The Horse Boy (1957)
A humble page fathers a child by the daughter of a clan official and is banished. Years later, the child, now a stable boy, is reunited with his father, but feudal codes threaten their happiness. Uchida’s poignant masterpiece condemns the inflexible class system and launches an indictment of values that favor symbolic objects over human life. The film’s focus is on character rather than swordplay, and charged performances - especially child actor Motoharu Ueki - add to the emotional power.
Director:
Tomu Uchida
Writer:
Yoshikata Yoda
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Shūji Sano as |
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Isuzu Yamada as |
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Motoharu Ueki as |
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Shinobu Chihara as |
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Kenji Susukida as |
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Kokuten Kōdō as |
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Eitarō Shindō as |
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Tsuyako Okajima as |
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Yoshio Yoshida as |
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Koji Arima as |
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Naojiro Uemura as |
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Shigetoshi Yoda as |
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不二和子 as |
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Chietaro Kataoka as |
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Ryuji Kazuki as |
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Kinnosuke Fujiki as |
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Hideo Shimada as |
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Reiko Miyama as |
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Namiji Umemura as |
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Satomi Oka as |
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Tsukie Matsuura as |
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Kikue Mōri as |
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Tamami Natsu as |
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Masao Hori as |
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Kinnosuke Takamatsu as |
| Writing | Yoshikata Yoda | Screenplay |
| Sound | Shiro Fukai | Music |
| Directing | Tomu Uchida | Director |
| Writing | Monzaemon Chikamatsu | Novel |
| Crew | Sadaji Yoshida | Cinematography |