Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

eigaguy I just had to write something when I saw that the current spotlighted user's comment calls this movie merely "decent." I just got back from seeing it on the big screen, and believe me, it's WAY more than "decent." More like amazing. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to see it. I'll be the first to admit that it's at times narratively challenging, and that the main character is fairly one-note. But it really compares in many respects with classic westerns like The Searchers. Plus a truly inventive, exciting, and striking climax. Full of visual poetry. Ten lines really does seem like a bit much to require people to write. Would six be so awful? All I really wanted to do was provide some balance to the "decent" comment. Wow. I'm still just at nine lines. Okay. See this on the big screen if you have a chance. It's truly a widescreen picture that uses the frame quite inventively at times. And that's eleven lines, so I'm done.

Er_ebo Saw Goyokin at Cinemateket in Oslo recently, and was really amazed. Already from the hauntingly beautiful beginning, with the young girl returning to her village, I was completely captured by the stunning cinematography (never has mud been so pretty) and music. The story is alright, and the fight scenes are more realistic than usual in this genre, which fits the film well. The costumes and sets also seems realistic, though I'm not an expert on that. But it is the visual beauty, with many scenes in a snowy winter, and the music, that sets you in a in a wonderful, melancholic mood.9/10

shinobirastafari From the truly creepy opening to the climax, this movie holds your attention, both with its cinematography and (more preciously) a gripping and coherent storyline.Excellent filming techniques in this film hold your attention, when the suspense (yes! actual suspense!) doesn't. The acting (by Nakadai Tatsuya, one of Japan's greatest actors -- far better than Mifune Toshiro, IMHO) is top notch. Finally, the violence (though there's plenty) never degenerates into splatter. The violence appears much more disturbing (intentionally so) and much less titillating than in many "chambara" movies. Also noteworthy, this movie plays on the "loyalty vs. morality" theme that Gosha seems so fond of hammering. In this particular movie, however, he really pulls it off with some intelligence. Though I'm a big fan of Gosha, I have to admit that not everything he touches turns to "gold" (Get it? You will...).Even so, if you're going to sample from the "chambara" genre, this is among the best (my other nominee would be "Hitokiri/Tenchu" (1969). Frankly, I think it's among the best Japanese films, period.

Feng I got lucky once and got to see this film on the big screen at a local film festival in Kansas City and I was amazed! This movie is on par with Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. If you get a chance to see it, do.