It has it all really... Crime, the theme of violence, an ambiguous but honest protagonist that borders cynicism (and somehow victim of circumstance), a complex plot with crosses and double-crosses, well-defined characters with sharp motives that are unclear to the viewer, moral ambiguity, expressionist low-key lighting, unbalanced frames, disruptive shots, and even an 'urban' feel (though in old Japan), voice-over and a femme fatale! Add ninja action and a political comment on cold war and its meaningless dehumanizing nature, and you get a smart, entertaining, beautiful, thought-provoking film.Shinoda masters the visual medium to create something new, different. The viewer experiences the insecurity and anguish that good noir delivers (I guess that other reviewers could not manage this). And still there are sword-armed samurai in it!

Samurai Soy was made during the cold war and reflects both the paranoia and uncertainty of the time. It's a tale of spies being caught between sides. Having the appearance of being on one side, whilst fighting for the other, causes a lot of conflict and grief for the warriors. Perhaps the audience was supposed to be as confused as the spies, but it doesn't help so much when telling a story. Unlike the majority of samurai films, we get to see some awesome stealthy ninja action and throwing star carnage. The immense leaps and jumping made for a wealth of excitement. There were also some fantastic long shots which just aren't used for action sequences these days.

Maybe because the bar in 1960's samurai cinema was set in unprecedented highs after the works of Masaki Kobayashi, Kihachi Okamoto and Hideo Gosha among others, maybe because the title is slightly misleading and this is not an out and out chambara, or maybe because it's just not such a good film, Samurai Spy left me with a bitter aftertaste.Set in 16th century Japan, 14 years after the defining battle of Sekigahara where the Tokugawas solidied their power over the Toyotomis (and the country was about to enter a 400 year period of Tokugawa rule), Samurai Spy attempts to tell a labyrinthine story of espionage and double-crossing. In its centre of political intrigue are two rival spy networks working for the two factions, Tokugawas and Toyotomis. The convoluted plot should come as no surprise to chambara aficionados; it is after all a staple in a good number of genre films. However whereas another very convoluted film like Samurai Assassin at least has a central figure one can relate to (likeable or not, doesn't matter) and thus follow the maze-like plot through his plights and triumphs, Samurai Spy has little concern with character development. Sasuki is a pretty bland character to spend so much time in his company. It's no surprise then that the screen is on fire whenever Tetsuro Tamba appears. As the white-clad rival ninja leader, Tamba treads the ground between baddie, hero and just-another-pawn with charm and conviction. Plus he's badass as hell.Masahiro Shinoda is one of Japan's great directors and although the story let me down, the movie is very well shot and lit. Solid DP work helped by Criterion's pristine print. His frenzied tracking shots following ninjas are a nice touch as are the several slow-motion shots that are pivotal in many of the action scenes. Speaking of action, this is more of a ninja film than a samurai one. Not that swordfights are completely absent, but they are interspersed with shurikens, flying daggers and other ninja tricks. Fans of 80's cheese looking for Sho Koshugi's forefather might wanna look elsewhere though. This is not played for laughs.Samurai Spy could be a lot better. It's not without its merits but as it is, I'd recommend it to completists only and chambara fans that would like a different take on their katana action. I hope you like it more than me.

Muddled and extremely silly samurai film marred by artsy flourishes, goofy ninja outfits, martial-arts fantasy nonsense, and a stupid ending.On the plus side, Shinoda has a good eye for composition, the production values are quite good, and it's got a meaty role for Seiji Miyaguchi (Kyuzo from SEVEN SAMURAI).The most potentially interesting thing about the film is its treatment of the persecution of Christians in Tokugawa Japan. Unfortunately, it treats this aspect with the same superficiality that it treats the conflict between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Toyotomi clan (and the film starts with a basic historical error: the Toyotomi clan did not lose at Sekigahara; they didn't even fight there, although the battle did result in the end of Toyotomi hegemony over Japan).