This is an extended version of the introduction I gave to this film at  Pirmoji Banga 2022. Read my full report on the festival here.

Orochi, AKA The Serpent, is an unforgettably modern Japanese film from 1925. It combines a grim vision of a society rendered dysfunctional by feudalism, a portrait of one man’s existential crisis and yes, some fast and very furious swordfighting action.

This is a transitional film, coming between the early samurai films, which were more sedate and used the techniques of kabuki theatre, including heavy makeup and benshi narration, and the later style of samurai film, the chambara films, heavy on swordfighting action, that would become so popular in in the middle of the 20^th century. The fight sequences in this film are often so frenetic that you can barely see how much is going on. And yet, this film is an action film with a rare degree of realism.