Sword for Hire
戦国無頼
Synopsis
Soldiers Hayate and Yaheiji secretly escape from their besieged castle. Hayate has left behind his lover, Kano. On his way, Hayate is wounded and cared for by O’Ryo, who falls in love with him. But when Hayate accidentally kills her caretaker, he flees, with O’Ryo in pursuit. Subsequently, Hayate's comrade Yaheiji falls in love with Oryo. Kano, the lover left behind by Hayate, believes him dead, and becomes involved with another soldier, Jurota. When Jurota defects to the opposing army, he takes Kano with him. A double set of love triangles has developed, wherein each man and each woman loves one and is loved by another. Finally only combat and self-sacrifice can untangle the weave.
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Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Hiroshi Inagaki
- Screenplay & Story
- Hiroshi Inagaki, Akira Kurosawa
- Original Score
- Ikuma Dan
- Original Title
- 戦国無頼
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Production Studios
- TOHO
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Hiroshi Inagaki
Hiroshi Inagaki, Akira Kurosawa, Yasushi Inoue
Ikuma Dan
Tadashi Iimura
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Department Leadership Roster
Hiroshi Inagaki
Director
Hiroshi Inagaki
Screenplay
Akira Kurosawa
Screenplay
Takeo Kita
Production Design
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Producer
Tadashi Iimura
Director of Photography
Ikuma Dan
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Sword for Hire.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Hiroshi Inagaki (1905 - 1980)
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sword for Hire
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Sword for Hire about?
Soldiers Hayate and Yaheiji secretly escape from their besieged castle. Hayate has left behind his lover, Kano. On his way, Hayate is wounded and cared for by O’Ryo, who falls in love with him. But when Hayate accidentally kills her caretaker, he flees, with O’Ryo in pursuit. Subsequently, Hayate's comrade Yaheiji falls in love with Oryo. Kano, the lover left behind by Hayate, believes him dead, and becomes involved with another soldier, Jurota. When Jurota defects to the opposing army, he takes Kano with him. A double set of love triangles has developed, wherein each man and each woman loves one and is loved by another. Finally only combat and self-sacrifice can untangle the weave.
Who directed Sword for Hire?
Sword for Hire was directed by Hiroshi Inagaki.
Who stars in Sword for Hire?
The principal cast of Sword for Hire includes Rentaro Mikuni, Toshirō Mifune, Danshirō Ichikawa, Yoshiko Yamaguchi, Takashi Shimura.
When was Sword for Hire released and how long is it?
Sword for Hire was released in 1952 with a total runtime of 2h 15m.
Who composed the musical score for Sword for Hire?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Sword for Hire was composed by Ikuma Dan.
Is Sword for Hire based on a book or true story?
Sword for Hire is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Yasushi Inoue".