Quite a good little film, when considering it as the sum of its parts. Has genuinely tragic themes running throughout. Coming-of-age, dynasty-inheriting, underdog team fighting, character betrayal, cruel overlord - this is Shakespeare as interpreted through the lens of latter-half 20th century Japanese pop culture.
Do not watch this expecting B-movie camp or over-the-top anime-like action. This film is played straight and not for laughs or shock value. Then again, it was made in 1981, so it predates all of that. Its roots are closer to 1960's yakuza drama. But, it contains the seeds of the freethinking extreme art house genre that Japan embodied in the 90's and 00's.
Set locations and cinematography are first rate and also set the bar for much of modern Japanese film making. Acting is clearly low level but can be forgiven. Contains just a touch of surreal situations and characters, again setting the tone for future Japanese film. Melodramatic in its ending, also a hallmark of Japanese film.
Some tremendous long shot cinematography and incredibly authentic childlike acting are the icing on the cake of this transitional film into the future of post-modern pop Asian cinema. This film should not be missed by fans of that genre, as well as historians and students. Highly reccomended.
