
Minori Terada
Sanji
Nobuko Otowa
Oharu
Yūko Mochizuki
Ume
Jitsuko Yoshimura
Oyou
Shigeru Kōyama
Staff Chief Aragaki
Hideyo Amamoto
Dr. Gensai
Tokue Hanazawa
Komatora
Shin Kishida
Secretary Sokichi
Hideo Sunazuka
Amegaeru
Bokuzen Hidari
Gohei
Gorō Mutsumi
White Hair
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mifune's ridiculous crimson wig was his own idea—he wanted Gonzo to look like a Kabuki demon crashing a history lesson.
Made during 1968's student protests, the film's peasants-eating-the-rich energy was dangerously timely—Toho barely released it.
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