HITOKIRI (aka TENCHU) BLU-RAY EDITION

(Slayer of Men aka Heaven’s Punishment)

1969 - color - 140 min. HIGH DEFINITION ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (16:9) - 1080BD
Starring: KATSU Shintaro, NAKADAI Tatsuya

                 BAISHO Mitsuko, MISHIMA Yukio

                  and ISHIHARA Yujiro as SAKAMOTO Ryoma

Original Story by: SHIBA Ryotaro

Screenplay by: HASHIMOTO Shinobu

Directed by: GOSHA Hideo

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One of the most important and powerful films ever to come out of Japan, this is the story of Okada Izo and the Tosa Clan Loyalists who set out to restore the Emperor to power by assassinating their political opponents during the violent period near the end of the samurai era. With a performance for the ages, Katsu Shintaro shines in his greatest non-Zato Ichi role as a down on his luck swordsman who joins the Loyalist movement in 1862, rising to fame and fortune and then taking the ultimate fall from grace as those in power use and dispose of him like a rabid dog. Shouting “Heaven’s Punishment” with each assassination the Loyalists seek to overthrow the Shogun and turn the world upside down. With a brand new translation and a stunning anamorphic idescreen print, this is the ultimate edition of one of the great masterpieces of Japanese cinema. Startling performances from Nakadai Tatsuya, Ishihara Yujiro, and Mishima Yukio help bring history to life, while Katsu Shintaro shines as “Hitokiri” (Killer), the swordsman Okada Izo! 

Noted reviewer of Japanese cinema Dave B. has this to say about Hitokiri: