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Information

A.k.a.
The Sword of Doom
Year
1966
Runtime
120 min.
Director
Kihachi Okamoto
Genres
Action, Drama
Rating *
8.0
Votes *
7,745
Checks
1,576
Favs
244
Dislikes
6
Favs/checks
15.5% (1:6)
Favs/dislikes
41:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. der Zorn Gottes's avatar

    der Zorn Gottes

    Tatsuya Nakadai doesn't get anywhere near enough recognition, I mean Toshiro Mifune is great and all, but Nakadai is where it's at, son. He is the true giant in Japanese cinema. And although I loved Mifune's cameo in this film, all he really did was play himself, the generic Mifune-character we've already seen in numerous Jidaigeki before.

    It's almost as if there's no limit to Nakadai's range on film. Here we see him play the lead, but he is no hero, he is a full-blown villain, yet still, you can't help but love him. Everything he does in this film is captivating and awe-inspiring. The sword-fight scene in the beginning makes him look like an unstoppable killing machine, but when the fight-scene with Mifune comes along, it's as if he doesn't know how to hold a sword or more like isn't worthy to wield it against him, it's beautiful story-telling, just beautiful.

    At times the movie feels confusing, it's as if the numerous sub-plots have their own sub-plots and you can easily see that some of them were made with a sequel in mind. Despite this, come the end of the film, you can't help but feel like everything has come full circle. And what an ending it is, so bleak and filled with despair, yet still so brilliantly beautiful.

    It's hard to rate this movie lower than any other Jidaigeki out there, but it's the confusion with the sub-plots that makes me rank it just a tad below Seppuku and Kagemusha, two other movies that star Nakadai at the helm. But the main character has never been as tasty in any Jidaigeki as the one in this movie.

    quote:
    The more you tell me, the more a villain he seems. A man from hell. The world's full of villains, but he beats them all.
    7 years 5 months ago
  2. hanseco's avatar

    hanseco

    One of the greatest movies of all time. 12 years 7 months ago
  3. kzer_za's avatar

    kzer_za

    I don't think the story entirely works (the subplot with the women is confusing and only tangentially relevant), but the atmosphere and fights are amazing and make it enjoyable. 2 years 4 months ago
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In 5 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #25 in Galloway's Samurai Film Handbook & Companion
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    Galloway's Samurai Film …

    25
  2. This movie ranks #36 in iCheckMovies's 1960s Top 100
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    iCheckMovies's 1960s Top…

    36
  3. This movie ranks #74 in Doubling the Canon
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    Doubling the Canon

    74
  4. This movie ranks #100 in iCheckMovies's Most Favorited
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    iCheckMovies's Most Favo…

    100
  5. This movie ranks #322 in The Criterion Collection
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    The Criterion Collection

    322
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