The Sword of Doom

The Sword of Doom (1967)

  • 71% of critics liked it
    (7 reviews)

  • 89% of users liked it
    (5,341 ratings)

In this epic Japanese samurai adventure, a bloodthirsty young fighter (Tatsuya Nakadai) kills a man in competition and is pursued by the slain warrior's brother. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Unrated, 2 hr.
Directed By
Kihachi Okamoto
Genres
Art House & International, Action & Adventure
In Theaters
Jan 1, 1966 Wide
On DVD
Mar 15, 2005

Critic Reviews

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    Given a sweeping epic treatment.

  • Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

    [A] visually stunning epic.

  • Zach Hines, Filmcritic.com

    clean, swift, and brutal

  • David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

    ...there's no real flow or sense of pacing at work here.

  • James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

    a superb samurai drama

Read all 10 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Randy T


    A sociopathic swordsman hacks and hews his way toward his inevitable undoing, or so it seems. Director Okamoto expertly builds both tension and tempo as his samurai epic progresses, but be aware that the ending is rather odd and anticlimactic.

  • Tsubaki S


    Tatsuya Nakadai in one of his most impressive performances in this nihilistic samurai film were doom indeed seems to be the only option for Ryonosuke, and everyone around him.

  • Stella D


    outstanding! this tale of a psychotic samurai ends rather abruptly as it was meant to be pt. 1 of a trilogy. we can only imagine how that would have turned out but pt. 1 is pretty freakin fantastic. awesome performance by tatsuya nakadai, many incredible fight scenes; the sword is… More

  • Ken S


    Ryunosuke Tatsue would f@*k Anton Chigurh in prison. This movie is amazingly bad ass. The camera work i's like the love child of Kurosawa and Leone, simply incredible. A must see

  • Michael G


    The first half hour of Sword of Doom is incredibly suspenseful and nothing short of brilliant. Nakadai plays Tsuke incredibly and frighteningly without blinking. The sword fights are equally nerve-wracking and phenomenal--namely the end sequence. Visually Sword of Doom is stunning… More

Read all 11 featured audience ratings

Cast

See full cast

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