The Sword of Doom - Criterion Collection | 
 enlarge | Director: Kihachi Okamoto
Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Yuzo Kayama, Michiyo Aratama, Toshiro Mifune, Tadao Nakamaru
Studio: Criterion
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $21.05
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Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 15645
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dvd-video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: Japanese (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 121
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: PMIDSWO030D
ISBN: 0780029631
UPC: 037429203026
EAN: 9780780029637
ASIN: B0007989YS
Theatrical Release Date: July 1, 1966
Release Date: March 15, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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Amazon.com
Boasting some of the most impressive swordplay in the history of samurai epics, Sword of Doom is a visceral masterpiece of violent style and powerful substance. Illustrating the timeless adage that "an evil soul wields an evil sword," this highly stylized classic is driven by the fierce and fearsome performance of Tatsuya Nakadai as Ryunosuke, a sociopathic samurai whose soul--and sword--are vicious instruments of evil. Having mastered a highly unconventional style of fencing, Ryunosuke welcomes an exhibition match at a fencing school run by master swordsman Shimada (Toshiro Mifune, in a small but pivotal role), where he kills his opponent after promising not to. Flagrantly violating all codes of honor, Ryunosuke eventually finds himself challenged from all sides; even his own henchmen rally against him, and director Kihachi Okamoto stages confrontations that are as beautiful as they are graphically violent. As Ryunosuke descends into pure, bloodthirsty insanity, Sword of Doom ends with a freeze-frame that's unforgettably intense. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Shinobu hashimotos riveting script about a bloodthirsty samurai who weighs the power of good against the forces of evil. Studio: Image Entertainment Release Date: 03/15/2005 Run time: 121 minutes
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| Customer Reviews: Read 72 more reviews...
Visually stunning and expertly crafted; this film is almost perfect... December 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
...almost.
I'm not a huge fan of the samurai film; that is to say that I haven't seen very many and the few that I have seen have been less than truly impressive. I don't really know why I decided to give `Dai-Bosatsu Toge' a try really, but I did and I was left feeling quite different than expected.
This film is actually very good.
The most impressive thing about this film is none other than Kihachi Okamoto, the films director. He masterfully floats in and out of swordplay as if he were merely observing from a safe place, giving us a wide range of visual capabilities; but what is all the more impressive is when he leaves his perch and dives down into the grit of it all, dodging blows as it were; engaging the audience with the brutality of the scene. This is quite possibly some of the best direction of an action film to date; moving and visceral.
The film tells of samurai Ryunosuke Tsukue, a sociopath of sorts who has developed his own breed of fencing that compliments his difficult and arrogant attitude. When he breaks the code of honor and kills a man in the ring, after swearing to spare him, he finds that his ways are catching up to him in more ways than one. Soon he is fighting to preserve his own life at the hands of those who at one time feared him.
Tatsuya Nakadai is disturbingly accurate as Ryunosuke, evoking in himself this subtle rage that permeates his every scene. He us commanding with just a glance, enveloping his area with this man's evil. Michiyo Aratama has probably the most effective performance in the film, as Ohama, the widow of the slain fighter. Her portrayal of this woman's loyalties and fears is moving and genuine; especially in her final scenes.
The film ends somewhat ambiguously, since it was originally intended to the first of many based on the novel written by Kaizan Nakazato. As far as I am aware though, those future films never happened. That said, as much as the ending feels justified it also feels unfair, for I wanted something more concrete. It doesn't take away from the film any, and is actually a highlight for some, but on a personal level I didn't connect as strongly as I wanted to. Maybe if the sequels had been filmed and I had somewhere to go with this story, but with the ending so abrupt and open I feel almost robbed of the complete experience I was promised.
Still, it is a film that many will enjoy and one that any fan of the genre will adore. It is quick paced, expertly acted and brilliantly directed. It is crisp and intelligent and thought provoking and one that I highly recommend.
 An MST3K Candidate September 13, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
To help me review this offering, my daughter of 26 years (and an MST3K fan) sat with me through the whole thing. I appreciated this as you need someone to bounce stuff off of. Her opinion was of great value.
How do I describe this film? It has all of the obligatory items normally associated with a a bad Samurai flic. These include revenge, betrayal, the required rape (and to make it better she becomes his live in common law wife), wandering plot line, new characters introduced throughout the movie, cultural differences incomprehensible to the western mind, no real difference between the good guys and the bad ones. It has gore in the extreme! The TV dripped blood when it was over. To make it even better, they never seemed to know when they had made the point and continued the fight scenes well past their natural ends. Indeed, one would expect that the end would close at least one of the multiple plot lines that hopped and skipped through the film.
