Fresh out of prison, a broken man reluctantly takes a job to kill three men, but changes his mind when some gangsters target the same men. He then tries to find out why the men are being targeted in the first place.
A naively honorable samurai comes to the bitter realization that his devotion to moral samurai principles makes him an oddity among his peers and a very vulnerable oddity in consequence.
Kiba is caught in the intrigue between a crooked goldmine owner, a cynical, betrayed swordsman, a manipulative lady and an arrogant dojo master.
(1961) Makato Sato, Kumi Mizuno, Ichiro Nakatani, Naoya Kusakawa. Taut thriller about a too-perfect criminal case against an ex-convict that makes a nosey detective suspicious.
A lone masterless warrior with some new friends helps ship 300 rifles to a Japanese warlord during the sengoku period.
Filmed as a traditional Japanese play, a yakuza boss is released from prison, but finds his gang usurped by a shady politician. With the help of his former cell mate he decides to assassinate the politician with an explosive pen.
Princess Kiku, Shogun's daughter, wants revenge on Nemuri Kyoshiro for embarrassing her.
A companion piece to DUEL aka ENDLESS DUEL, also directed by Masuda, with a nearly identical cast. Refreshingly well-written, with some notable, welcome variations on the standard ninkyô yakuza formula.