Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Adventure (1964) User Reviews

Improves on the First Film

[jrd_73 · 8/10 · 23 August 2018]

This second Kyoshiro Nemuri film improves on the first film in several ways. The series is still finding its footing, but Sword Of Adventure stands out in a way that Chinese Jade did not.

First off the story is better. In this one, Nemuri befriends a financial counselor to the shogun. This well meaning old man is trying to help the poor during a time of hardship. The counselor wants to limit the profits the (rich) rice merchants can charge for their product. In addition, the old man has made an enemy out of one of the shogun's illegitimate daughters by suggesting that this high living princess should have her allowance cut. She (and the rich merchants) want the financial counselor dead. It is up to Nemuri to protect the old man, regardless of whether or not he wants Nemuri's protection.

I found this plotline interesting throughout. The shogun's daughter ("Princess Pig" Nemuri calls her) is the series's first villainess. In fact, the film features three tricky females, the princess, a pickpocket in the opening scene, and a woman trying to free her imprisoned Christian missionary husband by setting up Nemuri. This last one provides the film's emotional core since she likes Nemuri and does not really want to see him dead.

Oddly enough, this film probably has less action throughout than the first film did, but Sword of Adventure delivers at the end with an exciting many-against-Nemuri climax. Speaking of the ending, there is a wonderful coda after the battle. Nemuri must give bad news to a character. The two meet in a field at sunset. No dialogue is spoken, yet everything is revealed through a couple of looks. It is a powerful ending, that is the one thing I had remembered from my one viewing (without subtitles) twenty years ago.

Sword of Adventure is not up there with the best of chanbara cinema. The film is a little slow in spots, although the ending more than makes up for it. Also, the actor who is the financial counselor plays his role broadly at times. These are minor complaints considering that Sword of Adventure stands as the first film in the series that I can recommend to non-fans.

A huge improvement in the series!

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 27 September 2009]

In the first "Sleepy Eyes of Death" film, while I liked the characters, the film was a bit too slow and hard to get into. The third film also had its problems. While the plot was more action-filled and interesting, the hero, Nemuri Kyoshiro, was rather evil and unlikable (and a rapist). Fortunately, sandwiched between these two films is "Nemuri Kyoshiro 2: Shôbu"--a film that shows that this series can be just as satisfying and fun to watch as the Zatoichi series--two Japanese series from the 1960s that have a lot of similarities.

The film begins with our impassive hero, Nemuri Kyoshiro wandering into a new town and stumbling into righting some more wrongs. While you'd never be able to tell by his blank expression, the swordsman feels sorry for a boy's plight and fights a duel to save the boy's honor and restore him to his rightful place. In the process, he meets a seemingly insignificant old man, Asashina and the two become friends--or at least as close to becoming friends as you'll see Nemuri Kyoshiro have! This affinity occurs because Asashina is that rare man in one of these Japanese films--a public official who is righteous and caring. It seems that Asashina doesn't care for the luxury and trappings of his job as the Finance Minister--so not dressing up and living and mixing with the "normal folks" is pretty typical for this atypical man. What is also atypical is that Asashina could care less about kissing up to the nobility--his number one concern is what's best for the people. Naturally, the rich and powerful hate the man and it soon becomes obvious someone is trying to kill him! I liked the part of the film that immediately follows, as Kyoshiro takes it upon himself to follow Asashina about--acting as a body guard. Yet, Asashina tells him to get lost and mind his own business! Later, in a funny twist, when assassins come after Kyoshira as well, Asashina begins following Kyoshira--to offer him his protection--though what a toothless old man can do, I have no idea! In fact, the relationship between these two men is what makes this an extraordinary film.

Much of the film involves a spoiled and nasty daughter of the Shogun. She is one of the people who wants to see Asashina die. However, she is also a bit stupid and doesn't seem to realize that she is just being used by other forces that want his and Kyoshira's deaths. This plot within a plot makes for an interesting theme in the film. It also leads to some of the more amazing action scenes in the series. This film is definitely NOT as placid and slow as the previous one.

Overall, I really liked this film due to an excellent supporting character (Asashina), a very interesting plot and plenty of action. Well worth watching--especially if you are like me and have seen all the Zatoichi films and are looking for something along the same lines.

"The sword is for killing, nothing more nothing less"

[chaos-rampant · 18 August 2008]

If a most important milestone in the history of chambara exists, that is probably Kurosawa's release of Yojimbo and its sardonic fatalist central character played by Toshiro Mifune. It is Yojimbo that practically divides the earlier traditional samurai films of Mizoguchi or Inagaki from stuff like Nemuri Kyoshiro that sprung in the early 60's. The first two releases that followed in Yojimbo/Sanjuro's wake were the Sleepy Eyes of Death series and the TV series of Three Outlaw Samurai which were later adapted for a feature film that started Hideo Gosha's career.

The second installment in one of the most popular chambara series along with Zatoichi is directed by Kenji Misumi, a contractor for Daiei studios at the time, who would later go on to achieve orgasmic levels of comic-book violence with Lone Wolf and Cub. Playing the titular character is Raizo Ichikawa who collaborated with Misumi in his Daibosatsu Toge trilogy from 1961, Satan's Sword.

Nemuri Kyoshiro is a shady figure, as much an outcast of society as his genre antecedent (Sanjuro) but with a different and darker mentality. In Sword of Adventure he tries to protect a financial adviser working for the Shogunate, whose strict policies have incurred the wrath of one of the Shogun's daughters and rich merchants. An assortment of murderers, bribed, paid or blackmailed for the cause, assemble and take their shots at Nemuri. This is a genre film with a serialized character so there is little doubt to the outcome of the duels. Those are nicely stylized and executed and the cinematography and camera-work are all an improvement on Satan's Sword, as is Raizo Ichikawa's performance. I'm not a big fan of his work, his look and mannerisms somehow effeminate and not as scruffy and savage looking as those of Mifune or Wakayama, but he brings a sardonic joy to his character that works within the context of the movie.

Better than the first

[deadjoe · 12 August 2001]

You begin to understand how the personality of Nemury work. He was a lucid ronin who talk too much. Even when he is in big trouble, he just can't shut his mouth.

You begin to understand too Nemury have inner demons. But it's not clear.

Lovable characters and some good action scene... Fair movie. But the better are to come.