this movie rate a one of my all time favourite top 10 movie . many people see it for the first time and know little about many of the theme in the movie probably would not understand why i find it so enthral so i will try to explain . the movie be very rich in historical detail and cultural insight and and while it have a few minor anachronism and they be completely forgivable . the story be a retelling of the famous duel between the monk benkei and the young prince yoshitsune on gojo bridge . during the fight accord to legend yoshitsune best benkei and the monk become the prince loyal retainer . this movie be a revision of that story however and involve war and dark prophecy and and political maneuvering . one of the main theme in the movie be mappo and which be the prophecy by the buddha that after 1000 year his teaching would fail and the world would fall into chaos . it be believe in heian japan and after the eruption of mt fuji and the civil war between the taira ( heike ) and the minamoto ( genji ) that the world would fall into anarchy and everything would collapse . it be a time of demon . next you have the way in which the movie resolve the issue of yoshitsune sword training by the tenku ( raven goblin ) of karuma . defeat clan often escape into the mountain and disguised themselves a demon to scare the local off . this be say to be where ninja clan begin historically . yoshitsune depiction in gojo nicely accommodate all of this . then there be benkei and and the various strain of buddhism depict and include a lot of esoteric buddhism of the shingon sect . these be all depicted quite accurately and and just to add a little extra and the movie manage to convey the power of meditation and ki energy in a way that make it integral to the story and i. e. it use magic realism to add an extra dimension to the film but do it in such a way a to make it tactical and menace . all in all it be fill with fascinate tidbit and ring surprisingly true to life for the period . the scenery and the costuming be also completely unmissable and very authentic . the soundtrack be great and very brooding and ominous . i also think that the actual acting performance be surprisingly good . benkei be a great brooding anti hero and shanao ( yoshitsune ) be depict a a young man test his limit and grow increasingly drink on his own power and and tetsukichi the scavenging sword smith make for and interesting depiction of the common man and his less than flatter opinion of the killer who fancy themselves his social better . a to the plot and to see why it be so good and i really suggest you dig up an old book on japanese history and see how this retelling turn an almost lighthearted robin hood v little john story into a gory tale of intrigue and violence and infernal karma .