Sword of Desperation

Audience Reviews

View More (6)

Audience Member Beautiful. Heart wrenching. Honor. Bushido. Good guy versus good guy climax. I don't think I've ever seen that before. And nothing beats a good katana fight in a courtyard Japanese garden. And that final sword thrust??? Holy sweetness, it caught me off guard. I love samurai movies and if you're the same, add this to the list. Plus, its just a good movie. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A little slow at time, the end sequence is good but I didn't quite like the ending. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member There are better movies about samurai around...not bad but it has the feel of a tv production Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A rather underrated samurai film, Sword of Desperation is a well made bushido movie that really digs into the core of corrupt government back in the day. Lowly swordsman Kanemi Sanzaemon kills the consort of the daimyo, because of her own interests in swaying the lord. After a year of house arrest, Kanemi is re-instated as the lord's bodyguard, to take on a new threat. The movie does a good job with pacing, by having the big event happen at the very start. Then as the main character carries out his sentence, we see in flashbacks the tumultuous time the household had with the corrupt consort by the lord's side, as well as the simple love story with Sanzaemon's dying wife. This character development and the information sets the mood, as we build to a very suspenseful climax, one that is as realistic as it is brutal. Combining themes of honour, loyalty, and corruption, Sword of Desperation is a fine and underrated samurai film. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member This is an exceptional film if you enjoy well-acted, well-written Japanese cinema set in the Samurai period. It will reward patience, as it slowly develops an intricate plot of betrayal and power politics, leading to a dynamite ending. Not to miss, if you have a bit of patience, and love a good, tragic sword opera. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member I wouldn't call this a chambara film, but it is a solid period drama about the troubled swordsman Kanemi. It did a good job getting me to empathize with the main character, his situation and the choices he makes. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Sword of Desperation

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now