Amazon.com

Made in 1970, this film was nominated for an Academy Award for BestForeign Film in 1972. This is Kurosawa's first color film, and there seems to be an almost psychedelic overlay to his production palette. The story revolves around a collection of characters held together only by the frayed thread of poverty. Rokkuchan (Yoshitaka Zushi), a teenager with the mind of a boy, is obsessed with trolley cars. He draws them from every angle in vivid colors. His despondent mother (Kin Sugai) hangs them lovingly on the walls and windows of their simple home.

Every morning Rokkuchan goes out to his imaginary trolley car and makes his way through the surrounding slums. His neighbors include a humble man with a terrible limp and an unforgiving wife, two couples who color-coordinate their husband-swapping, and a sad derelict man with an adoring but doomed little boy. During the day, father and son pass the time building a dream house in their minds. At night they sleep in an abandoned car.

While visually compelling, the film lacks connection between the characters, which leaves the viewer feeling disjointed and somehow lessens the emotionalimpact of these tragic stories. But as a slice-of-life look at how people maintain simple dignities in the face of great hardship, it is definitely a film worth seeing. --Luanne Brown ... Read more

Reviews (8)

First colour film by Kurosawa is sadly underrated work
If I were living like any of the people of the Tokyo slums in Akira Kurosawa's first colour film, Dodes'ka-den, like them, I'd be living in illusion and imagination to counter the squalid conditions. Living for them, but in my case, it'd be drowning. That's the premise of this movie, a testament to the human spirit and how it keeps on going despite adversity.

There's no plot in this film, as it tells of the various people living in the slums, some in coloured tin corrugated roofs, others in dirty, dingy travesties of huts, and in the case of an oddball boy who pretends he's a streetcar conductor and spends all day shuffling to who knows where. He goes through the motions, putting on his cap, pushing the buttons, pulling levers, and muttering the words "Dodes'ka-den." Which leads to the title. It's a Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound a train makes on the tracks. Roughly translated, it's like clackety-clack. The smaller kids who see him throw pebbles at him and cry out "trolley crazy."

My favourite characters are the bedraggled derelict and his young son who live in a beaten up, wheelless VW bug. The son goes out at night and gets scraps from a friendly sushi shop man. During the day, the father discusses their dream house, and we see his designs, from the gate, fence, and house, come alive, with dramatic sounds and colour. He must have been an architect or designer, and he escapes his squalid condition by envisioning a dreamhouse. There's a vivid example of colour cinematography at work, when standing under glaring yellow sky, we see the eerie blue light cast on him and his son, ill from food poisoning.

The drunken buddies who swap wives are two of the most colourful, but there's an interesting theme. Both couples are colour coordinated, clothes, house, even wash basins. And at times, they swap wives. The yellow husband is so drunk, he stays at his buddy's red house and with his wife, while his buddy goes to his house. Wonder how many bottles of sake they drink after work. But the wifeswapping has dual meaning, an escape from the ordinary, but also a lack of symmetry that is restored when both yellow-coded husband and wife are reunited and the same with the red-coded couple.

Then there's Tamba, the druggist, a man in his seventies or early eighties who's a wise, sage, and compassionate character. The way he defuses a violent sword-wielding drunk is amazing! I won't get into specifics but he shames the drunk into going to bed. He also helps a man wanting to commit suicide a reason to go on living. He seems to represent the face of an older and uncomplicated Japan, experienced by the past, living as he can in the present.

Hei is the most haunting, and his eyes are that of a dead man. He never says a word in the movie, and it's clear that he has been deeply traumatized by something in his past, which we learn later. It's as if his soul has been drained. A character looks at a tree and wonders what kind of tree it is, before saying "it's no longer a tree when it's dead." Substitute man for tree and we get Hei. Oh, and me as well.

Shima is a salaryman who's nice enough, but he has a funny walk nearly like the Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks man and a facial tic that drives him into a brief fit, complete with snorting. The tic represents that there's more to a person than a mere flaw.

Some of the info we get from the gossiping circle of women who spend the day doing the laundry in the slum square, including a sensuous long-haired woman who seems to know it all, and witnessing the parade of life.

