I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Three Outlaw Samurai is an incredibly accomplished debut feature from acclaimed director, Hideo Gosha. Dealing with familiar samurai themes of honour and loyalty the film distinguishes itself from the competition due to its unwavering cynicism.The film follow three different samurai warriors. Each who are different type of the loyal swordsman. But you could ask. Loyalty to whom? Loyalty to a system you in your heart believe is wrong? Is it your duty to fight for a cause that not many people are willing to risk their lives for? And who's lives are worth sacrificing for the sake of the greater cause? There's also a great deal of mistrust for authorities in the film. I suspect that is one of Hideo Gosha's trade marks, together with not being that interested in portraying the samurai as just a honorable code follower. This being more a film about class and empathy than anything else, and it's all quite interesting if you consider the small scale socialistic revolution that's going on here.The film is doesn't shy away from showing the violence. In modern action films they cut fast through the action. Here, you can follow the action without having too many unnecessary cuts. It feels like the characters is actually fighting, not that it is staged which makes it more realistic.The cinematography was excellent. I was also impressed by how well the film was shot. That the contrasts between black and white resemble the appearance of a clean chessboard. Everything is so marvelously framed, and the camera so exquisitely balanced. With intrepid camera stunts that range from panoramic landscapes to long horizontal tracking shots, that the action, tension, betrayal, terror and even the heartwarming moments are brought to their full audience-involvement capacity. It maximizes the potential for such a simple plot. Not a single second is wasted, as all events portrayed are of understandable importance to the evolution of the story, with a timing that never bores or irritates.It was also apparent that Three Outlaw Samurai has been a major influence on all of the samurai films that we see today. I also read that this is an inspiration for Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Hope the fight scenes in The Last Jedi are similar to the final fight scene in this movie.In the end this is a movie where not a single person is to be trusted. It is a bloody, deceitful, beautiful film. I highly recommended!

Viewed on DVD. Restoration = ten (10) stars. Director Hideo Gosha has conjured up yet another version of a samurai sub-cultural way of life in this 1964 photo play. The interactions between different food-chain classes of sword swingers and different/aberrant samurai honor codes within the same samurai class make for welcomed breaks between typical (more or less) slashing scenes. The plot revolves around three samurai who are torn between the plight of the down trodden (as usual) peasants (here the lowest of the low class from which these samurai seemed to have emerged (and would probably like to--but can not--forget) and the local rulers who pay slasher salaries. (What might make for a far more interesting script would be to explore how peasants managed to become skilled and educated samurai equal to those who have inherited samurai class standing). Acting is for the most part dynamic (and not role-based stereotypical--facial expressions are hard to forget), and directing/editing is first rate. Cinematography (wide-screen, black and white) and scene lighting are excellent. Music is a bit jarring, but otherwise OK. Subtitles seem reasonably close to the actual dialog which is a challenge to always comprehend due to the use of regional slang. Worth watching once. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Gosha was the Don Siegel of Japan, an artist of action, a poet of mêlée. So it is with this newly restored early picture of his, now available from Criterion in blazing black and white. Typical sam fare: clunky plot, great sword work, cool flourishes (like blowing dust giving mythic quality to climactic duel, or the use of blood to punctuate kills, never overdone but extremely dramatic.) Extremely enjoyable, it turns out to be an "origins" tale in which we learn how the three outlaws (if Japanese TV fame) came together. Briefly, seems wandering ronin decides to throw in with peasant reformers who've kidnapped magistrate's daughter for leverage on tax reform, and one way or other, the two others come to his side and ultimately they face off in duels and battles with magistrate's own ronin, soldiers, various thugs and creeps. Lots of racing, slicking, sword fighting in flip-flops and bathrobes. What did somewhat shock me was the utter disregard the movie shows for women. They are used up and tossed aside like Kleenex, with no regret or mourning or much in the way of grief. At least three are murdered or commit suicide, and two more dumped. I know this is emblematic of Japanese society in early '60s, but even so, it seems a little overdone here. I don't like to judge then by the standards of now, but even if gals were objects in '64, by those standards Gosha goes a bit overboard.

In some ways, this film might be a bit anachronistic. I really am not sure it such an event might have happened--particularly with the code of Bushido putting such a premium to authority. But you sure would HOPE that it might have happened! The film begins with a small group of peasants holding the magistrate's daughter hostage. After all, his taxes are literally starving the peasants and he would seem to care nothing about their plight. So, in their minds, doing something as insanely foolish as the kidnapping seemed like only hope. It just happens that three ronin (unemployed samurai) arrive in town about that time. One agrees to work for the evil magistrate, one assists the kidnappers and one stands back...at least at the onset. Eventually, though, because of repeated lies and infamy by the magistrate, the three samurai eventually are drawn together as there is something even higher and more important that obedience--doing what is right.There is a lot more to the story than this and it comes off like a western that has been relocated to feudal Japan. However, it is so much better than just that--with exceptional acting, action and plot. In many ways, it plays like a typical Zatoichi film merged with the Kurasawa film "The Seven Samurai". Exciting, entertaining and tough--this is one of the better sword and samurai films I've seen--and I have seen hundreds (a lot for an American).Simple, exciting and very effective.