Orochi (film)

Orochi , Orochi? is a 1925 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment directed by Buntar Futagawa. It is the most popular and beloved film of Tsumasabur Band, featuring the star at the height of his fame.

The kinetic sword fighting scenes masterfully performed by Band were novel in an age when kabukistyle, leisurely and dignified movies were the norm. This style was passed onto modern chambara films. Additionally, the sword fighting styles aesthetic value is slightly lost in Orochi due to the pace at which the fight scenes were filmed fastforward motion. Due to the kabuki style, the makeup on the characters transformed them into almost identical representations of ukiyoe woodblock prints, a major Japanese art form.The original title of the movie was supposed to be Outlaw, but the Japanese censors and police banned the it, because the depiction of an outlaw as a hero was seen as very dangerous. The title was later changed to Serpent, describing how Bando Tsumasaburo wiggles when he fights back and how, even in death, a serpent looks terrifying. Confused, the censors allowed the title. ........

Source: Wikipedia