The Sword of Doom

'The Sword of Doom' (1966) 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

The original title of the film is Dai-bosatsu Tôge.