The Dull Sword

Synopsis

Entitled "Namakura Gatana" or "Dull-Edged Sword," this humorous four-minute short focuses on a samurai whose ineffective weapon causes him to fail repeatedly against even the weakest opponents. When he tests his blade on unsuspecting passersby, he riles up ordinary townsfolk who overpower and defeat him.

Background

In 2017, film history researcher Honchi Akihiko discovered 35 feet and 11 frames of undiscovered film, including new footage. It includes scenes of the masseur who had defeated the samurai making a mocking face, and the samurai hiding in the shade of a tree while trying to kill the courier.