Ken

The only Misumi film set in the present is based on an earlier work from Yukio Mishima. Shot in sober black and white, it tells the story of student and kendo practitioner Jiro Kokubu, who espouses traditional values of asceticism, discipline, and spiritual fortitude and renounces all creature comforts. This sets him in stark opposition to Kagawa, who is repelled by his opponent’s dogged adherence to antiquated ideals. The conflict between the two is symbolic of the social change that was sweeping Japan at the time.

Kenji Misumi (1921–75) was one of the most prominent directors of the Daiei studio, where he primarily made jidaigeki (period dramas) and became especially well known for his chanbara (“sword fighting” or samurai films). A visual virtuoso with a brilliant stylistic eye, his genre films bear a uniquely Misumi mark. His best films combine magnificent visuals with a feel for the psychological life of his characters. Misumi’s sword-fighting films received little international recognition during his lifetime, as they were regarded as mere spectacle.