The Rickshaw Man (1958)

Set at the dawn of the Twentieth Century, "The Rickshaw Man" paints a vivid portrait of Matsugoro, lovingly known as "Matsu" - a spirited rickshaw driver whose hearty laughter and light-hearted mischief echo through the cobblestone streets of his village. Matsu's humble life takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles upon an injured boy, Toshio, and without a second thought, swings him into his rickshaw and rushes him home. The boy's mother, the elegant and soft-spoken Yoshiko Yoshioka, is grateful, entrusting Matsu with the task of ferrying her son to and from doctor's appointments. Toshio's father, the noble Capt. Kotaro Yoshioka, offers Matsu a reward, but the rickshaw man, with a glint in his eye, refuses the money, opting instead for the priceless reward of their friendship. However, when tragedy strikes and Kotaro is taken prematurely, Matsu steps up, transforming from a jovial rickshaw driver to a surrogate father for Toshio, and a silent pillar of support for the widowed Yoshiko. Amidst the shared sorrow and the tender moments of raising Toshio, Matsu finds himself falling quietly in love with Yoshiko. Yet he treads carefully, acutely aware of the chasm that separates their social classes. He remains the rickshaw man, loving from a distance, while navigating the bittersweet paths of unspoken love and undiminished devotion.

The Rickshaw Man is an action movie featuring Toshirō Mifune and directed by Hiroshi Inagaki.

The Rickshaw Man is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.