Kuro no Tozoku - 1964 - Color - Widescreen - Extras
The late Okawa Hashizo plays a dual role, showing the full range of his acting ability. First, his wild side as the chivalrous robber Musashi Kotaro, who is called "The Thief in Black" Secondly, his highclass intelligence as Tachibana Jo, a direct retainer of the shogun known for his strong sense of justice. Set during the reign of Hidetada, the 2nd Tokugawa Shogun, we meet one of Shogun Hidetada's aides, Tachibana Jo, who has restructured the capital city of Edo, thus correcting the mismanagement by Honda Hidekatsu and Tankai Sojo. While the two supporters of the first shogun (Ieyasu) are planning to build a castle, "The Thief in Black" is welcomed by the townspeople during this time. "The Thief in Black" is a member of the Musashi Clan who had been deprived of their land by the Tokugawa Shogunate. They kidnapped Aamami Sojo to exchange him for land related to their Edo Castle plan. Jiro was an envoy to the peace negotiations, and much to their surprise, they found that Kotaro and Jiro looked almost alike. While everyone is taken aback by this, a major brawl occurs! Eventually, it is discovered that they are, in fact, twins! Director Inoue Umeji, who specialized in fast-moving ninja action has created one of his best works, a true ninja classic, made during Toei's heyday in the mid-1960's. DVD comes with removable English Subtitles and DVD Extras; "Origins of the Shinobi", "Shinobi History" and "Ninja Films and TV-Series".
