Nemuri Kyôshirô: Joyôken

1964
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

213

YOUR RATING

Action Drama

This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the quite reluctant hero refuse to come to the assistance of a Japanese Christian in an age of both proselytizing and persecution, but later com... Read allThis film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the quite reluctant hero refuse to come to the assistance of a Japanese Christian in an age of both proselytizing and persecution, but later come around and render the services of his sword following a series of events, with the invol... Read allThis film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the quite reluctant hero refuse to come to the assistance of a Japanese Christian in an age of both proselytizing and persecution, but later come around and render the services of his sword following a series of events, with the involvement of a malevolent princess, that lay to bare hypocrisy in many forms.

Director
- Kazuo Ikehiro
Writers
- Kimiyoshi Hoshikawa
- Renzaburô Shibata
Stars

See production, box office & company info

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

213

YOUR RATING

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Trivia
Nemuri Kyoshiro body-count: 56.

Quotes
Bizen-ya the Merchant: Of all our goods, opium is the most profitable. It's all thanks to you, Dr. Muroya Jundo, official physician of the Inner Court. I can't thank you enough.
Dr. Muroya Jundo - Official Physician of the Shogunate's Inner Court: As men are forbidden in the Inner Court... many of its inmates suffer from their absence. That gave me the idea to devise a scheme employing opium. It began with Princess Kiku, then others... and it worked every time.
Bizen-ya the Merchant: Now however, Elder Mizuno is having trouble controlling her.
Dr. Muroya Jundo - Official Physician of the Shogunate's Inner Court: Yes, but she is the daughter of the Shogun... and so, it is difficult for anyone to order her around.
Bizen-ya the Merchant: Still, it's such a waste that all the beauties of the Inner Court... will die, one after another.
Dr. Muroya Jundo - Official Physician of the Shogunate's Inner Court: [scoffs] None of the women of the Inner Court are beautiful! They're nothing but pathetic pigs! Filthy and wicked!

Connections
Featured in The Hunted (1995)

User reviews5

Review

Featured review

5/10

Wow...they just get worse and worse...

In the first few Sleepy Eyes of Death films, the enigmatic character, Nemuri Kyoshiro. seemed a lot like Zatôichi. Both were nice guys who roamed Japan hoping to help others and right wrongs. However, after a few films, Nemuri seemed much more amoral and unpredictable--helping people sometimes and being amazingly callous and indifferent the next. He also began using sex as a frequent weapon. In this fourth installment, Nemuri is as amoral as ever--and by the end of the film, it seems that no one is particularly good or decent.

The film seems to be set at about the year 1600. During this era, Christians in Japan were being persecuted and crucified by the thousands. Nemuri refuses to help a Christian who appeals to him early in the film. Yet, oddly, later he helps him--making me a tad confused. At the same time, there is a princess who is an opium addicted sadist--taking delight in killing people--particularly pretty ones. Later, there is even a devil cult and a return of the smuggler in episode one. All in all, there are TONS and TONS of story elements, sex (though you see very little) and bad guys with many different masters and agendas. And, since sometimes Nemuri is kind and others a complete jerk, the film was far less satisfying for me. It just seemed like they tossed in everything but the kitchen sink into the film. The only particularly interesting part concerns the devil cult and how it all links to Nemuri.

Overall, the film was just too disjoint and had too much plot to interest me. I really think they had enough plots for two or three films here. To me, the series takes a serious nosedive.

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