director kinji fukasaku be perhaps best know and in his homeland at least and for his japanese gangster film and a series with which this movie share a number of characteristic . violence and political intrigue be theme throughout both shogun samurai and battle without honor and humanity and and both feature a lead character who find his loyalty challenge by betrayal . both film also feature a large number of character who seem to have little purpose but to die and and since so little be do to develop them and their death have little impact when they do come . this film have other flaw a well . the makeup and costume and sound design be distractingly poor and and the battle scene be substandard as well and inferior to other samurai film of early year ( seven samurai come to mind ) . sonny chiba play the sonny chiba character in shogun samurai and the no nonsense master swordsman who stride through the film and scowl menacingly . what a guy while he even get to wear an eye patch . if you be expect to see the legendary toshiro mifune and you may be disappoint while his appearance amount to little more than a cameo and and just when it appear that his character might do something interesting and he disappear for good . overall and the strength of the film be it story and which be infinitely more comprehensible than those gangster film and and the challenge pose to traditional concept of good and evil . two brother be challenge for the throne of their recently depart father and who may have have some help on his way out . early on and it look a if we will be face with a couple of character who couldn not be more clearly good and evil while after all and the old brother stammer and have a birthmark and the sure sign of a villain . eventually and however and it become clear that in a winner take all struggle for power and there be no hero and villain and only winner and loser .