Warring Clans Film Review

A very intriguing period film from director Kihachi Okamoto that will take a bit of time to catch up with as there are a flurry of characters to keep track of and very little background is given. Some are true historical figures. The viewer is pummeled right into the action with no explanation. It is set in the fascinating Sengoku era (late 1500s) during a period of civil wars in which various war lords are vying for power.

Ochi (the very appealing Yuzo Kayama) is wandering the countryside and trying to avoid being killed by attackers. We eventually learn that he left the Takeda Clan of ninjas and they are out for blood. He has already killed 18 of them. A master ninja. He finds a friend in a ronin, Hiroshi Hasegawa as Hachisuka Koroku, a true historical figure. A third character shows up to advise them to pretend to be farmers who have lost their land and to join the Bashaku, a group of the dispossessed who transport rice. They are run by the imposing daughter of the leader, Sagiri (Yuriko Hoshi) who is both beautiful and deadly. The man who advised them is a master manipulator played by Makoto Satō as Kinoshita Tokichiro. He tells them that his plan is some day to rule Japan. A bit laughable as he is of peasant stock but he later changed his name to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

But right now he is working for one of the war lords, Oda Nobunaga, and has hired the Bashaku to transport 300 muskets to Nobunaga. Both men were later of course to rule and unify Japan. The clever Kinoshita also hires pirates to transport the muskets. Their leader Lady Taki is played by one of my favorites, Kumi Mizuno, best known for appearing in many Kaiju films. As the Bashaku proceed, they have bandits on their left and the Takeda ninjas on the right wanting the muskets and to kill Ochi. And then the pirates come to the party. Very enjoyable with a sprinkling of humor and sporadic action, a hint of romance but mainly just a terrific plot and great actors. Produced by Toho. Shot in black and white.