Rikyu
Country of Origin:  Japan
Production year: 1989
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara
Rating: NR(Film)
UPC [Locale]: 4-895033-730620
Running time: 2:15 (135 Min.)
Casetype: Keep Case
Format: Color,, Full Frame
DVD-Format: Single-Sided, Single-Layered
Released:
Collection type: Owned (#622)
Status: Available
Purchase date: August 19, 2009
Purchase price: Hidden
Review (movie): 0 / 10
Review (video): 0 / 10
Overview
"An Instant Classic" -Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Sen-no Rikyu, (Rentaro Mikuni), a Buddhist priest, brought the art of the tea ceremony (often said to embody the essence of Japanese culture) to perfection four centuries ago. Living in one of the most turbulent moments in Japanese history, Rikyu gained unexpected political influence as the confidant and cultural mentor to the powerful warlord, Hideyoshi Toyotomi (Tsutomu Yamazaki). Rikyu's relationship with Hideyoshi is a story that has taken on epic proportions in Japanese cultural history. The film illustrates the classic struggle between art and politics, and between the impulse to create and the impulse to destroy.

Like England's Thomas Beckett and Sir Thomas More, Rikyu was a spiritual mentor whose integrity eventually offended his powerful master, who demanded his death.

Rikyu plays like a Japanese version of Beckett or A Man For All Seasons.
DVD Covers

Rikyu


Rikyu

Misc.
 • Profile Contributors
 • Invelos Profile Links
 • US IMDb
 • Wikipedia
Genres
Drama
Studios
Production Studios:
 • Shochiku
Media Companies:
 • Panorama Entertainment
Audio format
Japanese  Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles
Chinese
English
Tags
Asia
Discs
# Description A B DS DL A DL B
1Main Feature
Features
Prod. Notes/Bios
Crew
Direction
Hiroshi Teshigahara....Director
Cast
Rentaro Mikuni....Rikyu
Yoshiko Mita....Riki, his wife
Tsutomu Yamazaki....Hideyoshi Toyotomi
Kyoko Kishida....His wife
Tanie Kitabayashi....His mother
Sayaka Yamaguchi....Chieha, his mistress
Ryo Tamura....Lord Hidenaga, his brother
Koshiro Matsumoto....Lord Oda
Kichiemon Nakamura....Lord Ieyasu
Yasosuke Bando....Mitsanari
Akira Kubo....Geni
Keishi Arashi....Orike, Rikyu's friend
Hisashi Igawa....Soji
Ichirô Zaitsu....Abbott Kokei
Hideo Kanze....Rikyu's brother in law
Masao Imafuku....Ceramist
Ruis Marques....Stefano
Donald Richie....Priest