This title is also available in the following box set: Rebel Samurai:
Sixties Swordplay Classics
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Licensor Information
Shochiku
Directed by: Hideo Gosha
Legendary swordplay filmmaker Hideo Gosha’s Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of the low-level swordsman Gennosuke, who kills one of his ministers as part of a reform plot. His former comrades then turn on him, and this betrayal so shakes his sense of honor that he decides to live in the wild, like an animal. There he joins up with a motley group who are illegally mining the shogun’s gold, and, with the aid of another swordsman, gets a chance not just at survival but to recover his name and honor.
Streaming Options
21538.
+16309
Stream
2
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
DVD
Disc:
DVD-9 (1 Disc)
Total: 1 Disc
Regions:
1 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1
Audio Options:
Japanese Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Resolution:
480p/29.97
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Insert
- Insert featuring a new essay by Japanese-film and culture critic Patrick Macias
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Film
Picture
Audio
Supplements
Artwork
Release Credits
Artwork: Eric Skillman
Producer: Jason Altman
Producer: Heather Shaw
Release Notes on Restoration
Sword of the Beast
Sword of the Beast is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Black bars at the top and the bottom of the screen are normal for this format. This new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from the composite 35mm fine-grain print. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. To maintain optimal image quality through the compression process, the picture on this dual-layer DVD-9 was encoded at the highest-possible bit rate for the quantity of material included.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the optical fine-grain print, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1 -channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the optical fine-grain print, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1 -channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.