The Sword of Doom

The time set in which this movie takes place brings you in personal with the main character. At times this movie has violence but is more historic for its era. If you love samurai movies and I know you do if your looking at this this, it is a definite BUY.

Tomis Erb....your analysis of the film and discussing the samurai diary was thought provoking. Good job. Anyways, onto the review. Although this movie was not made by Akira Kurosawa, I feel that this movie should belong in anyone's collection of samurai movies. Tatsuya Nakadai was great as the crazed samurai. I love how as the film progresses he slowly looses his sanity. Even though the ending was abrubt because this film was originally going to be one in a trilogy of films, I felt that was fitting because it let you know his fate. Toshiro Mifune, who also costarred with Tatsuya Nakadai in Yojimbo and Sanjuro, was also great in this film. (I bet that the fight between him and the numerous samurais was an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill when the Bride fought the Crazy 88). The action is great and the story is great. So check it out.

This guys expression is great acting he looks absolutely crazed.

This is an amazing samari movie. The photography is superb. The rhythm and tension are extraordinary. Its a great film. There are things you can do in Black and White that are apparently impossible in color. The Plot is the bad bit. Its kind of clumsy.

I’ve watched this movie a dozen times or more. There is something compelling about it. I once found a translated diary of a samurai at the Iowa State University Library. Having read the Hagakure, the Book of Five Rings and the Heihō kadensho I was surprised at the contrast between the real and the ideal of the samurai. This movie has that contrast of the ideal and the real.