Two vagabonds, strangers to each other meet when their paths cross while wandering the countryside, they both soon become involved in the dramas of a local village, their fated destination. For Ginji (Kinnosuke Nakamura) a young headstrong restless soul bitter memories return, for he was exiled from this his home community some years before. Older and wiser is wanderer Sentaro (Rentarô Mikuni) who has moved on from his shady past, he has taken to Ginjil and now cares for him like a son...
This is a fabulous character driven film, a tale of multi facets , a superbly crafted early work from the creative hand of director Tai Kato. Opening with a credit roll musical intro. which surprisingly feels a bit like a mid 60s spaghetti western, each following scene is highlighted with marvellous mood enhancing music. Combined with beautifully composed b&w cinematography, some scenes are infused with an atmosphere distinctly nourish in tone.
Tai Kato surpassed the stereotyped expectation of the early Toei genre films, he transformed these pictures with a dramatic, darker undertone and drew out sensitive nuanced performances, Kato's art became highly influential for those prolific, excellent decades of Japanese cinema the 60s & 70s.
Working with low budgets , Kato's skill & cinematic mastery give each of his films a unique edge, every film an entertaining treat,
Kaze to onna to tabigarasu is no exception a true Classic of Japanese Cinema Highly Recommended !!!