What was that body count, again? 47? (We devoted an entire viewing once to pinning it down.)

I’ve seen it a dozen times, and it’s mind-boggling to realize it’s only the start of the main character’s career.

Strongly recommended. Go see it now, if you don’t know it.

We once met Tatsuya Nakadai (main character, 1st photo) in the 70s at a screening at Japan House in NYC, and he stood up at the end — a small, dignified, man — to assure the audience (through a translator) that he wasn’t really like that. The audience broke up laughing.