Tatsuya Nakadai has played in a lot of superior films over his career. Among them Kiru, Ran, and Yojimbo. Here he plays in a fantasy/horror film that results from murder.
Iuemon (Nakadai) loses his lord and becomes a ronin and is not allowed to marry Oiwa (Mariko Okada), the girl of his dreams. He loses his temper and kills Oiwa's father and two companions. All is not lost as Naosuke (Kanzaburo Nakamura) witnesses the fight and has plans on Oiwa's sister Oume (Mayumi Ozora). However, he hasn't a penny and Takuetsu (Masao Mishima) is in the way.
So, Naosuke convinces Iuemon to blame the killing on someone else. While they are off seeking revenge, they kill Takuetsu. Now, they both have the women they desire.
It would have been a standard thriller, but it goes in another direction. Iuemon and Naosuke have a taste for blood and can't stand being broke. They hatch another plot to kill Oiwa and marry Iuemon to a rich girl. This is when the fantasy/horror part begins as Oiwa will not stay dead and comes back to haunt Iuemon. He manages to kill off his new family while being haunted.
Oume finds out what happens to her sister and joins forces with Takuetsu, who survived, to seek vengeance.
Tatsuya Nakadai does a very good job as a tortured soul who lets another lead him in the wrong direction.
