Gokuaku bozu - Before Shogun Assassin came the Wicked Priest.
During the Taisho Period (Early 1920's), a monastery of warrior monks was split apart between two factions. One of these factions was led my the Chief Abbot, Shinkai. When Shinkai intercedes in a fight between a rival priest and some ruffians, it leads to his expulsion from the order.
This story introduced us to the character of Shinkai. a Karate Priest and his long running feud with Ryotatsu, his greatest rival. There are touches of humor as Shinkai breaks all the commandments of a priest, including fighting, gambling, and running after women. All this leads to an awesome conclusion as he must destroy a gang of yakuza aided by corrupt priests.
The fighting is fast and furious as Ryotatsu wants to see if Shinkai can live long enough to face him in the ultimate test.
Stars: WAKAYAMA TOMISABURO and BUNTA SUGAWARA
1968 - JAPANESE with OPTIONAL ENGLISH SUBTITLES - COLOR - 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN - 90 MINUTES