Japanese films are much like a Russian novel. It's difficult to keep track of the characters. If you end up liking one, you can bet that they will be mindlessly slaughtered in the next scene. The other feature is that the movie jumps from scene to scene in a confusing way. Indeed, half the fun is trying to guess which scenes have any relevance to the actual story line. In Sword of Doom, I'm not sure any of them did. They set you up for the big fight at the end between the brother of the man that was killed near the beginning of the film and the villain. Never happens. NEVER HAPPENS!!! I swear that they got to the end of the movie and just ran out of film. They stopped the film one scene short of actually finishing the movie. My daughter and I just sat there STUNNED! She looked at me and said "Thats it????". I have no idea what the point of the movie was. No idea at all!
And to make it better, it does have a whore house in it as well as some kinky sword play.
Some random plot points.
Girl (#1) and grandfather making a pilgrimage stop to rest on top of a mountain pass. She goes for water, he prays to Buddha for Buddha to take him away so that his beloved granddaughter can find a man and have a better life. The evil samurai shows up, hears the prayer and kills the guy to answer the prayer. As evil guy walks away he bumps into a thief and takes a swing and a miss with his sword.
Another woman (#2) meets evil guy and begs him to allow her husband to win the non lethal match scheduled the next day. Her families honor is at stake. He agrees to let him win IF she will have sex with him. After the deed, somehow her husband finds out and divorces her. The nonlethal match becomes lethal with evil guy killing the ex husband. On the way out of town he kills most of the students at the local sword school.
Next scene has #2 shacking up with evil guy 2 years later. She has had his baby. Don't get used to this girl, she eventually tries to kill him and he then ends up killing her and the baby.
In yet another sub plot, evil guy is looking for brother of dead hubby to kill him in order to prevent brother from seeking revenge. He joins a conspiracy, and ends up watching all of the conspirators die at the hands of Toshiro Mfune (head of the sword school that brother studies at) while he does nothing to help. Brother sends a challenge, but evil guy loses his nerve and does not show.
Woman #1 ends up being taken in to her uncles house, but while he is away, wife sells the whelp (#1) to the local Lord and chief pervert who likes to undress his dates with a sword. She escapes only to be sold by wife again to a man who takes her to become a geisha in another city (Kyoto).
Evil guy joins another conspiracy and they go to Kyoto. He ends up killing most of that group while in the whore house, girl #1 who is in Geisha training dies. Movie ends abruptly before brother (also in Kyoto - looking for evil guy) gets a crack at him.
Not Oscar material, but certainly an MST3K candidate.
 The Sword is a Mirror to One's Soul....Know the Sword and you will know the Soul! April 6, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
SWORD OF DOOM (1966, known in Japan as Incident at Daibatsu Pass) is a film directed by Kihachi Okamoto; responsible for acclaimed chambara films such as "Red Lion" and "Zatoichi meets Yojimbo". The film is based on the novel by Kaizan Nakazaro; "Daibatsu Tage", and this film still stands out as one of the most violent, dark epic tale even in today's standards. Please note that the novel has also been adapted into a trilogy called "Daibatsu" (Satan's sword) which presents a more detailed representation of its characters and premise. "Sword of Doom's" main focus is the story of a young samurai named Ryunosuke Tsukure, his beliefs, skills and ruthless indignation.
The backdrop of the film is the 1860's, a period where the Shogunate is slowly taking over and the samurai clans are desperately clinging to their power. The hero or anti-hero is a grim young man named Ryunosuke who is a cold, emotionless master swordsman who trusts no one but his steel. We are introduced to Ryunosuke when he cuts down an old man on a pilgrimage with his daughter when he overhears him asking for his own death for her sake. Ryunosuke arrives to his father's bedside to be scolded because of his ways with the use of his sword, he is scheduled for an exhibition match with a man who is supposed to assume the role of instructor in a school. Ohama (Michiyo Aratama), his wife meets with Ryunosuke to ask him to throw the match in exchange for her body. On the time of the friendly exhibition, the match becomes a duel to the death. What follows next is a downward spiral to murder and madness...
Ryunosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai)seems like evil incarnate, actually he resembles a demon more than a human being when it comes to character. Ryunosuke is a cold heartless killer, but if the viewer pays extra attention, the anti-hero of this film actually kills for self defense and political reasons. You may say that he's never killed anyone who didn't deserve it, but it`s the manner in which he engages his opponents and kills his victims. Ryunosuke never gets to express his motivations and background as to why he is the way he is. I believe this is a clever idea to keep his character at arm's length from the audience. It promotes a morbid, dark and chilling aura from the lead character almost up to a supernatural level. His presence his disquietingly intimidating and mysteriously evil.
The swordplay in the film is excellent, it is quick, bloody and never loses any of its visceral punch. The encounter with Ohama's husband is a near-perfect example of a Kendo match, as each of them takes their time to look for an opening. The viewer will realize that the match becomes lethal when they change their form, Ryunosuke assumes his signature "Silent stance" in which he slowly lowers his sword and his opponent raise his in a high stance.