This was Kurosawa's first of seven colour films and its failure culminated in him attempting suicide. Understandable, as despite its being panned, it's actually a sober, at times depressing, but ultimately hopeful look at people. Very underrated film that's deeply in need of reappraisal.

the beauty inside
Dodeskaden portrays the beauty inside the struggle and pain of human existence.The images will never leave me. This and Itami's " Tampopo " are my all time Japanese cinema favorites.

and one fourth of a star.
Along with the Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen, this is one of my favorite "faith" movies of all time. Dont get me wrong, Im not even attempting to compare it to Baron...just to say they brought about similar changes in my teenage years, a time when I was contemplating suicide. Cant be that dramatic anymore.This and Mishima really helped just for that day...watching it at the library. Its too bad Mishima is so much money, but owning Dodes Ka-Den is enough. Do yourself a favor and buy it.

And now for something really different...
Kurosawa's first color film originally came in at 244 minutes and the studio executives were aghast. They quickly cut it to about 140 minutes and reportedly destroyed the original negative in so doing. This along with the lack of public and critical acceptance at the time drove the great genius to a suicide attempt. In it's original form it could well have been Kurosawa's great masterpiece. As it is, it's a little quixotic and hard to follow, but a stunning piece of movie making. The children's train drawings shown during the prayer scenes were collected by Kurosawa from children all over Japan for this film. It is pointless to recap the story, but I just say to you see it and you'll never forget it. Perhaps Criterion could find the orignal version when it comes out on DVD, let's hope so!

"Do-des-ka-den" Reverberates Through the Years
I saw this film more than 25 years ago and it still makes me smile when I ride a trolley or train. It takes very little imagination for me to convert the sounds of steel wheels on rails into the simple do-des-ka-den cadence. And with the conversion of sound comes an alteration of vision as through the trolley windows, I see Pittsburgh's urban humanity through the compassionate lens Kurosawa's uses to show his brave characters. This was my first experience with Kurosawa, and I always imagined this film as his version of "Cannery Row". ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Excellent Film and Action!
SWORD OF DOOM is one of the masterpieces of samurai, and action, cinema but certain aspects of it are difficult for non-Japanese audiences or viewers not familiar with the historical background of the subject.

Toshiro Mifune, who gives a fine performance as fencing master Toranosuke Shimada, once said in an interview, "We [the Japanese producers and filmmakers] know that many samurai films are shown outside of Japan, but we make no attempt to cater to that market." SWORD OF DOOM is a perfect example. It was made for Japanese audiences who are familiar with the original story which had been filmed and staged many times and was well-known. The Japanese audience is expected to be as familiar with the plot and historical details as an American audience watching a film about the Civil War or the Old West is expected to be.

Here are some plot points that may make the film a bit easier to understand for new viewers or for other viewers who previously watched it and got tripped up on some details. I know I did the first time I saw it theatrically. If you found the film difficult on the first viewing, give it another chance. And maybe these notes will help!

* In one scene, the main character Ryunosuke Tsukue changes his name to Yoshida after killing an opponent during a duel. The name change isn't explained in any detail. A subtitle simply identifies a sign outside his house as "Yoshida." Some characters now refer to him as Yoshida and others as Tsukue. Again, remember that Japanese audiences are probably familiar with the change.

* Tsukue first meets Shimada at his fencing school. Tsukue wants to challenge the student who won his match with "a splendid Do attack." This referrers to Kendo, the Japanese martial art of fencing. In Kendo, participants wear headgear and leather armor and fence with bamboo swords. Only certain areas on the body are legitimate striking points: the top of the head, the forearms, and the sides. When Tsukue defeats his opponent, Shimada says, "Men. He won." He's referring to a point scored, not addressing his students!

* In one scene, a title informs the viewer, "The Shinsen Group is formed!" The Shinsen Group (Shinsengumi) were a para-military group of swordsmen who vowed to protect the Tokugawa Shogunate which was losing its once vast power. Shinsengumi fought against anything that might weaken the Shogunate; including foreign influences and internal factions. The Shinsengumi have been portrayed many times in movies and TV shows. In some cases, they are portrayed as self-sacrificing patriots loyal to their country. In others, they are portrayed as a fascist military group killing anyone who opposes them or the Shogunate. Toshiro Mifune starred in and produced an excellent film about them called BAND OF ASSASSINS (SHINSENGUMI). Hopefully, AnimEigo will eventually release this.

