Whipmaster: Ballad of Murder (1970).
Ryotatsu (Bunta Sugawara), the blind whip-wielding nemesis of Shinkai, hero of the Wicked Priest film series, gets his own solo film outing this time.
Ryotatsu comes upon a blind boy, Rintaro, who is abandoned at a temple by his mother. Feeling sympathy for the boy, Ryotatsu takes Rintaro on the road to search for the mother. During this time, Ryotatsu teaches Rintaro how to live and function with his blindness.
They meet assorted unsavory types during their travels, including yakuza, corrupt army officials, and other no-goodniks, all with the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 in the background. There's plenty of blood and action when Ryotatsu gets riles up, as is to be expected from any film in this series.
Ryotatsu is portrayed in a more sympathetic and heroic light as opposed to how he normally appears in Shinkai's adventures. Bunta Sugawara does his usual superb job in the role, especially as he's given so much more to do this time around.
Whipmaster was released between Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back (1970) and Wicked Priest 5: Breaking the Commandments (1971). And where is Shinkai during all of this? I suppose he's on vacation, but Shinkai actor Tomisaburo Wakayama was not. He plays a doctor who may be able to cure Rintaro's blindness. It's a minor role, but Wakayama-san still manages to snag a prominent spot on the poster (that's him in the Santa Claus wig and beard).
