Hanzo the Razor: The Snare (1973) User Reviews

insanely wild, insensitive, a bit shocking!

[asinyne · 8/10 · 17 December 2007]

I am a huge Shintaro Katsu fan. He is mostly famous for portraying Zatoichi the blind swordsman in literally dozens of films and television episodes. Katsu is probably one of the greatest actors that ever lived and is absolutely the best action flick icon of all time. Hanzo the Razor is a fairly drastic departure from Zatoichi in many respects. Yeah, both both series of films are Samurai flicks and great ones but the characters and feel is very different. Zatoichi is basically a nice guy...sure hes a gambler, killer, bum, and woman chaser but he actually feels badly after he dices up a horde of bad guys. Hanzo is a lawman...a very dedicated lawman who will literally stop at nothing to do his job. He makes Matt Dillon look like Barney Fife. The Hanzo films are extreme to an outrageous degree. The blood flows like Niagara Falls, Hanzo has no problem torturing folks during interrogations, he does his own autopsies using mostly his fingers, and he his pretty much a rude jerk to everyone he encounters. During the course of this film Hanzo allows himself to be buried alive in order to infiltrate the bad guys' compound, he battles ninjas, hordes of thugs, a satanic witch giving abortions, evil nuns, corrupt government officials, macho samurai, and a gang of gnarly mass murdering thieves.

If all else fails....threats, torture, insults, etc. Hanzo rapes any woman who withholds information (including the good ones!!???) It seems that Hanzo's reproductive appendage is so enormous that any female will spill her guts to receive more of Hanzo's "pleasure" torture. Also nicknamed the "razor", our hero is the envy of all the other men in town....not to mention the most feared.

If you like Samurai flicks and you want something bloody, lurid, and featuring Shintaro Katsu you can't go wrong here. Not for the squeamish or easily offended...not hardly!!! I liked it but even I must say there were numerous scenes where I found myself thinking....you got to be kidding me...he didn't just do THAT????

A real can't miss for fans of Shintaro Katsu or Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman. While Hanzo the Razor is not the friendly blind guy it is fascinating just the same.

"she must be a slut, look at those dark nipples"

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 1 June 2005]

overly endowed Samurai who doesn't take sh^# from anyone is back in the sequel to "Sword of Justice". Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami ( Shintarô Katsu, best known for the Zatôichi films) returns with his two ex-con assistants to kick more ass, rape more women, train his penis more, more corrupt government officials, and generally do away with more evil doers. This one adds demonic abortions, S&M clubs, and the best looking bald chick this side of Lt. Uhura. A bit more perverse and a lot more violent, this film as well as the whole trilogy is only recommended for the more adventurous, but if you approach it with an open mind you will NOT be disappointed. NOT for the PC crowd, and all the better because of that. But sometimes more is less. The film feels more like a retread in spot, and not as good as the original or the third one, but still watchable, even if it's the worst of the series.

My Grade: C+

DVD Extras: Merely Trailers for all 3 Hanzo the Razor films

Eye Candy: 18 breasts. 1 ass

Hanzo is back, in a sequel that is sleazier and gorier than the first.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 6 January 2010]

Proud and well-endowed Edo lawman Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami (Shintarô Katsu) returns for a second adventure, this time directed by Yasuzo Masumura, who makes his movie even more depraved (and therefore even more enjoyable) than Kenji Misumi's reasonably sleazy first instalment, Sword of Justice.

This time around, Hanzo leads an investigation into the death of a young woman, who underwent an abortion procedure shortly before carking it (Hanzo arrives at this conclusion by shoving two fingers up her bloody cooch; Sherlock Holmes, he ain't!!). Suspecting the involvement of a local priestess, Nyokai, who is known to help ladies 'in trouble', Hanzo sneaks into the Kaizan temple, where he discovers the existence of an operation that caters for rich traders willing to pay handsomely to carry out acts of sexual perversion.

At his personal torture chamber, Hanzo ruthlessly interrogates the priestess, but when inflicting pain fails to make her talk, he decides to use another method to loosen her lips (phnarr, phnarr!): he unleashes the beast in his pants. This does the trick, for once a woman has felt the pleasure of Hanzo's massive schlong, it seems that she will do absolutely anything to prolong the experience. Unable to control herself, Nyokai gives Hanzo the name of the man who is profiting from her nefarious activities: Lord Treasurer Okobo.

