Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji

A 1955 samurai fable directed by Tomu Uchida, Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji tells the story of a master named Kojuro (Eijirō Kataoka), who travels the road to Edo with two servants—Genta (Daisuke Kato) and Genpachi (Chiezo Kataoka)—the latter a spear carrier. Along the way, they encounter all sorts of people and situations: a pilgrim, a policeman looking for a thief, a father intent on selling his daughter into prostitution, and a singer with her child. A young orphaned boy, Jiro (Motoharu Ueki), begins traipsing after Genpachi, finally revealing that he wants to grow up as a spear carrier. Genpachi takes Jiro under his wing, and the road movie is soon enlivened with many comic and dramatic circumstances, including a roadside tea break for three silly nobles who hold up foot traffic, and a grim showdown between Kojuro and a militant band of samurais over a breach in class-conscious decorum. Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji is an engaging itinerant tale featuring travelers with diverse motivations, needs, and morals. Extras include audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp, interviews, and a discussion of director Uchida by French film critic and programmer Fabrice Arduini. Recommended. (T. Keogh)