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Le sabre du mal

Original title: Dai-bosatsu tôge
  • 1966
  • Not Rated
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
13K
YOUR RATING
Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, and Tatsuya Nakadai in Le sabre du mal (1966)
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Play trailer2:27
1 Video
20 Photos
Action EpicEpicSamuraiActionDrama

Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.

  • Director
    • Kihachi Okamoto
  • Writers
    • Shinobu Hashimoto
    • Kaizan Nakazato
  • Stars
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Michiyo Aratama
    • Yûzô Kayama
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.9/10
    13K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kihachi Okamoto
    • Writers
      • Shinobu Hashimoto
      • Kaizan Nakazato
    • Stars
      • Tatsuya Nakadai
      • Michiyo Aratama
      • Yûzô Kayama
    • 83User reviews
    • 42Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
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    Photos20

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    Top cast36

    Edit
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Ryunosuke Tsukue
    Michiyo Aratama
    Michiyo Aratama
    • Ohama
    Yûzô Kayama
    Yûzô Kayama
    • Hyoma Utsuki
    Yôko Naitô
    • Omatsu
    Tadao Nakamaru
    Tadao Nakamaru
    • Isami Kondo
    Kei Satô
    Kei Satô
    • Kamo Serizawa
    Kô Nishimura
    Kô Nishimura
    • Shichibei, Omatsu's 'uncle'
    Ichirô Nakatani
    • Bunnojo Utsuki
    Kunie Tanaka
    Kunie Tanaka
    • Senkichi
    Toshirô Mifune
    Toshirô Mifune
    • Toranosuke Shimada
    Ryôsuke Kagawa
    Ryôsuke Kagawa
    • Dansho Tsukue
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    • Omatsu's grandfather
    Hideyo Amamoto
    Hideyo Amamoto
    • Shuzen Kamio
    Akio Miyabe
    • Toshizo Hijikata
    Yasuzô Ogawa
    • Yohachi
    Kyôji Hayakawa
    • Heisuke Todo
    Atsuko Kawaguchi
    Atsuko Kawaguchi
    • Okinu
    Shôji Ôki
    • Soji Okita
    • Director
      • Kihachi Okamoto
    • Writers
      • Shinobu Hashimoto
      • Kaizan Nakazato
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews83

    7.912.7K
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    Featured reviews

    10The PIKL

    Awesome swordplay. Intense drama.

    Imagine Nakadai's murderous Onosuke from Yojimbo; then raise the level of his single-minded purpose an order of magnitude to the fated dancer of The Red Shoes and you get a vague idea of Ryunosuke, a psychopathic samuari hunted by the righteous and villainous alike. Hiroshi Murai's gritty B& W photography is awesome; and the choreography and staging of the swordfighting sequences are far and away the most rivetting I've ever seen (and I think I've seen most of them) -- not romantically stylized as in Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy -- something like the subtlety of Kurosawa meets the textured action of John Woo. The characters are intense and memorable. The final freeze frame may put you in mind of Butch Cassidy. You'll never forget it.
    ddickerson-2

    One of the Most Underrated of Samurai Films

    "The Sword of Doom" is one of Tatsuya Nakadai's best performances. His best in my opinion was in the role of Hidatora in Kurosawa's "RAN." Tatsuya is an unusually sensitive actor compared to other actors of his generation who seemed to spit out their lines. His facial gestures and body movement conveyed as much as words at times.The film contains one of the most memorable scenes ever shot; the fight pitting Toshiro Mifune against some 20 assassins in a snow storm borrowed by Quentin Tarantino for "Kill Bill." It is a moving narrative and at times Tatsuya reminds me of Marlon Brando in his early films in his moody performance.

    It is too bad the trilogy was never finished. This was to be the first film of the trilogy which is why it leaves much of the story untold. One would have to consult the original work by the author in order to follow the story to its conclusion.
    10Bessemer

    A magnificently executed exploration of amorality.

    "Sword of Doom" is an unusual film. Firstly, it is one of the most brilliantly photographed films I have ever seen, in composition, mise en scene, and the play of black and white.

    Secondly, "Sword of Doom" is that rare film in which the aim of the director and the power of the lead mesh together to form an unforgettable portrayal.

    Tatsuya Nakadai plays Ryunosuke, a skilled swordsman, who, from the opening moments of the film, proves also to be homicidally indifferent to human life. Ryunosuke is a strange and difficult character. His fighting style is passive, and he remains mostly uninvolved, both with the political turmoil surrounding him, and with his family - from his dying father, who fears the evil in him, to his lover (the wife of an opponent he kills) and his child. Nakadai's performance is magnetic, comparable to Montgomery Clift in it's singleminded, unyielding intensity.

    While some of the subplots without Ryunosuke aren't quite as compelling, the ending is memorable and disturbing, and the direction will remind in some ways of Orson Wells.
    lndc98

    Powerful, Disturbing, Confusing

    There is, of course, no question that the protagonist here is the handsome and insane Ryunosuke. And I can see that his insanity, alienation, and disassociation all come together in a climax of hallucination and compulsion. But there are things that I do not see. First, why is he insane? That is, what is his origin and the origin of his evil style of sword play? Second, why is there at least one very absorbing subplot which is developed and then dropped? I mean the romance between the "grand daughter" and Mifune's chief student and the tension regarding their welfare that builds up because of the plan of revenge? Is there some overriding master plan here; or some historical, cultural, etc. concept that I am missing?
    10thunderfoot75

    truly great and original piece of film-making

    Sword of doom is a truly great and original piece of film-making. As soon as the film had started, and the dark and eerie soundtrack kicked in, I knew I was about to enjoy a gem of japanese cinema. The most original element of the film is that the main character Ryunosuke is a real mean, killing machine, seriously, he is the lead in the film, but whereas in any other samurai/martial arts film he would normally turn up for a few scenes of mayhem, then turn up at the very end for a much deserved death. Well in this film the villain is the lead, Ryunosuke is such an interesting character, that days after watching this film you will find yourself thinking I wonder if... or what if that had happened. Sword of doom is one of those movies that just sticks in your head days after viewing time has ended. It doesn't even matter that the ending comes quite abruptly, that just let's the viewer imagine their own conclusion to the film. Sword of doom is without doubt the darkest and the most mysterious martial arts/samurai film that i've ever had the pleasure of viewing. The action scenes in the film are first rate too, with very believable sword duels. I put this film right up there with the very best that eastern cinema has to offer. 10/10

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    Related interests

    Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
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    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The abrupt ending of the film is due to the fact that it was originally intended to be the first part in a trilogy of films based on a lengthy Japanese novel. Nakazato Kaizan's 41 volume historical novel focused on the Edo period in Japanese history when the shogunate collapsed and a new government arose that revolved around the Emperor. It was the longest novel in Japan - encompassing 1533 chapters and over 5 and a half million Japanese characters - until the publication of Sohachi Yamaoka's serialized novel "Tokugawa Ieyasu", which is reportedly the longest novel in any language.
    • Quotes

      Toranosuke Shimada: The sword is the soul. Study the soul to know the sword. Evil mind, evil sword.

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Samurai Movies (2016)

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    FAQ14

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 25, 1966 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • The Sword of Doom
    • Filming locations
      • Japan
    • Production companies
      • Takarazuka Eiga Company Ltd.
      • Toho
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h(120 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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