With his hatred of corruption, and a total disregard for authority, Hanzo is determined to bring the evil official to justice, but must first apprehend Japan's most wicked thief, Shobei Hamajima, who is planning to steal the gold from the Edo mint.

Technically, Masumura's film is superb, with excellent direction, beautiful photography, well choreographed swordplay, an excellent funky soundtrack, and a plot that I found easier to follow than Sword of Justice, despite being just as convoluted. And despite the fact that The Snare recycles many of the elements from the first film, it's more outrageous sex and gore guarantees another thoroughly satisfying experience for those exploitation fans who enjoyed the original: as in Sword of Justice, Hanzo subjects himself to bizarre tests of endurance, rigorously working out his wang by beating his meat and rogering rice bails, but he also places his legs under massive weights, almost breaking his bones; once again, Hanzo offs a horde of attackers with his booby trapped house, only this time there is a lot more blood (there is also some extreme arterial spray during a nasty robbery by Shobei and his gang); and of course, there is plenty of misogyny and violent sex, and the depiction of rape—particularly as a pleasurable experience for the victim—proves to be even more unsettling than before.

Deranged sleaze samurai sickie that will eat your mind!

[Jens-28 · 30 September 1999]

This is the 2nd movie in the Hanzo The Blade trio of wonders. It's made by the people who made the classic "Lone Wolf And Cub" gorefest series but it's much more sick. Good production values, beautifully shot and acted make this sickie even more extreme. Our "hero" is a twisted Dirty Harry samurai who make (female) criminals talk with the help of his HUGE PENIS!!! In Part 1 you see him "training" his member with ricedolls, big rocks and boiling water!?! The women always hate it at first but then starts enjoyin' it, Hanzo then stops and they ask for more, and they get it only if they give him the information he needs!?! Sexist and stupid but utterly hilarious and fascinating. All three movies are bizarre mindblowin' masterpieces. A must for brave thrillseekers who think they have seen everything. As politically incorrect as you get! Japanese Trash Cinema rules!!!

A Tender Romance

[masercot · 7/10 · 1 May 2006]

From the dead naked girl in the beginning of the movie to the naked and bald abortionist, this movie delivers whatever fetishes you cannot find elsewhere. And, for those of you who like rape, there is rape...

Shintaro Katsu has created a character that is at the same time highly moral and deviant. He fights his way up the ladder of government officials to find the most corrupt. Along the way, he kills, rapes and hides in a closet for a while.

Who should see this movie? Any male for who Mathew Broderick is an abomination and any woman under the age of twenty five who listens to industrial goth (and can read the subtitles). This movie is NOT for those with "standards"...

Hanzo The Razor Returns In This Brilliantly Sleazy Sequel

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 9/10 · 7 May 2008]

When I first saw the Japanese Exploitation highlight "Gôyokiba" aka "Hanzo The Razor - Sword Of Justice" (1972) it became an instant favorite of mine. I was therefore more than excited to see the sequels, and after a long search, I finally found them recently. The first "Goyokiba" was already brilliantly crude and as politically incorrect as it gets, and I therefore was surprised that this first sequel "Goyôkiba; Kamisori Hanzo jigoku zeme" aka. "Razor 2: The Snare" is even sleazier. Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami, brilliantly played by the immortal Shintaro Katsu, is an incorruptible Samurai-constable in feudal Japan, who despises corruption and the spoiled aristocracy, and loves to insult his superiors... The 'Hanzo' films have a wonderfully crude, sexist and incorrect humor that must be the nightmare of moralists and feminists (in case they have no sense of humor). Hanzo, who, aided by his two assistants, regularly submits to self-torture in order to improve his own torture skills, interrogates female suspects by raping them. And they immediately fall for him, due to his enormous sexual powers and his huge penis, which he trains in grotesque rituals. After "Sword Of Justice", genius director Kenji Misumi, who had also directed Shintaro Katsu in some of the "Zatoichi" films, went on to direct the (even more brilliant) "Kozure Ôkami" ("Lone Wolf And Cub") films starring Katsu's equally great brother Tomisaburo Wakayama. Yasuzo Masumura therefore replaced Misumi in the director's chair for the sequel, and he sure did an outstanding job. "The Snare" is even sleazier than the first Hanzo flick, and a lot gorier. While it is maybe just not quite as comical as the first film, it features even more perversions and weird fetishes, sleazy tortures and quite a bit more gore. Shintaro Katsu, one of my personal favorite actors is once again brilliant in the role of Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami. Katsu does not play Hanzo, he IS Hanzo, one of the coolest (anti-)hero characters ever. The film is full of eccentric characters, and supporting cast is also great. The film, which has a cool, funky score (not quite as funky as in the first, but still), delivers loads of wicked sleaze, stylishly bloody carnage with crafty secret weapons, and a sort of humor that is about as crude and brilliant as it gets. "Razor 2: The Snare" is brilliant Chambara-Sleaze and pure Exploitation-Gold that no lover of Cult-cinema could possibly afford to miss!

