Viewed on DVD. Restoration = ten (10) stars. Director Hideo Gosha has conjured up yet another version of a samurai sub-cultural way of life in this 1964 photo play. The interactions between different food-chain classes of sword swingers and different/aberrant samurai honor codes within the same samurai class make for welcomed breaks between typical (more or less) slashing scenes. The plot revolves around three samurai who are torn between the plight of the down trodden (as usual) peasants (here the lowest of the low class from which these samurai seemed to have emerged (and would probably like to--but can not--forget) and the local rulers who pay slasher salaries. (What might make for a far more interesting script would be to explore how peasants managed to become skilled and educated samurai equal to those who have inherited samurai class standing). Acting is for the most part dynamic (and not role-based stereotypical--facial expressions are hard to forget), and directing/editing is first rate. Cinematography (wide-screen, black and white) and scene lighting are excellent. Music is a bit jarring, but otherwise OK. Subtitles seem reasonably close to the actual dialog which is a challenge to always comprehend due to the use of regional slang. Worth watching once. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
Review of Three Outlaw Samurai
