Sword Of Doom on DVD (1966)

pure evil from hellzone , 08/04/2005

that last reviewer was clueless.. sorry pal.

This is film noir meets samurai genre...

its amazing... I dont want to give away the plot but WOW it does seem quite slow but the story unfolds and you realise that the main character is a totally EVIL b*stard... and you are still gripped...

watch it... im going through all of these films and loving them... next its samurai assassin.. cant wait.

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

Severian67 from Gillingham, Dorset , 27/11/2004

Well, this one is just extraordinary. I'm a fan of these 'chambara' pics, and I can honestly say I've never seen a samurai film before where the main protagonist is a sociopathic killer (and, no, I wouldn't count Ogami Itto from the 'Lone Wolf & Cub' films in that category). Believe me, he is not a sympathetic character. Bizarrely, however, he can be viewed within the context of the movie as a kind of 'angel of death', with each of his victims deserving his/her fate for one reason or another. Even the defenceless old man asks the Buddha for the gift of death (just before his wish is granted). As the film proceeds to its close, the body count rises and rises until it seems we perceive the action through the warped perspective of Ryunosuke himself, and it becomes impossible to tell if what we see is reality or simply his twisted fantasy. I wonder if Scorsese was partly inspired by this when he filmed 'Taxi Driver'. You owe it to yourself to watch this one. Just a shame that the DVD itself is not a bit more interesting.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

driftedangel from Southport , 29/08/2005

Tatsuya Nakadai plays a mentally unstable character who dreams of being a famous samurai.He will stop at nothing to reach his goal.Toshiro Mifune has a small but satisfying role as a sensei who refuses to teach our star,quoting 'The Sword is the soul,Study the soul to study the sword,an Evil mind,an evil sword'.Although small,Toshiro's role is important and memorable.Tatsuya's character now has a new goal,to become stronger so that he can take down Mifune.The final 10 minutes is an all out samurai butchering scene.A very memorable and classic last stand.Sword of Doom is highly recommended viewing.

Read all reviews

chungking from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 14/02/2006

Art house samurai film driven by the lead actor Tatsuya Nakadai. He plays a talented swordsman who kills a man in what was supposed to be a friendly duel. He takes up with the dead mans wife, joins various clans, and throughout the film, is pursued by the brother of the man he killed, out for revenge. Tatsuya has a thirst to kill. He is a cold, unfeeling, amoral sociopath. He has a twisted relationship with the woman and looks forward to meeting the brother. The mood is in stark contrast to the filming. Beautifully shot in black and white with a patient, subtle direction. The supporting actors, including Toshiro Mifune, are all good, but this is Tatsuya Nakadai’s film. Great.

  1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

Chester Dent from London, England [Highly rated reviewer] , 10/10/2006

An extremely dark and nihilistic film which is as complex as Tatsuya Nakadai's aloof and vicious character. An absorbing, brooding narrative set in 1860s Japan during the end of the Shogunate era is interspersed with brutal and majestic fight sequences resulting in countless deaths. The cinematography is outstanding; every frame is meticulously framed and lit and will leave an indelible impression.

Read all highest rated reviews

A customer from Essex, England , 16/02/2005

Really dull film. If you like slow burning drama then this is for you. If, like me, you are a fan of Kurosawa, avoid. This gets 2 stars because the ending has some action in it with emotion.

  0 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Read all highest rated reviews