" If real justice is what you seek, you might think twice about calling the law "

[thinker1691 · 10/10 · 17 September 2009]

Across the centuries in far off Japan, there's a series of films which I must admit I never gave much notice to. Here is one which caught my attention. It's called " The Razor " and are you in for a sober awakening when you see it. It's the story of an usual 'Lawman' assigned to a district in Japan. His name is Hanzo (Shintaro Katsu) or 'The Razor.' Although I learned there are several chapters in the series, this one is called "The Snare." Each segment explains he is a officer, but one has to be careful to apply it to our hero as he administers the law according to his own sense of morality. He is ill tempered with both his superiors and constituency. His boss considers him a loose cannon and is essentially correct as all classes within his jurisdictions are fearful of him. When on a case, few things prevent him from investigating all aspects. The corrupt nobility as well as low life thugs are fair game. The women of his cases have heard of his reputation and fear not only his steel, but also his personal sword as he uses both with incredible dexterity. The rich and powerful decide they cannot buy him, and employ their own reputable Samuri called "The Snake" (Magobei Onishi) to stop his investigation. Now Hanzo will face a skilled sword as dangerous as his. The film, the cast and story may have a long way to go before it measures up to American standards, but while watching it, little of that matters as we follow our hero as he assaults, kidnaps, tortures, kills and rapes his way to justice. A far cry from the usual, but a Classic non-the-less. Not recommended for the squeamish or easily offended. *****

PART 2 - My Personal Favorite Of The Trilogy

[EVOL666 · 8/10 · 20 February 2006]

This installment of the HANZO trilogy has all the samurai swordplay and rape torture that we've come to expect from our renegade officer - and it's all turned up a notch in THE SNARE...

This one starts with Hanzo's attempt to close down a mystical abortion practitioner - and leads to a convent that offers up it's girls for S&M play to the highest bidder. Finally Hanzo's adventures lead him to a mission to bring down a notorious thief, and also a high-ranking and greedy Treasurer who's cutting gold for his own ends.

THE SNARE has all the elements that SWORD OF JUSTIC had, it just lays it on a little thicker. More swordplay, more sleazy sex and rape interrogation - basically all the good stuff made a little heavier. Definitely recommended for the series fan, or for anyone who digs martial-arts/samurai/pinky-style films - 8.5/10

Amazingly sick stuff....

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 15 March 2009]

Warning: This is one of the most amazingly adult and disturbing films I have seen in a very long time! Despite it appearing on The Independent Film Channel, the content is far more adult than what you'd normally see on this cable channel. Don't say I didn't warn you!!

