Samurai Spy

Masahiro Shinoda's 1965 Japanese film is set in a period when the wars have ended but trust has not been established. The Tokugawa have unified the country; Sasuke Sarutobi, a spy, is tired of fighting and wants peace. When a senior spy changes sides the whole balance is upset and Sasuke falls into a web in which he cannot work out who serves whom. The film uses the fights of genre cinema while directing its real interest at uncertainty: nobody states their true identity, alliances shift constantly and the viewer struggles to follow as well. That confusion is a deliberate choice. The black and white photography is built from mist, snow and bamboo forests and is the film's strongest quality. Who it's for: viewers who like the Japanese new wave and formalist samurai films. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a plot that is easy to follow; the film does not offer one.