Samurai Spy (1965)

Stars	User	Rating
3	TheDenizen	80 _84th
Awesome ninja action. This flick introduces all the cool ninja conventions that were staples by the time the 80's came along and ninja flicks were being cranked out by the dozen. Reverse jumping, shuriken flurries, rope darts, it's all here and filmed with incredible style. The plot is a little convoluted and deals with samurai politics in the wake of the Battle of Sekigahara, but it doesn't really matter. This flick is more concerned with making ninjas look cool as fuck. Mission accomplished.
3	Nathan S	4 _74th
Eleven years after first viewing this, I did a complete turnabout. This movie is awesome. Nevermind the flurry of characters and factions. It's not hard to comprehend the bigger picture. What matters is how this film aestheticizes and transposes Cold War intrigue into chanbara with terrific flair. The shadowy cinematography, creatively choreographed action sequences, a characteristically unorthodox Takemitsu score. Espionage, ninjutsu. It's all just so cool.
1	joseywales	73 _66th
Samurai, Ninja, Spies and Gratuitous Breast Shots -- what more can anyone ask for from mid-60's chambara? The story is very convoluted and the script very wordy, the direction: interesting. Worth a watch, but not Great.
1	Mentaculus	78 _68th
There's no need to try to understand any of the plot. The plot is not the focus nor the point. Listen to the score, take in the chiaroscuro, and appreciate the hyper-reality of it all.
1	deep_green	75 _75th
As per usual with Shinoda in my experience, his films tend to cohere stylistically very well, and the expert cinematography here is case in point. But with such detached characters, a bunch of details to the plotting that aren't very involving, and the mesmerising sensory impact of the music and camera-work its easy to stop caring about what the hell is going on. But it's a very cool and stylish ninja movie.

Average Percentile 56.75% from 99 Ratings