The Great Killing
大殺陣
“Heaven has no swords.”
Synopsis
A cynical samurai is left as the sole survivor to fulfill a plot to assassinate the puppet of a villain intent on usurping the shogunate in the 17th century. A Shogunate Elder connives to rule Japan by making his puppet, the Shogun's brother Tsunashige, the next Shogun. The best strategist in Japan, Yamaga, leads a plot to stop the Elder, but his cabal is betrayed and most of the conspirators are captured and tortured.
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Official Trailer [Subtitled]Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2026-02-18
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Release History & Theatrical Window
July 3, 2012
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Eiichi Kudō
- Screenplay & Story
- Kaneo Ikegami, Norimichi Matsudaira
- Original Score
- Seiichi Suzuki
- Original Title
- 大殺陣
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 58m
- Production Studios
- Toei Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Eiichi Kudō
Kaneo Ikegami, Norimichi Matsudaira
Seiichi Suzuki
Osamu Furuya
Kozo Horiike
Department Leadership Roster
Eiichi Kudō
Director
Kaneo Ikegami
Writer
Seiichi Suzuki
Original Music Composer
Osamu Furuya
Director of Photography
Kozo Horiike
Editor
Jiro Tomita
Production Design
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Great Killing
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Great Killing about?
A cynical samurai is left as the sole survivor to fulfill a plot to assassinate the puppet of a villain intent on usurping the shogunate in the 17th century. A Shogunate Elder connives to rule Japan by making his puppet, the Shogun's brother Tsunashige, the next Shogun. The best strategist in Japan, Yamaga, leads a plot to stop the Elder, but his cabal is betrayed and most of the conspirators are captured and tortured.
Who directed The Great Killing?
The Great Killing was directed by Eiichi Kudō.
Who stars in The Great Killing?
The principal cast of The Great Killing includes Tōru Abe, Mikijiro Hira, Yoshio Inaba, Chiezo Kataoka, Chōichirō Kawarasaki.
When was The Great Killing released and how long is it?
The Great Killing was released in 1964 with a total runtime of 1h 58m.
Who composed the musical score for The Great Killing?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Great Killing was composed by Seiichi Suzuki.