Revenge

While most samurai filmmakers seem more interested in filling the story with fight scenes no matter what the plot, director Tadashi Imai takes a very different approach in this 1964 classic. Instead of concentrating on the fighting, he focuses instead on the reasons the fights take place in the first place, weaving his way through the political intricacies of Feudal Japan with both style and substance. It’s fascinating, up to a point. While the fights may not be the focus of the film, the fact that they are shot so poorly is a disappointment when they finally do arrive.