A Spectacular Showdown
血斗水滸伝 怒濤の対決
Synopsis
One of the great stories from Japan’s rich history comes to life in this true tale of the bloody showdown between two rival yakuza gangs in the 1840’s. The battle between Boss Sukegoro of Iioka and Boss Shigezo of Sasagawa has been portrayed many times, most notably in the first Zatoichi film, where the blind man befriends the tubercular ronin Hirate Miki, before cutting him down in one of the great duels in cinema history. This all-star extravaganza pulls out all the stops, with appearances by virtually all of the great actors and actresses from Toei’s studio at the time. Ichikawa Utaemon’s portrayal of the kind-hearted, noble yakuza boss Shigezo of Sasagawa contrasts sharply with the devious Sukegoro of Iioka. Corrupt as he may have been, his men were all willing to give up their lives for him.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Utaemon Ichikawa
Sasagawa no Shigezo
Chiyonosuke Azuma
Kiyotaki no Sakichi
Kinnosuke Nakamura
Sunosaki no Masakichi
Koinosuke Onoe
Kōtarō Satomi
Tomisaburō Wakayama
Sentarō Fushimi
Keiko Yukishiro
Satomi Oka
Keiko Okawa
Hiromi Hanazono
Chizuru Kitagawa
Hashizo Ōkawa
Nadare no Iwamatsu
Chiezo Kataoka
Chuji Kunisada
Kazuo Ishii
Tokinosuke Nakamura
Masao Hori
Iwao Daimaru
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Yasushi Sasaki
- Screenplay & Story
- Hajime Takaiwa
- Original Score
- Eiichi Yamada
- Original Title
- 血斗水滸伝 怒濤の対決
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- Production Studios
- Toei Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Yasushi Sasaki
Hajime Takaiwa
Eiichi Yamada
Shigeto Miki
Shintarō Miyamoto
Hiroshi Okawa
Department Leadership Roster
Tadaoto Kainoshō
Costume Design
Yasushi Sasaki
Director
Hajime Takaiwa
Screenplay
Eiichi Yamada
Original Music Composer
Shigeto Miki
Director of Photography
Shintarō Miyamoto
Editor
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for A Spectacular Showdown.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring A Spectacular Showdown.
list9
Similar Titles to A Spectacular Showdown
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.6
8.8
7.6
7.2
8.5
10.0
10.0
6.2
5.8
6.4
3.6
8.0
6.2
6.2
5.8
More Like A Spectacular Showdown
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About A Spectacular Showdown
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is A Spectacular Showdown about?
One of the great stories from Japan’s rich history comes to life in this true tale of the bloody showdown between two rival yakuza gangs in the 1840’s. The battle between Boss Sukegoro of Iioka and Boss Shigezo of Sasagawa has been portrayed many times, most notably in the first Zatoichi film, where the blind man befriends the tubercular ronin Hirate Miki, before cutting him down in one of the great duels in cinema history. This all-star extravaganza pulls out all the stops, with appearances by virtually all of the great actors and actresses from Toei’s studio at the time. Ichikawa Utaemon’s portrayal of the kind-hearted, noble yakuza boss Shigezo of Sasagawa contrasts sharply with the devious Sukegoro of Iioka. Corrupt as he may have been, his men were all willing to give up their lives for him.
Who directed A Spectacular Showdown?
A Spectacular Showdown was directed by Yasushi Sasaki.
Who stars in A Spectacular Showdown?
The principal cast of A Spectacular Showdown includes Utaemon Ichikawa, Chiyonosuke Azuma, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Koinosuke Onoe, Kōtarō Satomi.
When was A Spectacular Showdown released and how long is it?
A Spectacular Showdown was released in 1959 with a total runtime of 1h 54m.
Who composed the musical score for A Spectacular Showdown?
The original motion picture soundtrack for A Spectacular Showdown was composed by Eiichi Yamada.