A fugitive christian "saint" (female, of course!) and a sadistic drug-addled princess both have their eye on Kyoshiro. The fact that a bunch of ruthless smugglers also want him dead is the least of his problems!
Acting
Raizō Ichikawa's thousand-yard stare carries the entire franchise.
Cinematography
Expressionist shadows that would make German filmmakers jealous.
Director
Kazuo Ikehiro
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is the fourth of twelve Sleepy Eyes films shot in just four years—Raizō Ichikawa made three other movies in 1964 alone.
The film weaponizes the 'onna-gata' tradition, making Princess Kiku's performative femininity as deadly as any sword—director Kazuo Ikehiro would later become instrumental in bringing kabuki techniques to cinema.
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