I am a huge fan of the Zatoichi series, so it's not surprising that I decided to watch the first Hansho the Razor film. However, instead of playing a combination of a ronin (a master-less traveling samurai) and social worker like Zatoichi, here in Goyôkiba, Shintarô Katsu plays a policeman with very, very, very unorthodox methods---very, very, very ADULT and unorthodox methods. I was shocked to see that the nice character he once played was now into sadomasochism and spends much of his time torturing himself and doing amazingly brutal things to his penis in order to turn it into a...well,...a....super-penis, of sorts. If this wasn't disturbing enough, the reason for this (other than the fact he has found a way to masturbate that's MORE disturbing than auto-erotic asphyxiation) is that he uses his super-member to rape women as he questions them about crimes or pumps them for information (no pun intended). And, to play into the age-old rape myth, the ladies being brutalized by this all have immensely pleasurable climaxes and give themselves totally to this sicko cop.

Considering how offensive and sick the first film from the series was, it's actually pretty surprising I watched this second installment from the series. I guess part of me wondered if the other Hansho films could be as gross and sick as the first one. Well, while Hansho is still a very sick puppy, he rapes fewer and the film isn't as explicit as the first one. Now this isn't saying much, as it's still a very adult film with themes that should disturb people. Oddly, however, as I read through the comments, people seemed to like that this cop rapes women "who have it coming"!

This film has two plots that intersect. The first involves a temple which has been turned into a brothel by a government official. Instead of the usual Shinto nunnery, here the place is filled with ladies who have been drugged and are abused in all sorts of sadistic ways. While Hansho has no jurisdiction here, like Dirty Harry, he jumps right in because of his own sense of justice. However, as this justice involves taking the mistress of the nunnery captive and torturing and then raping her, he's an especially violent guy--far more than Clint Eastwood's character ever could have been. Naturally, however, the lady comes to love and need Hansho because he is apparently such a stud. A great message to tell the audience--torture and rape someone and they'll be your friend for life!!!

Later, Hansho is sent to defend a local mint from attack. While this seems like a totally different plot, the government official who sends him is the same one who ran the brothel AND this new assignment also calls for a rape--though the lady who is victimized seemed like she was innocent. Oh well, it's all in the line of duty! While still a sick movie and it's obvious that Shintarô Katsu is getting way too fat for this role (as evidenced by his bloated figure and his wearing the unsexiest underwear in the history of film), it's not as overtly explicit as the original and there is some decent martial arts action. Still, in hindsight I probably should have just changed the channel.

The Long "Arm" of the Law returns!

[mevmijaumau · 15 July 2015]

Moving onto the next adventure of everyone's favorite noble rapist hellbent on enforcing the law whether the corrupted system likes it or not, we have Hanzo the Razor: The Snare (original title translates to something like "Honorable Blade-Wielder: Hanzo the Razor's Hellish Prosecution", if Google Translate can be trusted), the second entry in the Kamisori Hanzo (Hanzo the Razor or Razor Hanzo, depending on whether you want to trust the title or the subtitles) trilogy. The second film is directed by Yasuzo Masumura, a prominent New Wave figure, while the cast returns, same as Kazuo Koike, who wrote the manga it's based on.

One thing you gotta love about these films is how they simply don't f*ck around when building the protagonist's macho image. Heroes of other films have weapons of choices like guns or swords, and similar phallic objects to assert their manliness on a symbolic, subconscious level. With Hanzo, there's no such thing - he's openly respected for his enormous schlong. The men envy him, the women succumb to him in the most un-PC way, there's just no screwing around with Hanzo.

The second film is sleazier and darker in tone than the first, and has a better story, but also recycles many of the elements from the first film. Unfortunately, the POV-shot of Hanzo's penis entering a woman's vagina (which is all shiny and colorful like the star-gate from 2001: A Space Odyssey) from the first film does not re-appear, but who needs that when you have a juicy plot full of corrupt government officials, a bald priestess who turns her temple into a S&M exhibition, a shaman abortionist and the obligatory cannon-fodder thugs who get decimated by Hanzo's bad-ass house. What else do you need?

The visuals continue to astonish, and some of the shots of the alleyway full of lit lanterns can easily stand up to those from Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern. The music is different this time, but I like this theme better, especially when it plays during the intro. It's such a serious, epic sounding theme which surprisingly fits the sight of Hanzo beating his d*ck with a stick and shoving it into a bag of rice. It sums up his grotesque manly ritual perfectly, especially when compared to the previous movie whose intro literally lasted 20 minutes.

