The Sword of Doom (1966)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is an epic film. Everything from the sound editing to the acting, the fight scenes and the way it looks is mesmerizing. There's a scene at the beginnign where the grinding of the water mill sounds like the beating of a woman's heart just before she is brutally attacked, which is followed up by a more suggestive motion of the mill's inner workings. Metaphors like that help create the tension which is cranked up throughout. I couldn't help thinking while watching it, that this movie must have been a massive influence to modern day film-makers like Quentin Tarantino. The most noticeable thing though is the lighting. It's used to great effect in most scenes to project shadows and silhouettes.If I had to criticise it, I would say the ending is slightly abrupt, but that's being a bit harsh. Overall it's a highly stylish, brutal tale of a samurai on the path to self destruction

Bloody tale of a Ronin gone mad , entrusting all faith of humanity into an evil sword that he uses to chop down anybody standing in his way. As he treks his path of merciless slayings he gathers allies, enemies, and vengeful spirits along the way: a pair of pilgrims and a compassionate thief, the fornicated wife from a slain husband and a brother seeking revenge, group of masterless samurai strongarming Shogunate officials, and the rival master swordsman whom only swings his sword for justice and honor - contradictory to the main character's beliefs.Typical villainous movie . Simple plot filled with tension and evil deeds, excellent choreographed sword fights. Supreme body count for the era of Japanese Golden Cinema. Original in the killer samurai genre.

The sword is the soul. Study the soul to know the sword. Evil mind, evil sword. - Master Shimada in "The Sword of Doom"There is something about Samurai films from this era that always intrigued me. Behind the brilliance of the swordfighting and martial arts there lies a deep meaning. Based on a long novel and originally supposed to be a 3-part series, Kihachi Okamoto's 1966 Epic "The Sword of Doom" (originally titled "The Pass Of The Great Buddha") is no exception. The story follows a young wandering samurai named Ryunosuke, played by Tatsuya Nakadai, during the final days of Shogunate rule. Ryunosuke is a skilled swordsman but also a sociopath murderer who leaves a trail of bloodshed wherever he goes. The movie opens with a Grandfather and granddaughter on top of a mountain in Japan overlooking a shrine and the beautiful scenery around them. The granddaughter leaves for a moment and when she gets back, she finds her grandfather dead. The man who did it is Ryunosuke, who on his way back to his clan is scheduled for a duel. The wife of the man he will duel begs Ryun to throw the match as he is not as skilled a swordsman. Ryun agrees but in the final seconds after the fight, in self-defense, kills the man with one swift blow as he lunges towards him. This is what sets up the story. The brother of the killed man is out for revenge, though he is informed by his master Shimada (Toshiro Mifune) that he is not yet skilled enough to defeat Ryunosuke and his unorthodox technique. He must find a way to beat him and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Or else he will die. Meanwhile, Ryunosuke's violent past catches up with him and he begins to question his own seemingly unbeatable skill. He is now living with the wife of the man he killed in the match, but their relationship is shaky. This is only the beginning. The story spans over several years and can be seen from many different angles. The granddaughter from the beginning is one of the films strong points. Interestingly enough, I found myself sympathizing with the villain Ryunosuke at times. There was a very subtle human element behind his cold demeanor and evil ways that I could not help but notice. In one of my favorite scenes of the film, Ryunosuke watches in awe while Master Shimada fights off a group of bandits during an ambush, watching the violence unfold as the snow falls softly around them. For the first time in his life , maybe he is vulnerable. Though Toshiro Mifune is in this, he is not the star. Nakadai steals the show with minimal dialogue - just his eyes tell the story of a man with a dark past. The fight scenes are incredibly well-choreographed with beautiful cinematography. The fights themselves are not polished or elegant or romanticized; they are realistic and at times very graphic. The ending sword fight scene is over 7 minutes long and will leave you astounded! It is not simply a "train until you can beat em" movie. There is a lot of depth, interesting characters, great fight scenes, beautiful cinematography. Loved the soundtrack too! The subtitles flowed and seemed genuine, though I will say the story was hard to follow at times as the plots evolved. I highly recommend "The Sword of Doom" to anyone interested in this kind of thing.

All I can say immediately after watching this movie was WOW. It left me speechless. Very good movie staring Tatsuya Nakadai as "Ryunosuke Tsukue" a swordsman who has lost himself to his sword and its thirst for blood. (hence sword of doom). I have only known Tatsuya Nakadai previously from Yojimbo where he plays the prat with the gun. But this movie gave me new found respect for him as an actor. His portrayal as the sociopath "Ryunosuke" with his wide open unblinking eyes, expression and mannerism. The body language in the end when he goes crazy. The sword fight scenes are very good. And the ending. WHOA!!! I will not spoil it for you. Do not read any spoilers and just watch the movie. The ending will leave you speechless.