Serpent's Path
蛇の道
“Violence escalates as a man seeks revenge for the murder of his daughter.”
Synopsis
With the help of a mysterious acquaintance, a former low-level yakuza tracks down and kidnaps the man he believes kidnapped and murdered his daughter, but others are soon implicated in the death.
Part of the 修羅の極道
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Trailer - 蛇の道 (1998)
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-12-23
Top Cast
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Show Aikawa
Nijima
Teruyuki Kagawa
Miyashita
Yûrei Yanagi
Hiyama
Shirō Shimomoto
Otsuki
Kaei Okina
Ariga
Kaoru Sunada
Ostuki's Mistress
Takumi Tanji
Girl's Younger Brother
Hana Sato
Math Class Student
Satoshi Morihiro
Okabayashi
Ayami Oda
Emi
Mizuho Tanaka
Nijima's Daughter
Kazutaka Niyama
Hiyama's Underling
Yoshitaka Kowashi
Hiyama's Underling
Hideo Usui
Hiyama's Underling
Takeshi Ôshima
Hiyama's Underling
Release History & Theatrical Window
Kaohsiung Film Festival (4K Restoration)
Festival / Special Debut
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kiyoshi Kurosawa
- Screenplay & Story
- Hiroshi Takahashi
- Original Score
- Hikaru Yoshida
- Original Title
- 蛇の道
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 25m
- Production Studios
- Daiei Film
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Hiroshi Takahashi
Hikaru Yoshida
Masaki Tamura
Kan Suzuki
Tetsuya Ikeda, Tsutomu Tsuchikawa, Atsuyuki Shimoda
Department Leadership Roster
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Director
Hiroshi Takahashi
Writer
Tsutomu Tsuchikawa
Producer
Atsuyuki Shimoda
Producer
Masaki Tamura
Director of Photography
Kan Suzuki
Editor
Hikaru Yoshida
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Serpent's Path.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Serpent's Path.
Gangster
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Japanese Movies I watched
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Oct. 2026 Collection: Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Merging psychological dread with existential inquiry, the films of Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa use genre trappings to probe the alienation and anxiety underpinning modern life. Quivering with whisper-quiet unease that gathers with slow-burn intensity, the J-horror touchstones CURE and PULSE are indelibly disturbing visions of psychic disintegration and technological contagion, while thrillers like SERPENT’S PATH and CLOUD blend gripping suspense with incisive social commentary. And in sui generis dramas like BRIGHT FUTURE and TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, Kurosawa brings his keen-eyed formalism to stories of characters cast adrift in an increasingly uncertain world.
Periodic import List
BD Release: 1996-2000
Movies released in 4K Blu-ray format - 1996-2000
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Frequently Asked Questions About Serpent's Path
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Serpent's Path about?
With the help of a mysterious acquaintance, a former low-level yakuza tracks down and kidnaps the man he believes kidnapped and murdered his daughter, but others are soon implicated in the death.
Who directed Serpent's Path?
Serpent's Path was directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
Who stars in Serpent's Path?
The principal cast of Serpent's Path includes Show Aikawa, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yûrei Yanagi, Shirō Shimomoto, Kaei Okina.
When was Serpent's Path released and how long is it?
Serpent's Path was released in 1998 with a total runtime of 1h 25m.
Who composed the musical score for Serpent's Path?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Serpent's Path was composed by Hikaru Yoshida.