Castle of Owls (1963) Ninja hicho fukuro no shiro | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Presented in 1080p with English subtitles

Title: Castle of Owls (1963)

Alternate Title: Ninja hichô: Fukurô no shiro

Genre: Action, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Set during the late Sengoku period, the Iga ninja clan plans to assassinate the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, to avenge past atrocities. Master spy Juzo Tsuzura is assigned the mission but must first confront a former Iga ninja turned traitor and navigate the complexities of a treacherous woman attempting to seduce him.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Eiichi Kudo
• Cast:
  • Ryutaro Otomo as Juzo Tsuzura
  • Minoru Oki
  • Hizuru Takachiho
  • Chiyoko Honma
  • Choichiro Kawarazaki

IMDb Link:
Castle of Owls (1963)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Keith Rainville – ★★★☆☆
   “Iga province is annihilated by the Shogun, with the few surviving ninja scattered across feudal Japan. Square-jawed Ryutaro Otomo plays Juzo, who for ten years does nothing but train for the day of Iga’s revenge.”
2. DonMax – ★★★☆☆
   “In my honest opinion, all this is a metaphor for II W.W. and the post war era… I really like it.”
3. SubToretto – ★★½☆☆
   “The last 15 minutes of this has some neat ninja shenanigans. It even has a bolder visual style and a haunting, atmospheric tense score.”

Meta Description:
Castle of Owls (1963), also known as Ninja hichô: Fukurô no shiro, is a Japanese action-drama directed by Eiichi Kudo. The film follows master spy Juzo Tsuzura, portrayed by Ryutaro Otomo, as he undertakes a mission to assassinate ruler Hideyoshi Toyotomi, confronting betrayal and seduction along the way.