Radiance Films Blu-ray Synopsis: It’s the 16th century and Japan is in chaos. Samurai clans engage each other in battle over who gets to rule the nation, while warlords call upon the ninja to spy on and assassinate their rivals. Goemon, an ambitious young member of a ninja family, is thrown into the turmoil of Japanese history when his village is wiped out by the forces of leading warlord Oda Nobunaga, who has sworn to eradicate the ninja in his quest for absolute power. Fuelled by vengeance, Goemon uses every weapon in his arsenal to bring down Oda and to prove that a ninja is an army of one. Starring “the Japanese James Dean” Raizo Ichikawa (Sleepy Eyes of Death, Conflagration) alongside Tomisaburo Wakayama (Lone Wolf and Cub, the Bounty Hunter trilogy) and Ayako Wakao (Elegant Beast, Red Angel), the Shinobi series was an epoch-making success and became a social phenomenon that left deep marks on Japan of the 1960s, from children’s playgrounds to the leftist counter-culture. Packed with spectacular and oft-copied action scenes, it also established the ground rules for all ninja movies that followed, introducing such classic tropes as the shuriken throwing star and the iconic black mask and suit. (104/93/86 Mins)

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Views: This stunning limited-edition Blu-ray release of the first 3 Shinobi-no-mono films was my first introduction to the iconic Japanese film series, and I loved it! Beautifully restored and packaged, as well as being the first time they have been officially released outside of Japan, I raced through each film (and their special features) and immediately wanted more. This was partly down to my obsession with Japan and it's history. Having been out there a few times now and fallen in love with the countless historic, charming and beautiful locations on offer, I now watch films like this with a totally different eye. Of course, they are beautifully made pieces of classic Japanese cinema – and then there is my obsession of ninja movies – so, for me, this release was a very welcome addition to my already extensive collection!

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The first film, Band of Assassins, is the longest of the three and plays like an origin story or sorts for the young ninja hero known as Goemon. It follows his struggles to survive after he gets pulled into a scheme by his ninja master to help assassinate Oda Nobunaga – an evil warlord who is hell bent on ruling Japan with an iron fist. But his actions are guided by a double-agent in the background, and soon, Goemon finds that everyone he has lost eventually points to the same man. Deceit, treachery, and survival carry his journey, as Goemon applies almost every trick in the ninja-handbook to stay alive and carry out his mission. The second, Revenge, is exactly that! After Nobunaga wipes out his ninja clan, Goemon sets out on a personal revenge mission with hopes to stop the warlords rule once and for all. Although with Japan in flames and the death of his new born son, the lone ninja warrior must rethink his tactics if he is to succeed in his mission. Unfortunately, Goemon soon finds himself cornered with nowhere to go, staring death in the face at the hands of another warlord known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi. And finally, in Resurrection, after being saved by legendary ninja Hattori Hanzo, Goemon sets out on a new journey of revenge against Hideyoshi – although this time, with a bit of an advantage since he has been officially declared 'dead'...

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There's something quite beautiful about watching classic Japanese cinema in black & white, especially when set during a period when electric wasn't available and natural light was the master of everything. And for a set of movies based around ninjas, mystery, and feudal Japan, this works so damn well. Of course, I'm under no illusion that those talented film-makers at the Daiei Motion Picture Company were great at lighting things too, which is the case here in the first three Shinobi movies – but what gorgeous visuals they have delivered. The first and second movies were directed by Satsuo Yamamoto, an interesting film-maker with a fascinating history that saw him survive the war and bounce from studio to studio due to his political views. Over the years, Yamamoto would deliver acclaimed titles such as War & Peace (1947), Streets of Violence (1950), Ballad of the Cart (1959), Zatoichi the Outlaw (1967), The Battle of Manchuria (1970) and many more. Of course, having previously made so many large scale war movies would prove to be helpful, as both Shinobi parts one and two both offer many similar scenes – large scale numbers of cast members and horses in battle, utilizing traditional weapons, guns and dynamite. As mentioned, both make for fantastic watches and are a great start to this lengthy and enjoyable film series. Equally as impressive is part three, this time directed by the prolific Kazuo Mori, the very same man behind classics such as Samurai Vendetta (1959), Bad Reputation Marketplace (1963) and it's sequels, Wrath of Daimajin (1966), A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key (1967), and a number of the Zatoichi movies as well as it's popular TV series that ran between 1974 and 1979.

