The Sword of Doom (1966)

The Sword of Doom (Dai-bosatsu toge)
Directed by Kihachi Omamoto
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto from a novel by Kaizan Nakazato
1966/Japan
Takarazuka Eiga Company Ltd./Toho Company
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Toranosuke Shimada: Study the sword to study the soul, you fool… an evil mind makes an evil sword.[/box]

Everything about this ultra-violent samurai movie spells masterpiece.

Ryonosuke Tsukue (Tetsuya Nakadai) is a wandering ronin whose sword is for sale to the highest bidder.  In the first scene in the movie, we learn that Ryonosuke is a psycopath who is perfectly willing to kill for free.  He starts by slaying an aged pilgrim who is praying for the Buddha to take his soul.  The pilgrim’s granddaughter will play a prominent part in the story as she is kind of passed from one man to another.

Later, Hama, the wife of Ryonosuke’s rival in a fencing match begs him to throw the fight.  He is willing only in exchange for the wife’s virtue.  But when the match occurs, the jealous husband goes after Ryonosuke and is quickly slain,  Ryonosuke marries the wife and treats her pretty badly.  Then Ryosuke joins a band of assassins for hire.  Eventually, both his gang and the brother of the slain man are after him.  The body count mounts as Ryonosuke is eventually consumed by his own evil.  With Toshiro Mifune as a wise fencing master.

The body count in this one tops any Zatoichi movie!  And it’s all deadly serious with plenty of gore.  But the awesome cinematography, staging and acting easily overcame any squeamishness I might have felt.  It harkens back to the glory days of Kurosawa and Kobayashi.  There are three mass sword battles that are nothing short of amazing.  The climactic scene where Ryonosuke starts slashing at the thin walls of rooms to get at the ghosts of his victims is unforgettable.  Highly recommended.