Rating: **
Cast: Ichikawa Raizo
Wow, this film is much older than I thought it was when I rented it (1963). It's a tale of a bitter and cynical wandering ronin for hire named Nemuri Kyoshiro. He and a courtesan that he's fallen for get stuck in the middle of greedy feud for power and gold between two warring clans. They both want to hire him, but he refuses to take sides and ends up killing them all after his woman is slain. Standard samurai fare. One particularly good quote - "Don't get too close to me or you too will reek of blood."