* The final scene. What exactly happens? Does Tsukue kill dozens of men and then die? Does he survive to face the brother of the man he killed? Or is the entire battle only in his deranged mind? It's the last scenario. When Tsukue ran out of men to kill, his warped mind invented more. Of the three versions I've seen, (this version, a trilogy of films made in the 1950s by Tomu Uchida and another trilogy made in the 1960s by Kenji Misumi) this is the only version that doesn't explicitly show that Tsukue is imagining the final battle.

* What does happen to Tsukue? If you'd rather not find out, skip to the next paragraph. Tsukue is blinded during an explosion and becomes more of a sympatric figure. The avenging brother finally has a chance to settle with him during a violent storm. He hesitates to kill the nearly defenseless Tsukue. A flood washes Tsukue away to his death.

SWORD OF DOOM is a fantastic film to watch. The director, Kihachi Okamoto, was one of the most impressive visual stylists working in film. The final scene holds up beautifully today. The acting is excellent all around. Nakadai as Tsukue gives one of the screens best performances. Few actors could create such disturbingly nihilistic characters as Nakadai does in this performance. The character is a perfect contrast to Mifune's Shimada. Both are highly skilled swordsmen but Mifune knows that "an evil soul is an evil sword."

Now this is what a film should be...
This is perhaps the greatest non-Kurosawa (Director of: Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, etc..) Samurai film ever! (a) It has some of the greatest looking swordplay I've ever seen. (b) The protagonist is a bad guy (read: anti-hero) who looks and acts pure evil. (c) Toshiro Mifune is in it (though his part is short, he still takes out about 20+ guys in less than ten minutes). (d) Finally, it has what I would call the greatest samurai movie ending ever (what can I say, I like not knowing what exactly befalls the villain)! If just one of these does not make you want to buy this film, you're insane! My only complaint is that there is no DVD version!

Great movie, but abrupt ending!
I really enjoyed the heavy atmosphere and fight scenes in this movie, but was disappointed with the abrupt ending. I would have also liked to see more character development, particularly concerning Ryunosuke. It would have been interesting to see what the cause of his "evil" tendencies was. Overall, it was a very interesting, enjoyable movie and exposes the audience to other Japanese samurai films not directed by Kurosawa.

2 good fights, no story
First of all, I have to say that it was a very strange film. It was so poorly edited that transitions between scenes taking place in different times and places were unclear. You are watching one scene and then suddenly it's a year later, suddenly it's winter or suddenly you are with some group of people who just showed up in the film out of the blue. The film had a very strange pace -- slow moving scenes cut together like some sort of montage, some sort of loose collection of subplots that never meet.

I wouldn't have been so disappointed with the way the movie played if it wasn't for the compelling performances in it. The screen presence of Tatsuya Nakadai (Kagemushu, Ran) made it hard to look away. Though he was reserved there was an underlying madness that screamed out at every moment. His slow gait brought a horror element to every scene. It was a splendid performance wasted on a choppy film with no real story to tell other than, "This guy is evil."

[warning: spoilers]

I mentioned that the subplots never meet, that isn't entirely true but it seems so, especially at the end. There is no revenge, there is no answer - you are just left with a man gone mad. It's like they ran out of film. The final fight is brilliantly laid out, the villain lashes out like a drunk surgeon and it is a bloodbath. Then suddenly, the movie ends right in the middle of all this chaos. The character is forever trapped in a burning nest of vipers. He will forever be tormented there in my mind. Interesting but not satisfying.

The best moment in the film is the sword fight between Toshiro Mifune's character and forty assassins. Toshiro Mifune (The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Rashomon) plays the head of a martial arts school who is training the brother of a man that the main character killed. When attacked by assassins, Toshiro slices them to pieces Yojimbo style and berates their leader. Then, he walks away unharmed.

