In Edo’s shadowed alleys and backstage haze, revenge wears silk and steel.
At the age of seven Yukinojō, the son of a wealthy merchant, witnessed his parents’ tragic suicide, driven to despair by the ruthless schemes of three corrupt merchant lords. Raised by an Osaka kabuki troupe leader and prompted by his father’s dying wish for revenge, Yukinojō devotes his life to mastering both kabuki and his skill with the blade. His mission: to wield the stage as a weapon for vengeance. Now a famed onnagata (male kabuki actor who performs female roles), Yukinojō is invited to the capital, where he finally has the chance to confront his sworn enemies. Set in the Edo era, this melodrama follows Yukinojō from stage to battlefront as he encounters a mischievous thief, an enamoured concubine and prejudiced samurai on his journey to retribution.
A stylised jidaigeki (period drama), An Actor’s Revenge is punctuated with unforgettable kabuki sequences and intense swordplay, including a gripping duel fought while the protagonist remains in female costume. Adapted from Otokichi Mikami’s newspaper serial story, this film is a condensed retelling of the original 5-hour trilogy also directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, a former onnagata himself. In this film Kazuo Hasegawa plays three key roles (Yukinojō, his mother and Yamitarō), with the actor reprising his lead role nearly 30 years later in director Kon Ichikawa’s 1963 remake.
Audience warning: moderate violence and reference to violence, mild themes, very mild coarse language
