Why Did I Watch It? My neighbor said it’s one of his favorite samurai movies of all time, and I had not heard of it before he mentioned it, so that immediately put it on my list.
What’s It About (two sentences or less)? A master swordsman slowly descends into madness after killing an elderly man he encountered while hiking through the mountains. The ghosts of his decisions haunt him as he is hunted by the brother of one of his victims.
Thoughts? The film was phenomenal in quite a few ways. The sword fighting was great, though not always the traditional encounters I’m used to seeing. Whenever I get so wrapped up enjoying a movie that I don’t even realize that I’m reading the subtitles, THAT is a good experience. Having watched it twice, the ending was non-traditional and quite refreshing.
Recommend It? If you like samurai movies, the chances are great that you’ve either seen it already, or everything I’ve written in my review thus far has convinced you to check it out. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and if sword fights and subtitles aren’t enough to turn you away, I’d highly recommend giving it a try.
Score: 90 out of 100
Guys Film Quest 