Friday, 3 January 2014

Caught in the middle

Samurai Spy (1965)

Directed by Masahiro Shinoda this film based on a novel by Koji Nakada stars Koji Takahashi, Mutsuhiro Toura and Tetsuro Tamba. A samurai working as a spy for a neutral clan is drawn into the conflict between two rival powers.

Made during the Cold War the plot of this film could easily be a metaphor for the position that Japan and many other countries found themselves in, caught in the espionage war between East and West. Maybe it is because I do not speak the language the film is made in but at times I did find the plot hard to keep track of as it becomes increasingly convoluted with characters and double crosses. In general the action sequences are well made with some good samurai battles but the film could have done with being a little clearer as to who is who at times.


3/5

No comments:

Post a Comment