Ninjutsu Gozen-jiai

Torawakamaru the Koga Ninja

Japan 1957
produced by
Toei
directed by Tadashi Sawashima
starring Sentaro Fushimi, Koinosuke Onoe, Motoharu Ueki, Hiroshi Yamate, Chie Ueki, Hiroko Sakuramachi, Nakajiro Tomita, Kinnosuke Takamatsu, Akira Kishii, Yoshiko Yashioji, Yachiyo Kirishima, Kenzai Mochizuki, Koji Arima, Masao Hori, Ryunosuke Tsukigata, Denjiro Okochi
story by Junichiro Tanizaki, screenplay by Tadashi Ogawa

review by
Mike Haberfelner

It's business as usual in the Japanese "Age of Wars" (the Sengoku Era) as the house of Iga and the house of Koga fight for supremacy. This time around, Ieyasu Tokugawa (Kanzai Mochizuki) needs to have some all-important documents from Koga general Fukushima (Masao Hori), so he has his top ninja Goemon (Nakajiro Tomito) kidnap Fukushima's daughter Nene (Chie Ueki). But instead of exchanging his little daughter for the documents, he sends his top ninja-powered samura Torawakamaru (Sentaro Fushimi) to save her. But he first is trapped by Goemon, a stronger ninja than he anticipated, then creates nothing but a bloodbath when freeing himself.

Nene is freed alright, but not by Torawakamaru but by Goroichi (Motoharu Ueki), Goemon's young son who has no ideas about his father's treacherous ways. When he returns her to Koga castle though, he is thrown into prison by the Kogas though, and this time Nene has to save him.

To put the affair once and for all, Goemon's teacher Sandayu (Ryûnosuke Tsukigata) challenges Torawakamaru to a duel - and is defeated after the two men have used up every trick ninja magic has to offer (including turning into dragons, toads and the like). Upon this, Goemon wants to assassinate the Koga leader but is restrained and convicted to death on the spot. When Goroichi wants to rush to his father's aid (even though he's nothing but a little boy), the Koga leader convicts him to death as well, but both Nene and Torawakamaru stand up for the boy and ultimately save his life.

In parts, this film is great fun: This is not a martial arts movie for a grown up audience, or a film that takes historical facts seriously in the least - this is a film for kids in which ninjas have inexplicable magic powers that invariably defy both logic  and the laws of nature, and that seem to kick in and out rather at random. All this is charming for quite a bit of time, but eventually it goes too far because it actually hampers the film's story. Plus, the film's subplot about the two kids who refuse to take part into their farthers' war and choose to just get along gets a bit on the heavy-handed, cheesy side rather quickly. Still, the film is some fun, but there are quite frankly much better Japanese martial arts fantasy movies from the era around.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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