There is never a duel between the main character and the brother of the man he killed. There is never a duel between him and Toshiro Mifune. The girl at the end isn't rescued. It isn't clear if the villain dies or not. We don't know what happened to his baby. Virtually all the subplots are left wide open. The film seems unfinished. It's crazy. I don't care what kind of statement we are supposed to get from that, there is no excuse. It's lazy. I didn't like it. I liked the two major swordfights. The rest of the movie looked cool but had nothing to offer. Watch Sanjuro again and don't bother with this film unless you really want to see the two sword fights. Toshiro's fight with the assassins was quite spellbinding.

film noir meets chambara
this film is a classic. the entire aesthetic of the film reminds me of the classic brooding dark film noirs of the forties and fifties. the antagonist of the film is doomed from the start, his evil ways eventually end up being his undoing, but not before tallying up a huge body count. sword of doom is definately a must see for samurai and film noir fans alike. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Boasting some of the most impressive swordplay in the history of samuraiepics, Sword of Doom is a visceral masterpiece of violent style andpowerful substance. Illustrating the timeless adage that "an evil soul wields anevil sword," this highly stylized classic is driven by the fierce and fearsomeperformance of Tatsuya Nakadai as Ryunosuke, a sociopathic samurai whosesoul--and sword--are vicious instruments of evil. Having mastered a highlyunconventional style of fencing, Ryunosuke welcomes an exhibition match at afencing school run by master swordsman Shimada (Toshirô Mifune, in a small butpivotal role), where he kills his opponent after promising not to. Flagrantlyviolating all codes of honor, Ryunosuke eventually finds himself challenged fromall sides; even his own henchmen rally against him, and director Kihachi Okamotostages confrontations that are as beautiful as they are graphically violent. AsRyunosuke descends into pure, bloodthirsty insanity, Sword of Doom endswith a freeze-frame that's unforgettably intense. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Excellent Film and Action!
SWORD OF DOOM is one of the masterpieces of samurai, and action, cinema but certain aspects of it are difficult for non-Japanese audiences or viewers not familiar with the historical background of the subject.

Toshiro Mifune, who gives a fine performance as fencing master Toranosuke Shimada, once said in an interview, "We [the Japanese producers and filmmakers] know that many samurai films are shown outside of Japan, but we make no attempt to cater to that market." SWORD OF DOOM is a perfect example. It was made for Japanese audiences who are familiar with the original story which had been filmed and staged many times and was well-known. The Japanese audience is expected to be as familiar with the plot and historical details as an American audience watching a film about the Civil War or the Old West is expected to be.

Here are some plot points that may make the film a bit easier to understand for new viewers or for other viewers who previously watched it and got tripped up on some details. I know I did the first time I saw it theatrically. If you found the film difficult on the first viewing, give it another chance. And maybe these notes will help!

* In one scene, the main character Ryunosuke Tsukue changes his name to Yoshida after killing an opponent during a duel. The name change isn't explained in any detail. A subtitle simply identifies a sign outside his house as "Yoshida." Some characters now refer to him as Yoshida and others as Tsukue. Again, remember that Japanese audiences are probably familiar with the change.

* Tsukue first meets Shimada at his fencing school. Tsukue wants to challenge the student who won his match with "a splendid Do attack." This referrers to Kendo, the Japanese martial art of fencing. In Kendo, participants wear headgear and leather armor and fence with bamboo swords. Only certain areas on the body are legitimate striking points: the top of the head, the forearms, and the sides. When Tsukue defeats his opponent, Shimada says, "Men. He won." He's referring to a point scored, not addressing his students!

* In one scene, a title informs the viewer, "The Shinsen Group is formed!" The Shinsen Group (Shinsengumi) were a para-military group of swordsmen who vowed to protect the Tokugawa Shogunate which was losing its once vast power. Shinsengumi fought against anything that might weaken the Shogunate; including foreign influences and internal factions. The Shinsengumi have been portrayed many times in movies and TV shows. In some cases, they are portrayed as self-sacrificing patriots loyal to their country. In others, they are portrayed as a fascist military group killing anyone who opposes them or the Shogunate. Toshiro Mifune starred in and produced an excellent film about them called BAND OF ASSASSINS (SHINSENGUMI). Hopefully, AnimEigo will eventually release this.

