Wicked Priest (1968)
"Gokuaku bôzu" (original title)

Director:

Kiyoshi Saeki

Writers:

Akira Murao (screenplay), Hideaki Yamamoto (screenplay)

Stars:

Tomisaburô Wakayama, Bunta Sugawara, Kenjirô Ishiyama

Cast

Credited cast:
Tomisaburô Wakayama	...	Mikuni Shinkai
Bunta Sugawara	...	Ryotatsu
Kenjirô Ishiyama
Hôsei Komatsu
Masumi Tachibana
Mari Shiraki
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tatsuo Endô
Kanbi Fujiyama
Ritsu Ishiyama
Keiko Kojima
Keishiro Kojima
Utako Kyô	...	Okane
Hiroshi Nawa
Harumi Sone
Misa Toki

Storyline

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Also Known As:

Wicked Priest

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toei Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

a samurai film...without sword fights, but still entertaining?!

now here's an interesting concept: what do get when you merge the guy who played Ogamai Itto in the Lone Wolf films, with the Zatoichi character played by that actor's real-life brother? why, you get Tomisaburo Wakayama playing a wicked priest with many similarities to Zatoichi, including his look and the general tone of the film. and that's just for starters, as this consistently engrossing film manages to pack in 3 hours of plot into 85 minutes...without ever seeming rushed, or unfocused. indeed, the plot and the performances are so good, they almost make u forget that the film features NO SWORDPLAY OR GUNFIGHTS (despite presence of both weapons in many scenes)! yup, that is correct. and i still gave it a whopping 8 out of 10. the damn thing is just so well constructed, with elements of comedy, drama, tragedy, romance, and yes, action...including kung fu type fights, and plenty of the red stuff on show. there even a scene with an unlucky rat that looked bloody real to me. gr8 cinematography in 2.35 widescreen, and a really unique score (which includes some Spaghetti western-ish touches) help polish the package even more. despite the general light tone of the film, & the lack of swordplay and nudity (just a brief shot of a woman's bare behind), make no mistake: this truly is a wicked priest, gambling, womanizing, cussing and brawling constantly...but with a nice sense of humor and the quintessential 'heart of gold'. i hear there are more films of this character (Shinkai), and i sure as hell would like to see 'em. and if Zatoichi's anything like this, then i must catch up on what i've been missing.

speaking of Zatoichi, Shinkai even has a scene as a (fake) masseur in the film!