They Who Step On The Tiger’s Tail (1945)

A fugitive lord and his bodyguards and followers, all disguised as monks, traverse a forest, where they must avoid capture and outsmart the border guards.

This is the third feature from Akira Kurosawa that shows his talent even with a very limited budget. The acting is superb and Denjirô Ôkôchi performs a very wise samurai. Yoshio Kosugi is annoying and funny at the same time, with his chuckles and facial expressions. The interplay between the characters (from the early exchanges between the “monks” and the porter to the life-and-death wordplay between the “priest” and the border guard) are fraught with tension and suspense and Kurosawa manages to ratch it up to an almost unbelievable degree. The unbroken stares- the understandings that become quite clear between the characters throughout this movie (but which are never blatantly blurted outright)- are the kinds of deft touches that one comes to expect from Kurosawa.The conclusion is a little disappointing and gives the sensation that the story will be continued. Recommended for Kurosawa fans.

I can’t find any trailer or a clip from the movie.

Sadako’s Rating: 3 stars out of 5