Judo Life
柔道一代
Synopsis
Sonny Chiba's first martial arts film, a partially fictionalized judo biopic based on prominent judoka Shiro Saigo (Chiba), the second student of judo founder Jigoro Kano (Naoki Sugiura). Akira Kurosawa’s Sanshiro Sugata is based on the same character and shares some scenes, but Judo for Life focuses more on the martial arts philosophy and training, including scenes depicting how the protagonist learned his famous cat-like landing, coined the term judo, and trained with Tsunejiro Tomita (Hideo Murata). There’s also a slight yakuza film influence. The port street ambush scene is found in both films, but in Judo for Life it’s not Kano but a travelling yakuza that jumps out of the rickshaw. Entertaining and beautifully old fashioned, one does however with there were more shades of gray between good and evil, and a stronger ninkyo-like moral / honour conflict.
Top Cast
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Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kiyoshi Saeki
- Screenplay & Story
- Toshio Matsuura
- Original Score
- Taichiro Kosugi
- Original Title
- 柔道一代
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 34m
- Production Studios
- Toei Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kiyoshi Saeki
Toshio Matsuura, Ryutaro Kondo
Taichiro Kosugi
Department Leadership Roster
Kiyoshi Saeki
Director
Toshio Matsuura
Screenplay
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Judo Life.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Judo Life
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Judo Life about?
Sonny Chiba's first martial arts film, a partially fictionalized judo biopic based on prominent judoka Shiro Saigo (Chiba), the second student of judo founder Jigoro Kano (Naoki Sugiura). Akira Kurosawa’s Sanshiro Sugata is based on the same character and shares some scenes, but Judo for Life focuses more on the martial arts philosophy and training, including scenes depicting how the protagonist learned his famous cat-like landing, coined the term judo, and trained with Tsunejiro Tomita (Hideo Murata). There’s also a slight yakuza film influence. The port street ambush scene is found in both films, but in Judo for Life it’s not Kano but a travelling yakuza that jumps out of the rickshaw. Entertaining and beautifully old fashioned, one does however with there were more shades of gray between good and evil, and a stronger ninkyo-like moral / honour conflict.
Who directed Judo Life?
Judo Life was directed by Kiyoshi Saeki.
Who stars in Judo Life?
The principal cast of Judo Life includes Sonny Chiba, Naoki Sugiura, Takashi Kanda, Hideo Murata, Hisako Tsukuba.
When was Judo Life released and how long is it?
Judo Life was released in 1963 with a total runtime of 1h 34m.
Who composed the musical score for Judo Life?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Judo Life was composed by Taichiro Kosugi.
Is Judo Life based on a book or true story?
Judo Life is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Ryutaro Kondo".