Toshiro Mifune makes a limited but worthwhile appearance as Swordmaster Shimada. Although he never crosses swords with Ryunosuke, the incident in a bridge or pass where he cuts down Rynosuke's associates is fantastic. Mifune displays his acting ability in this extended swordplay which is excellently choreographed. Shimada spews out his righteous indignation and philosophy while cutting down his assailants, that leads even the "hero" of this film to doubt his beliefs after he hears "know the sword, know the mind...". It is rather unclear as to why Ryunosuke decided against the idea of engaging Shimada in combat; perhaps because his band made a mistake in the attack, that Shimada wasn't their intended victim, or is it something more? Whatever the cause, it will change him forever.
The cinematography of the film is quite enthralling. Even with its colorless sequences (it is in Black and White), the music and camera work are very well-executed and way ahead in its time. Toho productions is well known in awesome production values in 1966 that it came as no surprise. Okamoto's direction is almost flawless as he portrays the lead as dark, foreboding presence that exudes violence and death, much similar to an angel of darkness. I was rather disappointed that the sub-plots regarding Hyoma's (Yuzo Kayama)intended vengeance and his budding romance with a pretty young courtesan named Omatsu (Yoko Naito)never came to fruition and effective closure. The climax is satisfying enough on an action standpoint but it did leave some questions unanswered. It opted to focus its sights on Ryunosuke's descent into madness, on a killing spree, cutting down everyone in his path while being haunted by the `ghosts' of his empty past.
Ultimately, you will be led to conclude that an "evil soul is an evil sword", that gestures, whether good or bad, are what makes a man. Action defines the essence of a human being. On this aspect, "Sword of Doom" succeeds hands down. Murder and violence can eat a man up from inside, no matter how cold and ruthless one may be. It will extinguish a man from the inside...
Highest Possible Recommendation! [5- stars]
Great Film October 24, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have read some of the reviews. The film is spectacular, it is amazing, and Nakadai is reason enough to watch it. He is a great actor and this is proof.
Good films grow with you as you watch them again. Repeated viewing is a necessary thing with most films in the Criterion Collection. A film is much more complex then an essay, and it takes a few readings to understand an essay. I want to address some of the complaints.
They gripe about the ending. The ending is perfect. There is nothing more to say. Whether he dies or not that is his doom. You cannot go more insane, he reached the end either way. Being the main character, the story ends because the main character is being consumed by his rage and madness. You want closure, you want standard plots? Go see 300 and all that Hollywood trash. Appreciate a film for it uniqueness, not all films need to fit a mold. Its called imagination, the land of many different possibilities. This is not a book, or novel. Its a film, completely different from novels. There is no editing in novels, it is unique to film. Kubrick said that editing is the reason he directs. See Welles or Gilliam for great examples of what editing does. Brazil is maybe the best example; the studio edit is extremely bad and some people complaining here seem like they would prefer the studio edit over Gilliam's.
Film is a great medium with many possibilities. This is one of the possibilities, and seems rather unique by the amount of complaints. The main character is not the young samurai, nor the orphaned woman. The main character is the insane sword man, and his sword. The last fight was triggered by him going insane and his ally being assassinated, which means he will be next to die. There is no mystery to me what triggered his attack. If you need to invoke god as a reason you are watching the wrong film. Buddhism is not about gods.
Watch it again, and again, and wash Hollywood's influence off of you.
so kill bill right now October 22, 2007
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
i ended up slightly disappointed by "sword of doom," if only because it seemed confused between its stalwart samurai-film aspirations (read: mind-numbing slowness) and its new-wavey leanings. and that kind of left me feeling like "huh?" i guess.
take the final scene for instance. arguably, there is no reasonable precedent for the "bloodbath" (which was decidedly less shocking than some of the amazon cinephiles, given to hyperbole, might suggest), outside of the obvious relationship to ryunosuke's climaxing madness-- more than anything, the final scene's abrupt, freeze-frame ending; the way the camera turns the traditional japanese interior into a claustrophobic hell-hole; ryunosuke's freestylin' sword technique; the whole thinly-veiled psychosexual conflict thang going on...all kind of point towards a random experiment in form, in the vein of a shinoda or an oshima, tacked on to a standard late-golden-age samurai flick. the film is kind of in limbo because it doesn't really give the viewer the "kool new thing" excitement that new-wave, by definition, is meant to provide-- but it just don't feel like no classic, neither. probably by nature of it being made roughly ten years too late.
anyway, what "sword of doom" IS great for is providing a pretty duh reference point for the notorious (and infinitely more bloody) "house of blue leaves" scene (see, another new wave reference, new-wave-of-american-theatre anybody?) from tarantino's "kill bill vol. 1." it makes you all like "dude, i totally see where he got that." and then you feel all smart and slightly more worldly.
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