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Sword Of The Beast
R1 - America - Criterion Collection Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (23rd November 2005). |
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The Film
 The Criterion Collection has been releasing a number of films from Japan of late, a few of which, in the genre of swordplay such as The Sword of Doom (1966) and Harakiri (1962). Recently released is a collection of four films that include Kill! (1968), Samurai Spy (1965), Samurai Rebellion (1967) and this film Sword of the Beast (1965) by Hideo Gosha. These films reached a high in terms of popularity in Japan in the mid to late 1960s and is currently seeing a grand return with films such as The Twilight Samurai (2002) and When the Last Sword is Drawn (2003). Although these new films are well made samurai epics, they owe a lot to the filmmakers of the 60s that defined this genre. The swordplay film is usually set in a period of the past, Japan’s shogun period, although a few are set earlier. These films often center around a reluctant fighter or antihero that must destroy his enemies to survive, a character type that is synonymous with 60s swordplay films (until then, most swordplay films featured clean-cut heroes, this new anti-hero character came about as a result of the changing political climate in Japan during that time). This is a very basic outline, and with that filmmakers such as Hideo Gosha took that and made it their own, adding their influence and unique voice to the film often resulted in something unforgettable. Gosha tells his story of his reluctant swordsman Gennosuke (Mikijiro Hira) while on the run, we are thrown in literally into the mix and the back story unfolds as the film progresses. Keeping the audience on the edge at all times, while his pursuers get closer and closer. If this sounds familiar it’s because it’s a technique employed by James Cameron on the original Terminator film and now by countless other filmmakers. Gosha probably wasn’t the first to do this, but he certainly did it well. Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of the low-level swordsman Gennosuke, who kills one of his Ministers (Eijirô Tono) as part of a reform plot. His former comrades then turn on him, and his betrayal so shakes his senses and honor that he decides to live in the wild, like an animal. The Minister’s daughter Misa (Toshie Kimura, along with her fiancé and Gennosuke’s former friend Daizaburo (Kantaro Suga) and a clan of samurai pursue him in order to exact revenge for the killing of the Minister. While on the run Gennosuke runs into a motley crew of bandits while gambling, he helps Tanji (Kunie Tanaka), a small time thug when he gets into trouble with the crew, in turn he helps Gennosuke elude his pursuers. Tanji also discovers that the bandits must be prospecting gold on the mountain, an illegal activity since it belongs on the shogun. Gennosuke and Tanji make for the mountain in order to find gold, discovering a Samurai, Master Jurota (Go Kato) and his wife Taka (Shima Iwashita) already prospecting gold, they decide to take their gold, the bandits also seem to share Gennosuke’s idea. Meanwhile his pursuers are getting closer and closer, as their fate, the fate of the samurai and his wife and the bandits all collide as Gennosuke tries to regain his name and honor. The film starts in a very exciting manner, Gennosuke is tricked by a woman to reveal his hiding place among a wheat field, a battle ensues and Gennosuke escapes as the chase begins and a narrator tells us why Gennosuke is running. Gosha, has created a very exciting tense film with some great performances. His main star Mikijiro Hira, fit comfortably into the role of the wandering swordsman with a dark history, Hira is subtle in his gestures, there is an elegance about him but when confronted he is a machine that slices with precision. His performance perfectly captures that essence. The supporting cast is also superb; Kunie Tanaka delivers a delightful comic performance as the wandering thug with the heart of gold. Go Kato‘s Jurota character plays the perfect match to Hiro’s Gennosuke, both strong willed samurai that stick to their guns and find out they have more in common than originally thought. Gosha compliments these performances with the stunning black and white photography of Toshitada Tsuchiya, strangely listed as the only film he’s ever shot on imdb.com, the photography creates shape and texture to the surroundings of the characters, each frame exudes energy, especially during the sword fights. There are many placed among tall grass where the heads and tips of swords can be seen, adding to the mystique of the samurai sword fighting style. The editing is also set at a excellent pace, the action scenes feel spontaneous and unpredictable, the pace is staggered yet tight as Gennosuke is escaping, cutting between him and his pursuers but always allowing time for dramatic elements to unfold. Gosha, plays with the audience in the middle of the film where he doesn’t cut to the pursuer’s anymore and focuses on Gennosuke, only to have them make an appearance later surprising you that they found him in the mountains. Sword of the Beast is a great film that will be enjoyed by Japanese film fans and lovers of cinema, Gosha has created a film that although is only 85 minutes feels like an entirely watch able grand epic. Available for the first ever on DVD, this film makes a fine addition to the Criterion family.
Video
Presented in the film’s original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1, this anamorphic transfer has been restored and significantly cleaned up for this release. This black and white image is sharp considering its age, the transfer is very consistent in its presentation maintaining well defined blacks and nice clean whites. The print does have some prominent film grain at some parts but this adds to the overall nostalgia of the film, I also noticed two minor instances of print damage but these last onscreen for mere seconds and never distract from the viewing experience. Overall Criterion has done a fantastic job in bringing this film to DVD.
Audio
The Criterion Collection presents the film with its original Japanese Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono sound track. The dialogue is presented here clear and without any distortion, Criterion restored the original soundtrack cleaning up all major flaws that include hiss, pops, drop outs, clicks and crackle and the effort clearly shows here. The soundtrack is very clean, the music cues and effects are rendered here with a strong presence. It’s great that Criterion take the time to restore the film’s soundtrack in the way that it was originally shown in cinemas and not having to create a 5.1 up-mix. This soundtrack perfectly compliments the strong visuals of the transfer. Optional subtitles are included in English only. The subtitles are 16x9 friendly and are a nice size on-screen. The subtitles are easy to read and feature no grammatical or spelling errors and appear on-screen for long enough to read without having to stop and rewind.
Extras
Unfortunately this release is a barebones movie only version, there are no video extras included not even the film’s theatrical trailer, which is a shame. The only extra we get for this release are the liner notes that feature an essay by Japanese film and Culture critic Patrick Macias. The essay covers the director’s career, the film’s history and impact in the swordplay genre. The liner notes also includes information about the transfer, a special thanks, DVD production credits, the film’s key cast and crew listing as well as the chapter listings for the film itself. Criterion are renowned for creating wonderful special editions, why this title received a barebones release is beyond me, at the very least an audio commentary would have been a welcomed addition to this well made swordplay flick.
Overall
Sword of the Beast is a fine example of a terrific swordplay film, this release is a no-brainer for any fan of the genre. Gosha's film delivers with great performances and intriguing story, great fights, beautiful photography and well paced editing. The Criterion DVD presents the film with a solid image and audio transfer, unfortunately is let down by the lack of extras.
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