Shinobi no Mono 4: Siege (1964)
[Period covered: 1614-1615] 4th film in the shinobi no mono series Tokugawa Ieyasu is now the ruler of all Japan. But one last loose thread must be tied up before his domination is complete -- the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, now beseiged in Osaka castle. Ieyasu's ninja are the only ones who can penetrate the fortress, but unfortunately for Ieyasu, Kirigakure Saizo (Ichikawa) and the other Toyotomi ninja can just as easily get out. As armies of samurai maneuver for battle, the fate of the nation will be decided by a desperate struggle in the dark!
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Wow, this is a REALLY bad movie!
Too much of everything
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Blistering performances.
Wow was this a confusing installment of the Shinobi series. In episodes 1-3, the main character was Goemon Ishikawa and he was played by Raizô Ichikawa. Starting in episode 4, the main character was Saizo Kirigakure and was ALSO played once again by Raizô Ichikawa! What makes this even more confusing (and a bit silly) is that Goemon and Saizo fought on opposite sides!! So, in the first three films, Goemon is trying to destroy the Toyotomi clan and in the subsequent ones, he's trying to save this doomed clan!! Talk about letting confusion reign supreme! Because this is such a confusing film, I strongly suggest you watch the program notes on the DVD BEFORE the film begins. This way you aren't quite as confused and the film makes sense.As for the film, it goes quite a bit further than previous films in fictionalizing and glamorizing ninjas. While in some cases ninjas had some great skills, by this film they are practically superhuman (such as Saizo's ability to make himself appear dead) and they show a devotion to a cause which is decidedly un-ninja like! In other words, they were essentially mercenaries but in this one Saizo has a fanatical loyalty to the head of the clan--something which is a bit unrealistic, as ninjas really were not concerned with causes but money and power. But, it made for an interesting film and so I guess some of this can be forgiven. Additionally, the movie has some nice battle sequences and is interesting--even if it is very confusing and inaccurate.Overall, this is well worth seeing if you are a die-hard fan of ninja films. As for me, I just can't enjoy and get into the Shinobi films as much as many other Japanese films (such as the Zatoichi series) but it is a decent time-passer.