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Of course, one of the major attractions for this series is it's star – the handsome and late Raizo Ichikawa - one of the biggest stars of his time. Throughout his short-lived career, this Kyoto born actor impressed in many films including The Loyal 47 Ronin (1958), Ambush At Iga Pass (1958), Kazuo Mori's Samurai Vendetta (1959), Satan's Sword (1960) and it's sequels, and hugely popular film series such as this and Sleepy Eyes Of Death (1963). Of course, I can't forget about his fantastic roles in Kon Ichikawa's 1963 classic An Actor's Revenge and The Sword just a year later. Unfortunately, in his mid-thirties, Raizo was diagnosed with rectal cancer which caused his physical strength to fade. Towards the end of his career and life, he would star in two more films for Kazuo Mori with the brilliant spy thrillers, A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key, in 1967 although would go onto appear in at least 7 more features until his passing in 1969. A fighter and professional until the end, this illustrious performer starred in over 150 titles throughout his career as well as countless theatre productions where he first made his name. Joining him throughout the first three Shinobi movies are stars such as the legendary Tomisaburo Wakayama, the Shogun assassin himself who is widely known as the lead in the popular Lone Wolf & Cub (1972) film series – that was later re-edited and released in the West as Shogun Assassin (1980) – as well as for his appearance in Ridley Scott's Black Rain (1989) opposite Michael Douglas, and in The Bounty Hunter collection, which was also released on Blu-ray by Radiance Films But it's worth pointing out that, in fact, Wakayama starred in almost 270 film and television productions throughout his career, right up to his death in 1992. Here, as Oda Nobungaga, Tomisaburo does another fantastic job as the wicked warlord who is determined to rule the kingdom. Both are joined by Shiho Fujimura as Maki, an actress that worked with Raizo many times over the years, Sanjuro (1962) actor Yunosuke Ito, prolific actor and Akira Kurosawa regular Ko Nishimura, the equally prolific So Yamamura from Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Eijiro Tono, Yutaka Nakamura, Shigeru Amachi, Ayako Wakao, and the prolific Saburo Date as Hattori Hanzo. Of course, many of these actors would cross paths in countless productions throughout the 60s and 70s – namely the Zatoichi and Lone Wolf & Cub titles...

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All in all, three fantastic ninja movies that follow the legend of Ishikawa Goemon; a historical figure and folk hero of Japan that is said to be similar to that of Robin Hood – only a little more deadly in the grand scheme of things. His own death is said to have happened much like that seen at the start of the third chapter – boiled to death in a cauldron, although along with his son, in front of the general public so as to set an example. It doesn't bear thinking about, but as expected, there's some artistic licensing going on here as we see the secrets of how he evaded that brutal execution. A wonderful introduction to the classic ninja series, this first box set of Shinobi from Radiance was well worth the pennies. The films are accompanied by a limited edition collectors booklet, six postcards and a host of extras such as a great interview on Raizo Ichikawa with film critic Tashiaki Sato, another on director Satsuo Yamamoto with Tokyo International Film Festival director Shozo Ichiyama, and a wonderfully put together video essay on ninjas in Japanese cinema by Mance Thompson, as well as trailers for each of the films. A wonderful start to the series that makes me very excited for volume two!

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Overall: Beautifully made and wonderfully restored, the first Shinobi collection of classic movies is worth a place in any true film fan's collection!

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Radiance Films Blu-ray Extras: Interview ith Shozo Ichiyama on director Satsuo Yamamoto, Interview with Toshiaki Sato on Raizo Ichikawa, Video Essay on Ninjas in Japanese Cinema, Trailers

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Watch my unboxing for this Radiance Films release HERE