Machibuse
{{Infobox film
| name = Machibuse
| image = Machibuse-1970-poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name =
| director = Hiroshi Inagaki
| producer = Toshiro Mifune
| screenplay = {{plainlist|
- Kyu Fujiki
- Hideo Oguni
- Hajime Takaiwa
- Ichiro Miyakawa{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}}}}
| story =
| based_on =
| starring = {{plainlist|
| narrator =
| music = Masaru Sato{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}}
| cinematography = Kazuo Yamada{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}}
| editing = Yoshihiro Araki
| studio = Mifune Productions{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}}
| distributor = Toho
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1970|4|29|Japan}}
| runtime = 118 minutes{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}}
| country = Japan
| language =
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Machibuse ({{langx|ja|待ち伏せ}}) is a 1970 Japanese drama film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki.{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%BE%85%E3%81%A1%E4%BC%8F%E3%81%9B-739567 |title=待ち伏せとは |publisher=kotobank|access-date=28 October 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=11316 |title=待ち伏せ |publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=28 October 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kinenote.com/main/public/cinema/detail.aspx?cinema_id=19256&key_search=%E5%BE%85%E3%81%A1%E4%BC%8F%E3%81%9B |title=待ち伏せ |publisher=Kinema Junpo|access-date=28 October 2020}}
Plot
A ronin (Toshiro Mifune, often referred to as "yojimbo") is instructed to go to a mountain pass and await further instructions. On the way he rescues Okuni (Ruriko Asaoka), a woman abused by her husband. While at a roadside inn, the ronin meets several characters including the disgraced doctor, Gentetsu (Shintaro Katsu), a pompous police constable, and a criminal he has arrested. The ronin uncovers a plot for bandits to steal gold as it is being transported along the mountain pass. As Mifune's yojimbo had done in previous plots, he plays all sides and pretends to aid the bandits. At the end another layer to the scheme is uncovered, and the mastermind who dispatched the ronin and informed the bandits about the gold is the same person. There was never any gold, and it was all a ruse to have the bandits killed.
Cast
- Toshiro Mifune − 'Yojimbo'
- Yujiro Ishihara − Yataro
- Ruriko Asaoka − Okuni
- Shintaro Katsu − Gentetsu
- Kinnosuke Nakamura − Heima Ibuki
- Chusha Ichikawa − Unknown Samurai
Release
Machibuse was produced by Toshiro Mifune's production company and released in Japan by Toho on April 29, 1970.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}} It was released by Toho International in the United States with English subtitles as The Ambush on December 18, 1970.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}} The film was re-issued in 1971 under the title Machibuse.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=103}} It is also known in English as Incident at Blood Pass.
Actors Toshiro Mifune and Shintaro Katsu performed in movies produced by each other. Earlier, in January of 1970, another film starring Mifune and Katsu was released, Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo. That film was produced by Katsu's own production company.
Reception
Despite its big budget and the appearance of four of the country's biggest stars, the film was not a success.{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|date=2 December 1970|page=27|last=Henry|first=Jim|title=Japanese Film Industry Brands '70 As Poor Year & '71 Seems Gloomier}}
References
=Footnotes=
{{reflist|30em}}
=Sources=
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite book |last=Galbraith IV |first=Stuart |title=The Japanese Filmography: 1900 through 1994 |publisher=McFarland |date=1996 |isbn=0-7864-0032-3 }}
{{Refend}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|066031}}
- {{tcmdb title|id=502388}}
{{Hiroshi Inagaki}}
Category:Films directed by Hiroshi Inagaki
Category:Films with screenplays by Hideo Oguni
Category:1970s Japanese-language films
Category:Films scored by Masaru Sato
{{1970s-Japan-film-stub}}