* The final scene. What exactly happens? Does Tsukue kill dozens of men and then die? Does he survive to face the brother of the man he killed? Or is the entire battle only in his deranged mind? It's the last scenario. When Tsukue ran out of men to kill, his warped mind invented more. Of the three versions I've seen, (this version, a trilogy of films made in the 1950s by Tomu Uchida and another trilogy made in the 1960s by Kenji Misumi) this is the only version that doesn't explicitly show that Tsukue is imagining the final battle.

* What does happen to Tsukue? If you'd rather not find out, skip to the next paragraph. Tsukue is blinded during an explosion and becomes more of a sympatric figure. The avenging brother finally has a chance to settle with him during a violent storm. He hesitates to kill the nearly defenseless Tsukue. A flood washes Tsukue away to his death.

SWORD OF DOOM is a fantastic film to watch. The director, Kihachi Okamoto, was one of the most impressive visual stylists working in film. The final scene holds up beautifully today. The acting is excellent all around. Nakadai as Tsukue gives one of the screens best performances. Few actors could create such disturbingly nihilistic characters as Nakadai does in this performance. The character is a perfect contrast to Mifune's Shimada. Both are highly skilled swordsmen but Mifune knows that "an evil soul is an evil sword."

Now this is what a film should be...
This is perhaps the greatest non-Kurosawa (Director of: Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, etc..) Samurai film ever! (a) It has some of the greatest looking swordplay I've ever seen. (b) The protagonist is a bad guy (read: anti-hero) who looks and acts pure evil. (c) Toshiro Mifune is in it (though his part is short, he still takes out about 20+ guys in less than ten minutes). (d) Finally, it has what I would call the greatest samurai movie ending ever (what can I say, I like not knowing what exactly befalls the villain)! If just one of these does not make you want to buy this film, you're insane! My only complaint is that there is no DVD version!

Great movie, but abrupt ending!
I really enjoyed the heavy atmosphere and fight scenes in this movie, but was disappointed with the abrupt ending. I would have also liked to see more character development, particularly concerning Ryunosuke. It would have been interesting to see what the cause of his "evil" tendencies was. Overall, it was a very interesting, enjoyable movie and exposes the audience to other Japanese samurai films not directed by Kurosawa.

2 good fights, no story
First of all, I have to say that it was a very strange film. It was so poorly edited that transitions between scenes taking place in different times and places were unclear. You are watching one scene and then suddenly it's a year later, suddenly it's winter or suddenly you are with some group of people who just showed up in the film out of the blue. The film had a very strange pace -- slow moving scenes cut together like some sort of montage, some sort of loose collection of subplots that never meet.

I wouldn't have been so disappointed with the way the movie played if it wasn't for the compelling performances in it. The screen presence of Tatsuya Nakadai (Kagemushu, Ran) made it hard to look away. Though he was reserved there was an underlying madness that screamed out at every moment. His slow gait brought a horror element to every scene. It was a splendid performance wasted on a choppy film with no real story to tell other than, "This guy is evil."

[warning: spoilers]

I mentioned that the subplots never meet, that isn't entirely true but it seems so, especially at the end. There is no revenge, there is no answer - you are just left with a man gone mad. It's like they ran out of film. The final fight is brilliantly laid out, the villain lashes out like a drunk surgeon and it is a bloodbath. Then suddenly, the movie ends right in the middle of all this chaos. The character is forever trapped in a burning nest of vipers. He will forever be tormented there in my mind. Interesting but not satisfying.

The best moment in the film is the sword fight between Toshiro Mifune's character and forty assassins. Toshiro Mifune (The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Rashomon) plays the head of a martial arts school who is training the brother of a man that the main character killed. When attacked by assassins, Toshiro slices them to pieces Yojimbo style and berates their leader. Then, he walks away unharmed.

