Invisible Swordsman, The (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Aug 20, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
-
Director
Yoshiyuki KurodaRelease Date(s)
1970 (June 24, 2025)Studio(s)
Daiei Film (Arrow Video)- Film/Program Grade: C-
- Video Grade: B-
- Audio Grade: B-
- Extras Grade: B+
Review
Essentially a blending of the jidaigeki (period drama) and tokusatsu (special effects) genres of Japanese cinema, The Invisible Swordsman (Tomei kenshi) was Daiei Studios attempting to make a lighthearted children’s fantasy, having already had great success with the Gamera and Daimajin series, respectively. Released in 1970 in Japan as part of a double bill with Gamera vs. Jiger, as well as the US (though briefly and sporadically), it’s otherwise been absent, especially on home video.
In a small village, Sanshiro is training to become a great swordsman like his father, though because of his cowardice, he doubts his own abilities, despite his father’s support. One night a roaming gang of phantom thieves kills his father, and while standing at the ghostly waterway to the afterlife, the Sanzu River, Sanshiro swears to find his father’s killer and take his vengeance against him. He then encounters the ghostly Shōkera, who appears to aid Sanshiro by providing him with a recipe for an invisible potion, which he must gather the ingredients for. Though his invisibility is only temporary, he successfully infiltrates the thieves’ hideout, inching closer to his intended purpose.
The positives of The Invisible Swordsman are mostly in its cinematography and special effects, laying down a spooky atmosphere during sections that take place at the Sanzu River. However, despite being aimed at children, it falls mostly flat when it comes to the humor. In fact, the film is mostly tone-deaf, jumping from one over-the-top “invisible” set piece in which Sanshiro terrorizes his adversaries in comical fashion to dark and serious content with the thieves and the afterlife material. Never mind that the larger than life performances are not just punctuated, but invaded entirely by a mix of happy children’s choir and buffoonery-laden music. As a consequence, the mystery as to whom the thieves are and who murdered Sanshiro’s father winds up being not all that intriguing.
To no one’s surprise, there were no further Invisible Swordsman films. It seemed to be an attempt to start up a possible new series, but it ultimately went nowhere, partly due to Daiei going bankrupt. When watching the film today, one must try very hard to remember that it was aimed squarely at children, trying to be a blithesome supernatural romp without getting bogged down too much in the details of the plot. Unfortunately, that it’s major flaw, and it doesn’t hold up because of it. Some light chuckles or even a smile or two may be had along the way, but even at 78 minutes, it feels its length.
The Invisible Swordsman was shot by cinematographer Hiroshi Imai on 35mm film, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video brings the film to Blu-ray for the first time, which has been authored by Chris Anderson of The Engine House Media Services and QC’d by Aidan Doyle of Finlay Fox, and presented on a dual-layered BD-50 disc. First and foremost, this is an inherited HD master from the Kadokowa Corporation, and though Arrow has done their best to make it look as good as it can, encoding it at a high bitrate that often sits between 30 and 40Mbps, it’s a flawed presentation. Frequent scratches and speckling are present, as well as an unnatural layer of grain, which appears much too tight and smooth to be wholly organic. Color temperatures are sometimes uneven, but when the hues are stable, they’re more than adequate. Density issues are also evident, and the whole of the presentation is flat without much depth (partly due to the cinematographer underlighting the dark interiors and nighttime scenes). However, it’s stable and quite watchable, regardless of its imperfections.
Audio is included in Japanese mono LPCM with optional newly-translated English subtitles. It’s clearly been cleaned up to lessen instances of hiss, though it’s still present depending upon the volume of the dialogue, score, or sound effects at any given time. Some mild crackle is also heard, and despite its lesser qualities, the track is well-balanced with decent fidelity.
The Invisible Swordsman on Blu-ray from Arrow Video sits in a clear Amaray case alongside a double-sided insert featuring new artwork by Jolyon Yates on one side (which is also used for the slipcover) and artwork from one of the film’s lobby cards on the reverse; as well as a 24-page booklet containing cast and crew information, the essay Now You See Me... by Zack Davisson, presentation information, production credits, and special thanks. The following extras are included on the disc, all in HD:
- Audio Commentary with Jonathan Clements
- The Invisible People: Kim Newman on The Invisible Swordsman (15:00)
- Phantom Fighter: Jasper Sharp on The Invisible Swordsman (26:36)
- Image Gallery (17 in all)
The audio commentary features Asian culture expert Jonathan Clements, author of many works on Asian cinema and history. He mightily delves into the film’s pros and cons, pointing out the use of the Manzai style of comedy. He examines the film’s plot, story mechanics, special effects, and acting styles, and also gives an overview of key members of the cast and crew. The Invisible People features an interview with film critic and author Kim Newman who delves into the history of invisibility in fiction, highlighting that films that feature invisible characters participating in sports events are essentially cheating, pointing out that films about invisible people almost always involve special effects, discussing how the definition of invisibility on film changes depending upon the subject matter, and indicating that Asian cinema didn’t make very many invisible films, swordsman or otherwise. In Phantom Fighter, film critic and Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp delves into the history of Daiei in relation to The Invisible Swordsman, specifically the kinds of films that they produced and released before turning to special effects-driven cinema, prior to delving into aspects of the film itself. Last is an Image Gallery containing 17 stills of lobby cards.
Even with any and all of The Invisible Swordsman’s shortcomings, not to mention the lesser qualities of its Blu-ray presentation, the overall package and bonus materials are quite good and worth the purchase price alone. It’s also a film that’s mostly been impossible to come by, so having nothing else to compare it to, it’s the best, if only, release of the film on the market.
- Tim Salmons
(You can follow Tim on social media at these links: Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, and Letterboxd. And be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel here.)