Like YOJIMBO and SANJURO, INCIDENT AT BLOOD PASS stars Toshiro Mifune as a ronin out to do good (though that's not really made clear until late in the going, which is okay). While the two aforementioned Kurosawa classics offer enough character and situational twists and turns to keep one guessing, INCIDENT AT BLOOD PASS is more linear and, therefore, much less engaging. It DOES boast a decent cast and some minor turns of its own, but it never quite achieves greatness. Of interest to fans of the genre is Shintaro Katsu as a villain. "Zatoichi," makes an excellent villain (he looks like a bearded Sammo Hung and, like Sammo, displays some surprising versatility). Not a bad entry, but not a world-beater, either.

I agree with much of the criticisms other reviewers have mentioned, in particular that Mifune's character seems more of a disinterested spectator throughout most of the film that he probably should have been, and that the ending was on the weak side. Despite that, I thought the slow revelation of the story was intriguing. You knew SOMETHING was going on beneath the surface, and the mystery kept me watching even through the slowest moments. The layered backstabbing and betrayal behind the whole heist was a bit confusing, and the last scene was ridiculous - an afterthought that was unworthy of the rest of the film (what the heck was Crow doing wandering around in a field, anyway?). Also unsatisfying was Yojimbo's inability to admit to his feelings for Okuni - I wanted to see some character growth result from the whole experience. Still, I will take the advice of the previous reviewer who suggested the film requires more than a single viewing to appreciate it.

firstly, i did enjoy this film and would recommend it. that said i find it to be a peculiar blend. it reminds me of a spaghetti western in many ways. this isn't necessarily bad, just odd. since leone's westerns owe something to the samurai genre maybe we just see some reverse leakage. we don't get the very long peering-into-the-sweating-pores close ups, and the unusual music isn't up to morricone's standards, though it is headed that way, but there is a bridge somewhere in here that the genres have met upon more than once. a further point is that i simply find samurai films done in color to be on the edge of lurid; my own limitation i suppose. lurid can be fun.the other oddness is that i felt part of the time as if i were watching a samurai adaptation of Agatha Christie's poirot working out the personal machinations of another sundry lot bent on the quotidian as some crime or other worked its way toward the surface of the social pool. this, too, is fine, as we seem to like the tried and true plot devices that have satisfied us previously.as i said, i did enjoy the film; it is fun, and i don't want to put anyone off. it will get watched again at this house.

INCIDENT AT BLOOD PASS (aka MACHIBUSE, 1970) is a period suspense drama set at a remote inn located at a crucial mountain pass in Tokugawa-era Japan. It takes the time-honored premise of gathering a motley cast of characters and forcing them into close quarters together as trouble brews before a major confrontation. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wandering `yojimbo' (bodyguard) who has been hired to go to this pass and wait for something to happen. Quite a number of intriguing characters show up before Mifune gets a chance to figure out what his mission is.Shintaro Katsu (known for playing the title role of the blind swordsman in the Zatoichi series) plays an exiled doctor to whom there is more than meets the eye. A young wife whom Mifune rescued from an abusive husband gets a job at the inn and falls for Mifune. A young gambler arouses the passions of the innkeeper's pretty granddaughter. A zealous constable arrives holding a con man prisoner and proceeds to repulse everyone with his overbearing arrogance. When two of the con man's confederates come to try to free him, Mifune sides with the constable and fights and kills one while the other gets away to alert his gang. When the gang arrives that night, they hold everyone in the inn hostage and, not long afterwards, Mifune learns his true mission.A lot of tension is generated as the characters gather, romances develop, alliances form, and the audience is kept guessing as to who's really who and what's really what. Eventually we learn that the criminal gang is waiting to rob a caravan of the Shogun's gold scheduled to come through the pass the next day and the stage is set for a major action setpiece.The film is structured like a play, with most of the action taking place within the sprawling mountain inn where the characters all congregate. It recalls any number of Hollywood crime dramas and westerns where gangsters or outlaws hold a group of people hostage for an extended period while the hero waits for his chance to turn the tables on them. The characters here are all fascinating and well-etched and the conflicts that emerge develop naturally and believably from the volatile mix. In addition, they're all extremely well acted in a piece that's beautifully photographed and staged.Unfortunately, the payoff for all the waiting and suspense is surprisingly weak. Fans of Mifune and samurai films routinely expect a major sword duel between the hero and his antagonist to close the film, but it never happens here. A good reason is given for averting the confrontation with Mifune's opponent (who will go unidentified so as to avoid a spoiler), but it leaves the audience hanging. The final action, when it does occur, is run through rather quickly, relegated to the simple matter of rounding up and apprehending the criminals rather than releasing any tensions or providing cathartic bursts of violence. The first 5/6 of the movie is so good that it remains worth seeing, but don't expect an action-packed finale. The film is available on tape in the U.S. in a beautiful letter-boxed transfer with English subtitles.