Name: Daibosatsu tôge
Genre: Drama
Released: 1957-07-13
Duration: 1 h 46 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Chiezō Kataoka, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yumiko Hasegawa

I Preferred the 1960 Version, Satan's Sword

I must agree with the fellow reviewer who found this version of Daibosatsu Toge (The Great Buddha Pass) not as interesting as the Ichikawa Raizo version from a few years later.

Sword in the Moonlight is a decent samurai film, but since I have watched Sword of Doom and all three Satan's Sword movies, I felt somewhat underwhelmed by this version. Of course, I am aware that the Sword in the Moonlight films came before Satan's Sword, but it comes after the Ichikawa Raizo in my film viewing life. There are differences. For instance, in Sword in the Moonlight, the villainous Ryunosuke Tsukue does not sleep with his rival's wife until after the duel. I was also glad that this first film did not end on a cliffhanger like the first two Satan Sword films. Sword in the Moonlight has aspects to recommend it.

In the end, I think the problem rests with the leading actor. Chiezo Kataoka is a decent actor, but he is no Ichikawa Raizo. Furthermore, he was in his mid-fifties when he made Sword in the Moonlight, which seems a bit old for Ryunosuke Tsukue, at least for me (others may not have that problem).

I have not read the source material, so perhaps Sword in the Moonlight might be closer to the spirit of the books. I do know that, as cinema, I preferred Satan's Sword from 1960.

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

Tsukue Ryunosuke is a master swordsman with an evil style, reflecting the evil in his heart.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

See who dazzled on the red carpet and took home gold at the 78th Primetime Creative Emmy Awards.

Primetime Creative Arts Emmys: Photos We Love

Toshirō Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, and Tatsuya Nakadai in The Sword of Doom (1966)

Miyamoto Musashi II: Duel at Hannya Hill (1962)

Raizô Ichikawa in Satan's Sword II (1960)

Sword in the Moonlight

Photos1

Top Cast41

User reviews4

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed