D: Bernard Rose (Mr Nice, The Kreutzer Sonata, Ivansxtc, Candyman, Chicago Joe and the Showgirl).
S: Takeru Satoh, Nana Komatsu, Shôta Sometani, Hiroki Hasegawa, Ryu Kohata, Naoto Takenaka, Joey Iwanaga, Danny Huston.
What an original, refreshing take on the genre. Along with the swordplay, the film adds sports, politics and class conflict. The whole experience is artful, enhanced by a beautiful score by composer Philip Glass.