Samurai Reincarnation

Kinji Fukasaku's 1981 Japanese film adapts Futaro Yamada's novel and fuses historical drama with horror. A samurai who survived the massacre of Christians at the Shimabara Rebellion denounces the God who ignored the pleas of believers and sells his soul to Satan; in return he gains the power to resurrect the dead and assembles an army for revenge. Amakusa Shiro, played by Kenji Sawada, is among the strangest villains in Japanese cinema, and Sonny Chiba's swordsman Yagyu Jubei is the only force against him. What Fukasaku does is turn a historical massacre into a supernatural revenge narrative while leaving the religious question open. One of Hiroyuki Sanada's early roles is here. The visual effects carry the limits of the period, but the fight scenes are strong. Who it's for: viewers interested in Japanese genre cinema, Fukasaku's work and historical fantasy. Who it's not for: anyone wanting historical accuracy, or uncomfortable with graphic violence and religious imagery used together.