THE HAUNTED SAMURAI: Slashing Into The Seventies
Among Japan's film studios, Nikkatsu is famous for taking the most drastic measures to combat the pernicious influence of television: they turned their entire production apparatus towards creating lusty, sometimes twisted sexploitation fare they called the "Roman Porno" line. This drastic change of style reflected how major film studios around the world found themselves forced to appeal to new audiences or perish at the dawn of the '70s.
Even in more traditional fare like the chanbara (swordplay) film, that sea change could be felt. You can see that shift happening in real time in The Haunted Samurai (Japanese title: Kaze No Tengu), a Nikkatsu production made in the last few years before the studio's changeover to softcore filmmaking. Though this film features the production values and precise craft one associates with Japanese filmmaking of this era, it also boasts a more adult approach to the genre and its exploitable content.
The Haunted Samurai was adapted from a weekly manga strip by Goseki Kojima, an artist who is famous for his work on the Lone Wolf And Cub manga. It focuses on the travails of Rokuheita (Hideki Takahashi), a spy for the much-feared Yagyu ninja clan. He grows weary of his role after his work forces him to kill a swordsman loved by his sister, which leads to her committing suicide. He abandons the clan and retreats to the countryside in search of a quiet, anonymous life.
After saving a family of farmers from ruthless tax collectors, Rokuheita attempts to settle down with them and become a farmer himself. Unfortunately, his attempt at the rural life is imperiled from multiple sides. The local rulers have no intention of letting up on the locals, ignoring recent droughts to collect taxes in any way possible, including murder or the kidnap of young village women. There is also another ex-ninja hiding amongst the village ranks who fears the danger the hero might bring - and ninja assassins hunting for Rokuheita, most notably the determined Kyonosuke (Isao Natsuyagi).
The resulting film is an intriguing hybrid of new and old. It boasts a time-honored sense of discipline in its filmmaking, bringing in a rather complex plot in at just 83 minutes and setting it against a historical setting with a mixture of villages and towns a la the Zatoichi movies. However, the violence is a few notches more aggressive than what you'd see in Zatoichi film, including bursts of arterial spray that act as an exclamation point at the end of a sword duel and the occasional shock like a severed limb or a bit of eye trauma. There's also a memorable ninja trap for the hero where he is attacked by a squad of topless female ninjas posing as fishing girls.
The blend of elements plays out in an appealing way for fans of Japanese genre fare thanks to a solid star/director team. Takahashi handles the action well, is charismatic in a quiet way and handles the film's underlying mood of somber drama with skill. No matter how complex the plot becomes or how intense the action gets, he provides a focal point that guides the viewer through the labyrinth.
Similarly, Keiichi Ozawa's direction keeps the story's more outlandish moments anchored with steady pacing and a widescreen visual sense that provides an elegant frame for both the drama and the action. On the latter tip, the action scenes trot out an array of ninja weapons that give them a fanciful, manga-esque edge yet they are shot and cut in a manner where brutality occurs at a swift, decisive speed. Thus, the action often has a visceral punch that belies the imaginative techniques and weapons.
In short, The Haunted Samurai is a fine chanbara film that can be appreciated by anyone who likes the Lone Wolf & Cub series or the Lady Snowblood films. It plays like an interesting predecessor to that bloodier yet equally elegant style of swordplay film - and it's a shame that Nikkatsu's "all sexploitation, all the time" ethos of the '70s kept them from making more.
Blu-Ray Notes: The Haunted Samurai recently made its U.S. home video debut via a new blu-ray, which is also the debut release from new label Surviving Elements. It boasts an excellent transfer with sharp details and rich color that is accompanied by a crisp, lossless presentation of the original Japanese mono mix with English subtitles.
Also included is a commentary track by film historians John Charles and Chris Poggiali. It's dense with information about the history of Nikkatsu films, the careers of the director and several cast members and even information on the real Yagyu clan intrigues that loosely inspired the film's premise. Critical observations round out the track, which is delivered in a relaxed, conversational style that makes the impressive amount of information pleasant to listen to.
Note: this is a limited pressing so if you're interested in Japanese genre fare, hurry over to the disc's exclusive distributor, Diabolik DVD, to pick up your copy.