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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1972
Runtime1h 27m
LanguageJapanese
CertificationNR
GenresAction
Votes9
DirectorKazuo Ikehiro
WritersItsuhiro Ishimatsu
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.7 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsThe Trail of Blood
About The Trail of Blood
Can a sinful man change and find peace? It's unlikely in gang-plagued Japan. Jokichi of Mikogami, a drifter (and hired sword), goes straight after protecting a woman in distress: they marry, have a son, and Jokichi pursues his father's craft. After three years, the gangs he embarrassed when he saved his wife find the family and leave Jokichi in grief, vowing revenge. To parry his terrible swift sword, rival gangs join forces, hiring a prostitute to pose as a woman needing help and breaking the code of honor to double cross the drifter. He finds unlikely allies: a thief who aids him for fun and a one-eyed swordsman who may be Jokichi's equal in skill and honor.
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, The Trail of Blood leans on a strong ensemble — Yoshio Harada, Katsuo Nakamura, Toru Minegishi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 1972.
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