By Mark Pollard | Published February 23, 2010

From a short story by author Shuhei Fujisawa, whose works have inspired THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI and LOVE AND HONOR comes HISSHIKEN TORISASHI, a new film from Toei and director Hideyuki Hirayama (SAMURAI RESURRECTION) that is being billed as a “hard-boiled samurai film.”

A samurai named Kanemi Sanzaemon (Etsushi Toyokawa), who is known for his original “bird catching” style of swordplay is pulled into a battle to the death when he kills a feudal lord’s mistress after she uses her influence to corrupt local politics.

Cast includes Etsushi Toyokawa, Chizuru Ikewaki, Fumiyo Kohinata, Naho Toda, Koji Kikkawa, and Ittoku Kishibe.

So far, four samurai films have been adapted from the literary works of Shuhei Fujisawa and they’re all modern classics that recall a time long past when Japan’s film industry was cranking out a steady stream of samurai masterpieces. Other big-screen adaptations include THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI, THE HIDDEN BLADE, THE SAMURAI I LOVED, and LOVE AND HONOR. By the looks of it, HISSHIKEN TORISASHI appears to be another high-brow diversion from the C-grade, bargain basement schlock and anime that generally amounts to action films in Japan these days.

HISSHIKEN TORISASHI is heading to theaters in Japan on July 10, 2010.

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