There is never a duel between the main character and the brother of the man he killed. There is never a duel between him and Toshiro Mifune. The girl at the end isn't rescued. It isn't clear if the villain dies or not. We don't know what happened to his baby. Virtually all the subplots are left wide open. The film seems unfinished. It's crazy. I don't care what kind of statement we are supposed to get from that, there is no excuse. It's lazy. I didn't like it. I liked the two major swordfights. The rest of the movie looked cool but had nothing to offer. Watch Sanjuro again and don't bother with this film unless you really want to see the two sword fights. Toshiro's fight with the assassins was quite spellbinding.

film noir meets chambara
this film is a classic. the entire aesthetic of the film reminds me of the classic brooding dark film noirs of the forties and fifties. the antagonist of the film is doomed from the start, his evil ways eventually end up being his undoing, but not before tallying up a huge body count. sword of doom is definately a must see for samurai and film noir fans alike. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Japanese equivalent of a Hammer vampire film
There is something fascinating to me about Asian vampire films. How closely will the story follow the classic western vampire mythology, and what differences will there be in the Asian interpretation of the greatest of all horror "monsters?" Given the fact that this Japanese film was made in 1974 and was obviously influenced by the standard Hammer Studio formula, there isn't much to make these particular vampires stand out from the crowd. The only real difference I discerned was the target area of the vampires' bites; foregoing the jugular mother lode, these undead guys and gals preferred to aim for the upper breast of female victims. Well, there was another difference - these vampires don't seem to have super-human strength; not only do they struggle to overcome the hero, the head vampire dude keeps forgetting he can rip people apart with his fangs and thinks he has to choke people in order to kill them. Clearly, this is no Dracula film; the original title of this film, The Bloodthirsty Rose, serves the movie much better.

I suppose I should set the stage for this vampiric adventure. Our hero, Professor Shiraki (Toshio Kurosawa) accepts a job to teach at an all-girls school. The principal of the school, played by Kunie Tanaka, welcomes him and invites him to stay overnight at his home. His dead wife, who was supposedly killed in an automobile accident two days earlier, is chilling out in the basement because, as the principal explains, it is the local custom to keep the dead topside for seven days just in case said corpse decides to come back to life. Well, Shiraki isn't the kind of guy you want to invite to your house. Hearing a noise, he gets up and decides to snoop all around the house, only to find himself attacked by the dead principal's wife and a younger dead woman. Waking up in bed, he thinks it is just a dream, but he wants to make sure. Thus, he goes down into the basement and actually opens the coffin of the dead wife - I think this is a breach of custom in any culture. Despite being caught red-handed by the principal, his host tells him he wants him to succeed him as principal. The rest of the action plays out around three school roommates staying at school over the semester break. Sharaki has his growing suspicions of vampirism substantiated when the principal attacks one of the girls, and this leads us into several chases in the woods, some vampire attacks, a few stray murders, and a big final confrontation.

The special effects of the final scene stand out to some degree, largely because they are the only special effects I noticed in the entire movie. The filmmakers milk it a little bit, but it does add a little needed zest to the ending. Evil of Dracula does manage to bring a bit of a gothic feel to the mysterious school out in the middle of nowhere, but the performances of all involved never really rise to the occasion, and the end result is a good but tepid Japanese vampire flick. It is interesting to note that Toho studios, best known for giving the world the gift of Godzilla, made Evil of Dracula and a few other forgotten vampire films in the 1970s. This is a film that will interest horror fans, but those who do not feel the need to feed on vampire films will probably forget this film only moments after The End appears on the screen.

Japanese Vampires at their finest
If the person who slated this film simply because it was Japanese actually bothered to watch the film, they would no doubt find this to be an enjoyable outing for the Dracula legend. True, Toho is recognized by most as being the studio which brought Godzilla, but Toho does not mean puppets and silly special effects. This film itself is set within a girls school and centers around a mysterious pupil, and Dracula - who happens to be running the school. The film is atmospheric, has a good storyline, and good special effects.

