Japan Synopsis
錆びたナイフ
Udaka is a new, post-war city where corruption has already taken hold. A persistent district attorney wants to arrest and convict Katsumata, a laughing, self-confident thug. The D.A. gets an anonymous letter about the suicide five years' before of a city council member. Evidence about the case leads the D.A. to Tachibana, struggling to go straight after involvement with the mob and a prison sentence for killing the man responsible for the rape and suicide of his fiancée. One of Tachibana's friends is Keiko, the daughter of the dead councilman and the ward of another powerful official. How do these stories connect?
Other Titles From Nikkatsu Corporation
Thriller + Action in Japan
123 Japan titles in our catalog blend the Thriller and Action genres. Below: the top-rated of them (excluding Rusty Knife itself).
The 1957–1959 Japan Window
In the crowded 1957-1959 Japan release window, Rusty Knife sits at #27 of 32. The leaderboard below contextualises its neighbours.
The 1950s Japan Landscape
1958 was the decade’s peak output year for Japan — 12 titles released, including Rusty Knife. Bars below show how the 1950s stacked up year by year (76 total).
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 11 other Japan films in 1958.
The 104th Japan title from Japan we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1899).
Our Japan catalog contains 4,579 titles in total (2,908 films).
Audience Engagement
11 audience reviews — more than 11% of Japan films in our index.
Popularity sits at the 22th percentile among Japan films.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #3,542 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (23rd percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is -0.6 points below the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Thriller productions specifically: #192 of 324 (top 59%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Spoken Languages | French, Japanese |
| Production Companies | Nikkatsu Corporation |
| Runtime | 1h 30m |
| Release Date | March 11, 1958 |
| IMDb | tt0360946 |