Customer Reviews

Incident at Blood Pass

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

High in the mountains, a remote inn is the setting for a gathering of double- and triple-crossing bad men, each with his own secret and agenda. Sprinkled though out these villains is a collection of innocents, unknowingly standing on the lid of an over-boiling kettle that will soon scream. A web of deceit and action, each player attempts to survive as best they can.

"Incident at Blood Pass" (Japanese title "Machibuse" or "Ambush") is a fun but not outstanding Samurai flick. The main draw is the star cast of Toshiro Mifune ("Yojimbo") and Shintaro Katsu ("Gentetsu"), who is best known for playing the blind fighter Zatoichi. The film is ably directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, known for his Musashi epic "Samurai I, II and III" and his adaptation of the 47 Ronin tale "Chushingura." While Inagaki has his moments, he is not on the same level as Kurosawa or even Masaki Kobayashi, and doesn't quite maximize the talents he has available. This was his final film.

Mifune again assumes the role made famous in the Kurosawa-directed "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro," that of the nameless, a-moral Ronin who appears to be bad but always seems to fight for the weak. In this case, he has been hired for a mission that he does not even know, with his secret boss passing details onto him in the form of coded notes. Katsu, taking a different tact from his amiable hero Zatoichi, is a hard, dirty bandit, a former Doctor who lives in a barn and plans and plots for unseeable ends.

Inagaki doesn't bring out the performance from Mifune that Kurosawa did, and his Yojimbo lacks the dirty nobility of previous incarnations, with motivations remaining obscure. He tries to find the humanity behind each the icon, with a love interest in the form of a battered wife rescued in the film's opening scene. However, it is great to see Katsu as such a horrible human being, and to see his range as an actor.

Like Inagaki's other films, the pace is a slow build up to an explosive finish. The side characters, such as the flashy but poor gambler, the kindly innkeeper and his naive pretty daughter, the obsessed police officer and his tortured captive, all get ample time to annoy, entice and betray each other before the main plot is even revealed. The film plays out like a Samurai version of "The Petrified Forest," with the innkeeper, his daughter, the suitor and the gangster.

While not anywhere near the level of a masterpiece, "Incident at Blood Pass" is certainly an enjoyable flick and worth watching. Story and character driven, those seeking a high-action flick would do better to look elsewhere, as that is not Inagaki's trade mark.

I utterly enjoyed this movie. Granted it doesn't have many Toshiro Mifune fight scenes however the story and the way it turned out was very interesting. It's a combination of action, adventure, romance and comedy. I was not disappointed in any way.

This 1970 released samurai film has two major draws. First and foremost, the famed actor (Toshiro Mifune) who portrayed the unknown ronin made famous by Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro, reprises his role for the fourth and last time. Second, the film's other star, Shintaro Katsu, noted for his portrayal as the blind yakuza in the Zatoichi film, and who also starred with Toshiro Mifune in the Zatoichi episode #20: "Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo," both star in this film. However, don't expect to be blown out of the water by this film. It it an entertaining samurai film, but not a great one. Directed by Horoishi Inagaki, "Incident at Blood Pass," centers on double-crossing [and triple crossing] web's of deceit.

And although the film is not a great samurai flick, it does have some entertainment value. However, if you go into this film expecting a Kurosawa type of film, or an impressive Toshiro Mifune characterization of the legendary Yojimbo, then you will be disappointed. If however, you don't mind an average samurai film, then the film will not disappoint. The films setting takes place at a remote mountain top inn, deep in the mountains. It is here that events will transpire which will find both the innocent and guilty caught up in a backstabbing and double-dealing by the films antagonist(s).

Mifune is ordered to the mountain top to await futher orders. Here he observes the goings on, and notices things are not what they appear to be. He was hired on this mission at this remote mountain top, and ordered to await further instructions. However, he slowly becomes aware that there is double-dealing going on. The film has very little action in it, and this is mostly saved for the ending. And while I do recommend the film to all samurai lovers, the film was more of an average film. The second film to star Toshiro Mifune and Shintaro Katsu, that left me a little disappointed. I really wanted this film to be great. However, it is an interesting watch, and I do recommend watching the film.

When i read that this was Toshiro Mifune's final appearance as Yojimbo, or "The Bodyguard" I was extatic. I paid for it... waited and watched. sadly this movie has only 1, yes just 1 Mifune fight scene. And its at the very end.... i suggest buying the original Yojimbo, and if you already have, watching it again will be better than this. This movie isnt entirely awful, on the + side the story was good. All it needed was a few more Toshiro fight scenes. I recommend buying (if you can find it) Samurai Assassin, possibly the best story and action sequences of any Samurai movie.

