Owen’s Oldies: ‘The Sword of Doom’

By Owen Glancy

Arts & Features Editor

When most people think of the samurai film, they typically fall into one of two story templates. Either a revenge narrative with a high body count, or a lone ronin who wanders the countryside reluctantly saving a small town from their bandit/yakuza problem. 

There are many incredible films that use these formulas - “Lady Snowblood” and “Yojimbo” are both excellent examples - however, for those looking for a more unique samurai film, “The Sword of Doom” is it. 

The early 1960s was marked by two different film movements, the French New Wave and the Japanese New Wave - movements both defined by the number of new auteur directors who were going against the grain of cinematic tradition. The Japanese New Wave in particular is defined by eccentric and loud directors like Seijun Suzuki and Masahiro Shinoda who dominated the space with their bright colors and lightning fast pacing. In comparison, Kihachi Okamoto’s approach in “The Sword of Doom” is much more subdued. 

Shot in black and white, set in the Edo era like many of the Japanese films from the previous decade, and set squarely in the samurai genre, you’d be forgiven for assuming the film came out in the 1950s. However, this was released in 1966, right toward the end of the Japanese New Wave. This movement definitely had a lot of inspiration on Okamoto, as this film sets itself apart in its plot and tone. 

“The Sword of Doom” follows a swordsman named Ryunosuke, who uses his incredible talent with the blade to mercilessly slaughter more and more people around him. 

For all intents and purposes, this is a samurai slasher film, made nearly a decade before the concept of a slasher film would become solidified in John Carpenter’s horror classic “Halloween” in 1978. However, unlike the slasher films that would come to dominate the 1980s and ’90s, our main character is the slasher villain. 

Played by Tatsuya Nakudai, Ryunosuke is the reason this film is memorable and so different. He represents such a drastic departure from the classically honorable samurai that I hesitate to even call him one. By the time the film begins, he has already begun to fall for the seductive power of the sword. This leans into one of the core themes of the film being that swords are tools used to kill, so those who wield them must be extremely careful to use them responsibly. 

This theme - this message - has only become more relevant when applied to the modern issues of gun rights. Replace the sword with a fire arm, and all of a sudden the film starts to feel incredibly timely and necessary. 

It’s not all about the message and performance, however. The film’s murky cinematography and choppy editing aid in giving this film a classic feel. Every fight scene is expertly choreographed and the fast-paced editing, a new concept at the time, makes these fights feel exhilarating. It’s as if the film wants you to partially give into the same excitement the protagonist feels chopping down hordes of people. 

“The Sword of Doom” has been somewhat neglected by many of those who are getting into classic Japanese cinema and the samurai genre - overshadowed by epics like “Seven Samurai,” “Harakiri,” and “Lady Snowblood.” However, for anyone looking to see the true breadth of what the genre has to offer, or for just an entertaining and violent time, this is not a film to miss. 

You can find “The Sword of Doom” streaming on the Criterion Channel.