Sword of Doom (1966)

[shadowgigan]

So, I was thinking about High and Low earlier and began thinking about my other favorite non-kaiju Toho films. This was probably the first film to pop in my head. The first few sights are brilliant, especially the scene where our "protagonist" cuts down many men while attempting to leave town. Ultimately, I'm not entirely sure what the "meaning" of this film is, and need to watch it again. I think the film may simply be about the insanity of bloodlust. Whatever the case, I found it highly entertaining. Any other fans?

[canofhumdingers]

It’s a great film. It’s been many years since I’ve seen it, but I recall it being about the potential depravity of great power. The protagonist is unbelievably skilled (and thus powerful) but without any conscience or humility to speak of the power brings nothing but evil and misery.

[shadowgigan]

It’s a great film. It’s been many years since I’ve seen it, but I recall it being about the potential depravity of great power. The protagonist is unbelievably skilled (and thus powerful) but without any conscience or humility to speak of the power brings nothing but evil and misery.

Yes, he is awful! I remember actively hoping his lover would succeed in killing him.

[MaxRebo320]

Oooh, a thread for a Kihachi Okamoto movie that I didn't start (and has more than one comment)?! Wish I saw this sooner.

This is a very solid "zankoku jidaigeki", with Nakadai giving an absolutely despicable performance as our so-called protagonist.

Spoiler:

(This isn't the only Toho film where he plays a shitty husband who kills his wife and abandons his child. That also happens in Illusion of Blood, which I made a thread for not-too long ago)

Okamoto himself wasn't too thrilled with the project, having been basically forced to make it after his controversial Epoch of Murder Madness/Age of Assassins. The movie is one of countless adaptations of the popular serial "Dai-bosatsu toge". One could chalk the underdeveloped elements being glossed over due to it assuming audiences are already familiar with the story. This movie only adapts a portion of the long-running serial, which explains why it ends the way it does. While one could easily say it ends that way due to it never getting a sequel, I've seen plenty of interesting interpretations.

[Arbok]

Love this film. I think the most memorable qualities are the depravity of the main character and the ending. The latter I'm amazed how controversial it can sometimes be. At a past job used to have a coworker who loved samurai cinema and we generally had pretty similar taste in movies in the genre. Was curious how he would take to this movie after we both saw it around the same time... and he hated it. His chief complaint was the ending.

So the ending isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I like that it basically (and spoilers) setups it up so Nakadai's character is up against such slim odds, either dying inside the building or killed shortly after by those waiting outside. Rather than have the character vanquished for sure, though, the ending kind of allows some viewers to maybe imagine he did escape somehow... even though it's pretty clear the odds are against that happening.

[shadowgigan]

I have a love/hate relationship with the endings. Either way, I love the final shot and how it is filmed. But sometimes I'm left just wanting a little more. Still a fantastic film. Maybe even my favorite jidaigeki.