This is a period suspense drama set at a remote inn located at a crucial mountain pass in Tokugawa-era Japan. It takes the time-honored premise of gathering a motley cast of characters and forcing them into close quarters together as trouble brews before a major confrontation. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wandering yojimbo' (bodyguard) who has been hired to go to this pass and wait for something to happen.

This film is sure to appeal to fans of its famous principle actors Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo), Katsu Shintaro (Zatoichi) and Yujiro Ishihara (Baby Cart series). The film was the last film in director Hiroshi Inagaki's long career. It will please the fans of the jidai geki (historical period drama) more than the those looking for chambara (sword fighting flick).

The film is considered to be the last of four films featuring the 'yojimbo' (bodyguard) character or nameless samurai created for Mifune by Akira Kurosawa. The first two films, "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro", are classics of the genre and have much more ambitious goals than the film we are considering here. The third film, the weakest offering amongst the the four, was "Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo" directed by Kihatchi Okamoto in which Toshiro Mifune does not really play the same character we are considering here and is a film which fits more comfortably into the chambara category.

This film feels much like an extention of the Japanese television 'period drama' of its day which I confess to being somewhat partial to. It is elevated by the star studded cast and their performances however it is limited by a tendency at times toward melodrama, the use of stock genre character types and what appears to be a hastily tacked on ending to provide resolution to one of the major narrative threads. It is the last element which is the most unsatisfactory and the film would probably have been better served without tying up this thread at all rather than handling it in a manner which makes it appear to be a cursory afterthought.

Still the film does have much which will satisfy fans of the genre with good performances, an interesting if complex interplay of events and an examination of human behaviour when looking at individuals placed in a high pressure situation. I have heard the film compared to Archie Mayo's "The Petrified Forest" with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart. This is an apt comparison from the standpoint of the situation which the characters find themselves in.

For those solely interesting in the action elements: The film does have two interesting scenes of sword play, the first beautiful and brief, the second longer and exciting if somewhat less beautifully choreographed. It also features a ham handed fist fight near the beginning of the film which would make John Wayne appear a well schooled boxer by comparison.

But really for those looking for a blood and guts samurai flick you would be much better served by picking up something like "Sword of Doom" or something from the Zatoichi series. This is a film for fans of genre, looking for a rather standard period drama elevated by good performances by Mifune and Katsu.

While Mifune is, as always, fantastic in his role here, some of the pace is quite slow, and the film is not terribly good from a technical standpoint, so for stretches there isn't quite a lot to keep you interested. Like other reviewers have said, this is no "Yojimbo". Even the sort of fighting the main characters do in this film is really simplistic, brawler sort of stuff. I would even go so far as to say it's not worth owning, unless you're a collector of samurai films (though this is hardly a samurai film).

This is a great movie that I consider a must have for Japanese movie fans. It is fun to see the authenticity of the location, clothing, and cultural details provided in this vintage film. The story is superb and I have watched this movie over and over just to transport myself to olden day Japan. Far from being a "Japanese Western", it is a drama that stands alone. There is and never will be anyone like Toshiro Mifune and Shintaro Katsu is looking quite different from the Blind Swordsman. There are not a lot of fighting scenes, however, this character driven movie is well worth watching and saving the fighting for some of the other movies these two fine actors made. This movie shows that these two fellows were much more versatile in their acting than just playing consummate warriors. All the actors were at their best and played enjoyable characters. I recommend this for a well rounded Mifune/Shintaro collection.

Purely by coincidence, while this is Mifune's final performance as the nameless Yojimbo, this was the last one of the four I watched. I'm a big fan of the Kurosawa films, and instantly loved the way Mifune portrayed the Surly Sanjuro. Once I found out that he portrayed the same character in two other movies, I added them to my netflix queue. This one, while not as great as the Kurosawa duo, is still a great movie in its own right. The story is well developed for a period piece, but if you're expecting nonstop action, then this isn't it (as others have described it as).

However, that being said, if you like Mifune's Yojimbo, it's definitely worth watching. While he doesn't call himself Sanjuro in this one (after all, his 30's are long gone by now) he still doesn't give a name. His characteristic shoulder shrugs, scratching, and the arms inside the kimono are still present, and made me smile when he did them. The ending of the movie was quite fitting for the character; without him saying anything to anyone and just walking away from the camera to continue his wandering journey.

My collection of asian movies would includes such fine films
as; Curse of the Golden Flower, Red Beard, Zatoichi, The
Hidden Blade, The Twilight Samurai just to name a few. It
was with great anticpation I awaited my purchase of the movie
Incident At Blood Pass starring Toshiro Mifune and Shintaro
Katsu,however, the film turned out to be a HUGE disappointment!
I found the film to be silly and without any depth in its story.
I would not recommend this movie to serious viewers.