The plot is pretty convoluted, but this time it's very entertaining and very easy to follow. We get comic relief provided through Hanzo's sidekicks and the retainer Snake Magobei, we get a bunch of villains and crazy characters, cool sword-fights, splendid editing visuals and sound. If you remove the rape scenes, this would probably be a samurai film classic.

if anything there is more blood and flesh on display in this one

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 17 February 2006]

More of the same in this sequel to Sword of Justice and it's just hard to believe it's not the same director. Much of the cast is the same, Hanzo is certainly the same and much of the torture, both the bloody sort and the sexual sort are the same and it still all works. We get a lady suffering the blocks this time and a reprise of the lady in the net lowering onto the big man's big.....

There is enough that's different to hold the attention and if anything there is more blood and flesh on display in this one. Helped once more by super cinematography, direction and editing, this is another fine mix of activities, plus even more disregard for the Japanese tendency to put up with almost anything for the sake of order and tradition.

Poor people can't survive, so they have to kill their babies.

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 19 September 2008]

It is hard to believe that this film was made in 1974 as it mirrors the circumstances of the US in the last 16 years. The abortion rate under Clinton's Presidency was lower than under the Bush administration. Why the difference? Read the quote above. If the poor can't buy rice, they don't have more children.

This all comes out as Hanzo (Shintarô Katsu) is investigating the death of a woman after an abortion. This investigation leads him Monk-style to a Temple where young girls are sold to wealthy businessmen for torture and rape, with an abortion business on the side. He captures the Priestess and tortures her before using the Hanzo technique to get her to talk.

His investigation is delayed while he is assigned to find Japan's greatest thief, who rapes and murders his victims. The thief is heading toward Hanzo's village. he hides in the mint to snare him. While there he manages to gather further evidence against the person benefiting from the Temple.

A big showdown with many dead at the hands of his sword, and both thieves are captured in fine Hanzo fashion.

Can't wait for the next adventure.

Not really a fan of this trilogy, and this is about as good as it gets

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 5/10 · 9 October 2021]

I mean, it's better than the first, because it might have been a tiny bit less gross and there was definitely more action, which I appreciated. All those traps and weapons he revealed in his house in the first are actually utilised here, which was cool.

Unfortunately, there's still a lot of gross and unpleasant stuff, and it doesn't really seem to serve a purpose or say anything truly insightful through such confronting material. Hanzo himself is still ridiculously unlikable, even if you can tell Katsu is giving it his all, and as such it's just hard to care when he's so gross in his behaviour and actions.

It drags in places, and even if it wasn't unpleasant it still wouldn't be great, but at least some of it works as a sort of "turn your brain off and enjoy" bloody action movie. If you want that kind of sleazy samurai film done well, though, which doesn't cross the line into being too uncomfortable, I'd recommend the Lone Wolf and Cub film series made around this time.

Amazing cinema!

[fertilecelluloid · 7 March 2005]

The Japanese make the world's most audacious movies -- then they send them to the mainstream. This is a sensationally original epic of swordplay, sexual savagery, bone dry comedy and rousing bloodshed. It is so well made and so damn courageous it brought tears to my eyes.

Hanzo (the legendary Shintaro Katsu) is a Samurai policeman who uses his penis to extract information from beautiful women involved in an illegal abortion racket. He keeps his penis is ship shape by beating it, burying it in coals and exercising it daily. The film's opening title sequence, cut to a magnificent score by Isao Tomita, shows Hanzo hard at work in his country lair preparing his penis for a week of hard work. Yasuzo Masumura's direction of this sequence is exquisite. He lovingly employs a gorgeously lit series of close-ups to convey the pride our hero feels for his preferred weapon of choice. The photography is truly splendid and the cutting way above par.

I adore this series. This installment is my favorite, but 1 and 3 are also brilliant examples of the kind of film-making you won't find evidence of in any other country in the world.

Sad

[adrineh_a · 1/10 · 14 September 2020]

The Henzo the Razor series of three movies present the lowest of low of men and bares their illusion of what the other 50 percent of humans cherish, love, and want. It's unfortunate that the actor who became beloved by his Zato Ichi series has chosen to produce and act such despicable series.