An honourable samurai takes the blame for murder to protect his clan but is betrayed fights for his honor in this breathtaking action spectacle

To protect his clan, an honourable samurai (Raizo Ichikawa, Shinobi) takes the blame for a murder committed by one of his fellows. He is promised a safe return after one year in exile, but this vow is broken and he becomes a fugitive chased by his own clansmen. Disillusioned by the bushido code of honour, he realises there are only two ways out: vengeance or death.


From director Tokuzo Tanaka (The Snow Woman), a former assistant to Akira Kurosawa, this cruel jidaigeki stands alongside such notable works of the genre as Harakiri and Sword of Doom with its classic mix of honour codes and samurai action. Beautifully filmed in black and white 'scope with thrilling set pieces, The Betrayal features one of the most breathtaking finales in all of samurai cinema.

Media

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Bonus Materials

• High-Definition digital transfer by Kadokawa
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Select-scene audio commentary by Japanese film historian Tom Mes (2025)
• Visual essay by film critic Philip Kemp, comparing The Betrayal with the original Orochi the Serpent (2025)
• Visual essay on director Tokuzo Tanaka by Tom Mes (2025)
• New English subtitle translation

 

Cast & Crew

Actors:

•       Raizo Ichikawa
•       Kaoru Yachigusa
•       Shiho Fujimura
•       Ichirô Nakatani
•       Shinobu Araki
•       Yûtarô Ban
•       Saburô Date
•       Takuya Fujioka
•       Ryûtarô Gomi
•       Sei Hiraizumi
•       Yukio Horikita
•       Jun Katsumura
•       Yoshi Katô
•       Gen Kimura

Director: Tokuzo Tanaka

Additional Details

Label: Radiance

Genre: Action/Adventure

Language: Japanese

Run Time: 87 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 07/21/26

UPC: 760137215844