The Sword of Doom (1966)
"Dai-bosatsu tôge" (original title)

Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.

Director:

Kihachi Okamoto

Writers:

Shinobu Hashimoto (screenplay), Kaizan Nakazato (novel)

Stars:

Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Yûzô Kayama

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Ryunosuke Tsukue
Michiyo Aratama	...	Ohama
Yûzô Kayama	...	Hyoma Utsuki
Yôko Naitô	...	Omatsu
Tadao Nakamaru	...	Isamu Kondo
Kei Satô	...	Kamo Serizawa
Kô Nishimura	...	Shichibei, Omatsu's 'uncle'
Ichirô Nakatani	...	Bunnojo Utsuki
Kunie Tanaka	...	Senkichi
Takamaru Sasaki	...	Ishinsai Nakamura
Ryôsuke Kagawa	...	Dansho Tsukue
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	Omatsu's grandfather
Hideyo Amamoto
Akio Miyabe	...	Toshizo Ogata
Yasuzô Ogawa	...	Yohachi

Storyline

Ryunosuke is a sociopathic samurai without compassion or scruples. When he is scheduled for an exhibition match at his fencing school, the wife of his opponent begs Ryunosuke to throw the match, offering her own virtue in trade. Ryunosuke accepts her offer, but kills her husband in the match. Over time, Ryunosuke is pursued by the brother of the man he killed. The brother trains with the master fencer Shimada. In the meantime, however, Ryunosuke earns the enmity of the band of assassins he runs with, and it becomes a question of who shall face him in final conflict.

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Plot Keywords:

samurai | hand to hand combat | samurai warrior | playing footsie | playing footsie while in bed | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

1 July 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Sword of Doom

Company Credits

Production Co:

Takarazuka Eiga Company Ltd., Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The abrupt ending of the film is due to the fact that it was originally intended to be the first part in a trilogy of films based on a lengthy Japanese novel. Nakazato Kaizan's 41 volume historical novel focused on the Edo period in Japanese history when the shogunate collapsed and a new government arose that revolved around the Emperor. It was the longest novel in Japan - encompassing 1533 chapters and over 5 and a half million Japanese characters - until the publication of Sohachi Yamaoka's serialized novel "Tokugawa Ieyasu", which is reportedly the longest novel in any language.

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Quotes

Ryunosuke Tsukue: a sword man prizes his skill like a woman prizes her chastity... would you surrender your chastity?
Bunnojo Utsuki's wife: [in the mill] Ryunosuke told me to come...

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Connections

Version of Daibosatsu tôge: dai-ippen - Kôgen itto-ryû no maki (1935)

User Reviews

One of the best movies ever in my opinion

It captures the feel of Feudal Japan very well. Samurai of that period were so involved with their sword style and technique that it seeped into there personality and very soul. Most upheld strict conduct in their technique. This story is about a man whose style is so devious and frankly brutal that it turns him into a mirror image of his technique. Think Lord of the Rings and Frodo's battle with the ring or Star Wars and the battle betweeen Light and Dark forces. It is much better than Star Wars and is just as deep and creepy as Lord of the Rings. Nakadai' acting is flawless and he draws you right into the story. Toshiro Mifune also has a few good parts and a great battle scene. I have let many friends watch this movie (almost none of which had ever watched a subtitled movie) and every one of them Loved it. It's also one of those movies that draws you you in even more with repeated viewings, as you catch a lot of little things that are integral with the story. BUY IT and watch repeatedly!