The Challenge (1982)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Richard Maxwell (writer)
Ivan Moffat (writer)

Release Date:

23 July 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

He has trained every thought, every muscle, every nerve, for the moment of truth!

Plot:

A down-and-out American boxer becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.

Plot Keywords:

Samurai | Businessman | Sword | Japan | Training

Cast

Scott Glenn	...	Rick
Toshirô Mifune	...	Toru Yoshida
Donna Kei Benz	...	Akiko Yoshida, Toru's daughter
Atsuo Nakamura	...	Hideo Yoshida, Toru's brother
Calvin Jung	...	Ando
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Go
Sab Shimono	...	Toshio Yoshida, Toru's son
Kiyoako Nagai	...	Kubo
Kenta Fukasaku	...	Jiro
Shogo Shimada	...	Toru Yoshida's Father (as Shoga Shimada)
Yoshio Inaba	...	Instructor
Seiji Miyaguchi	...	Old Man
Miiko Taka	...	Toru Yoshida's Wife
Akio Kameda	...	Boxer
Hisashi Osaka	...	Knifeman

Also Known As:

Equals
Sword of the Ninja

Runtime:

113 min | USA:108 min

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Norway:(Banned) (1982-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Kyoto, Japan

Company:

CBS Theatrical Films

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Akiko disappears at the street festival, Rick runs into a guy with a walkie-talkie. As they're talking, people passing in the background look at the camera, duck, and run out of frame.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in P & B (1983)

Keeps coming to mind.

This isn't an award winning film. This isn't a well known film. But it has a good premise and is one of my secret pleasures. Two Brothers in a long standing feud over an ancient family sword and an American "dupe" that's been thrown into the fray. We watch his journey and education in a different culture with different values (yet oddly similar to ours, and riddled with similar weaknesses.)

The reason I know I like this one (even with all the flaws) is that it keeps coming to mind from time to time. And after some thought, I think it boils down to basic examinations of how to live one's life. How important is Honor? Is it better to take the quick and easy $ or to work for it? How important are family bonds? Are the modern ways of life any better than the traditional ones? Is it ever too late to turn your life around? And so forth. These are why I like this movie. Sure it can come off as a bit preachy about duty, honor, loyalty and traditional ways, but it has always made me think about what is the best way to live one's life.