The Rickshaw Man

Original title: Muhômatsu no isshô

1958
1h 43m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

A poor rickshaw driver finds himself helping a young woman and her son after the woman's husband dies suddenly.A poor rickshaw driver finds himself helping a young woman and her son after the woman's husband dies suddenly.A poor rickshaw driver finds himself helping a young woman and her son after the woman's husband dies suddenly.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

1.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Trivia
The turning rickshaw wheel, consistently interspersed throughout the film, has several meanings. At a superficial level, it represents the life of Matsugoro and the passage of time. On a deeper level, it can be seen as symbolizing the Buddhist wheel of life. At the end of the film, the wheel stops, representing not just Matsugoro's death, but also his exiting of cyclic existence (reincarnation) through his selfless life and service to others.

Quotes
Matsugoro: If I were a man of some learning I could be of help to you. But I'm just a rickshaw man. I'm useless to you.

Connections
Referenced in Mifune: The Last Samurai (2015)

User reviews14

Review

Featured review

10/10

My Absolute Fave of All Time

It's just a darn shame that this isn't available on tape or DVD. It is a delightful yarn about the upheaval in Japan at the coming of the 20th Century. Besides being a good tale, it gives the viewer a lot of insight into the metamorphosis of Japanese society away from the samurai code and into the Machine-Age. Funny and thought-provoking. Mifune got my attention with this film. I was a devoted fan after seeing "The Rickshaw Man" (as the posters proclaimed). Another bonus is the very excellent production design. There was no doubt in your mind what era the movie was transporting you to. And, for something shot in the '50s, you wouldn't find any complaints about the cinema-photography. You know, if a producer had half a brain, he/she couldn't go wrong with doing a remake of this film.