Daibosatsu toge: Dainibu (Swords in the Moonlight Part 2). 1958. Japan. Directed by Tomu Uchida. Screenplay by Katsuhito Inomata. With Chiezo Kataoka, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yumiko Hasegawa. In Japanese; English subtitles. 105 min.
In the second episode of Uchida’s trilogy, samurai Ryunosuke’s circumstances change: now blinded, he struggles to make a living as a mendicant flute-player. Otoyo, a woman whose husband was killed by Ryunosuke, works to raise money to fund his eye treatment. In this episode, Ryunosuke’s vulnerability allows actor Chiezo Kataoka to create an unusually sympathetic portrait of the antihero. 35mm print courtesy of Toei, Co.