It's Japanese!
I really don't know how to rate this, I just saw on a website that this film is japanese. That's right, japanese! Toho Studios, creators of Godzilla, tried their hand at vampirism and made at least three films! Vampire Doll, Lake Of Dracula, and Evil Of Dracula are the japanese vampire films. I have not seen any, I just want you to know that this is a japanese film. Thank You. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gets better with repeat viewings
This is a really good film once you get used to the charcters and understand a little about Oshima. There are definitely no heroes here. But you come to admire Hanako's tenacious struggle to survive in the changing underworld of Osaka. What sticks with you afterwards is the incredible beauty of the shots which always seem to take place at dawn or dusk when the sky looks incredible. Combined with the bleak industrial landscape of the city, its haunting.

This is my second favorite Oshima film, my favorite being Death By Hanging which I can't find on video for the life of me. That one will blow your mind.

The Sun's Burial
Oshima Nagisa has become one of Japan's premiere directors and The Sun's Burial is one of his earliest and strongest films. The movie centers on a woman named Hanako who a prostitute and cutthroat entrepreneur trying to survive the Kawagasaki slum of post-war Osaka. Oshima shows, without pretention, the heart of the slum and the gangs that control it. One of the gangs is a right-wing group lead by a man known only as The Agitator and another gang is lead by a man named Shin. Both of their storylines are tied together through the character of Hanako who schemes and manipulates both of them for simple survival.

Another key character is a member of Shin's gang, Takeshi, who repeatedly tries to escape from the gang and eventually becomes involved with Hanako. Oshima uses him as an innocent, someone to show how jaded and harsh Hanako has become in order to make a living in such a place. Oshima's cinematography also magnifies that harshness. Considered shocking at the time, his camera captures violence perfectly, not only in actions but in color as well. Throughout, the film displays beautiful shades of yellows in sand, oranges and reds in fire to emphasize a setting sun and the consequent rise of a new Japan in its place. As one might expect, The Sun's Burial heads towards a destructive finish that emphasizes the theme the title suggests: not only the burial of the sun, an image associated with traditional Japan, but the consequent rise of a new Japan in its place.

Even if you're not a follower of Japanese cinema, don't rule The Sun's Burial out. The film has as much depth as the rich colors it displays and should appeal to any fan of solid storytelling and detailed characters. Although not as brutal as some films found today, it was among the most challenging of its time and can be appreciated just as much, if not more, today. ... Read more

Description

The gruff and arrogant hero of Yojimbo returns to the screen in another offbeat action film from Akira Kurosawa, the playful master of the samurai genre.This time, the slovenly but highly skilled warrior (played by the wonderfully deadpan Toshiro Mifune) helps a group of earnest, young samurai rid their clan of corruption.Amid the comic-book style combat, Sanjuro displays a delightfully cynical disregard for notions of good and evil and a mischievous sense of humor. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Sanguine samurai.
Companion piece to 1961's nihilist comedy *Yojimbo*. Not so much a sequel or prequel but rather a redux sort of thing. *Yojimbo* was a boffo hit in Japan (and drew raves from all over the world), and Kurosawa, whose quest for cinematic art never precluded showmanship, gave the audience more of what it wanted: even more action, more comedy, more Toshiro Mifune than in the previous movie. A legitimate criticism of *Sanjuro* is that it somewhat lacks the originality of *Yojimbo*, in particular the End-Of-The-World rancidity in tone, atmosphere, and characters. The liner notes in Criterion's DVD even go so far as to call this movie "sunny" (what an insult! Mifune's samurai would cut your head off if he heard you call him that). "Sunny" is not the apt adjective to describe the sudden, explosive violence in the film; the body-count is too appallingly high to laugh off. The violence here still hurts, and there's a lot more of it here than in *Yojimbo*. Kurosawa may have become weary of the whole samurai genre: a very nice patrician lady admonishes Sanjuro with "good swords stay in their sheaths"; he remembers this advice following the satirically bloody, over-the-top climax. The slice-and-dice duel between Sanjuro and his enemy is, I think, Kurosawa's way of saying, "You want violent action? I'LL give you violent action!!" Though it's designed to elicit shocked guffaws, the evident disgust with the whole samurai mindset leaves the larger impression. For that matter, the old "code of honor" is represented by 9 good-hearted samurai who also happen to be idiots. Just because there might be something worth fighting for here, unlike in *Yojimbo*, the bloody work required to ensure the victory of Good still leaves a bloody stain on the psyche. (Significantly, there was no "three-peat" in the Sanjuro series.) Considering all that, the amazing thing is how entertaining and funny *Sanjuro* remains. Of particular note is how discommoded Mifune appears whenever a pair of very civilized ladies (i.e., the antithesis of himself) show up. When the 9 good samurai keep waking Mifune up with their excited gibbering is also a classic. *Sanjuro* is a minor masterpiece fully deserving of standing alongside *Yojimbo* on your shelf.

