The Horse Boy (1957)
Overview
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.
Cast
Shūji Sano
Isuzu Yamada
Motoharu Ueki
Shinobu Chihara
Kokuten Kōdō
Eitarō Shindō
Tsuyako Okajima
Yoshio Yoshida
Koji Arima
Satomi Oka
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