A Great Adventure
I love Toshiro Mifune. It's so wonderful to see him play this character. He cracks me up every time he does his little shoulder-twitch character trait. Brilliant!

SANJURO delves a little deeper into his samurai character. There's some themes about killing and comparisons of his character to a good sword that should be sheathed. Other than that, it is flat-out adventure on the menu!

Again, Kurosawa is a wonderful story teller. I find his work (the three films I've seen so far -- HIDDEN FORTRESS, YOJIMBO, and this one) to be so economical. He can add a wrinkle to the story with one word; one look. He truly transcends the language barrier because the storytelling is so good.

I thought Criterion did another good job with the transfer. The trailer does, indeed, feature Kurosawa directing Mifune in an action sequence, which is interesting. I wish Criterion would use pictures on its chapter lists. When I want to access a certain scene and am unfamiliar with the movie it is hard to do based on chapter names that make no sense to me. Other than that, no qualms about the rest of the DVD.

Next, I'd love to see HIDDEN FORTRESS on DVD. Criterion, are you listening ?

One of Kurosawa's best samurai films
In my own opinion, I find Sanjuro to be one of my favorite films by the Kurosawa. Unlike Yojimbo, which mainly showed the violent side of humans, Sanjuro shows a much deeper meaning. A woman in the film comments that he should not use too much violence. At first, he ignores her and thinks that she's completely stupid. In the end, he ends up killing a man in order to save his own life. He understands that "Good swords are kept in their sheaths." Another translation of this would be that violence is bad. This is a continuing theme for Kurosawa, especially in his samurai period movies. I highly recommend it.

a cool follow up to yojimbo
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This film released shortly after the release of Yojimbo, has the same main character. In this film, Sanjuro withthe help of some friends eliminate corruption in his town and rescue his uncle was was jailed on trumped up charges. The film has a famous 'splatter' scene in the climax which is almost Hitchcockian because of the filmmakers use of chocloate syrup for the stage blood. (in B&W films, one cannot tell the difference anyway)

The DVD only has a theatrical trailer for a special feature, but it is still worth getting for those interested in films like this.

"A good sword is best kept sheathed."
I've never been fond of sequels, and when I found out Akira Kurosawa, a film maker I respect and admire more than any other, had done a sequel to his classic "Yojimbo," I had to wonder just how it was. I saw it and needless to say I was very impressed. This is with out a doubt probably one of the best sequels I've ever seen.

Sequels are commonly one of two things: 1) a rehash of the first movie, or 2) a continuation of a story that should have ended with the first film. "Sanjuro" is none of the two - instead, its just another adventure for our ronin friend Sanjuro in his quest for money. This time he finds himself accidentally nearby where some clueless samurai retainers are trying to figure out who in their clan is plotting to take over while their lord is away. Sanjuro steps in to help them out (almost out of aggravation at just how incompetant his new acquaintances are). He guesses correctly that it is the Super-Intendant and not the Chamberlain (as originally guessed) who is the traitor, and the story continues from there.

"Sanjuro" has all the right doses, and even more, of what you got in "Yojimbo." There are more fight scenes - or perhaps I should say there are more chances for Toshiro Mifune to slash through a crowd of hapless enemies. There are also more chances for our hero to figure out traps and plan ways out of sticky situations. With out a doubt, I think Sanjuro ranks as one of the most clever heroes I've ever seen on film, and you just get a joy at his wit and quick-thinking (I especially like how he got the villains to throw petals into the stream).

I would suggest any one who loved "Yojimbo" to give this film a good chance. It's just as enjoyable as its predecessor, and hey - if it has the name Akira Kurosawa on it, it can't be the least bit bad. ... Read more