Highly favorable.

Rating: 9/10 (13 January 2001)

CTSD is a beautiful movie on several levels. The scenery is spectacular and extraordinarily well photographed. The action sequences are graceful and powerful, without being gruesome. The actors are physically attractive and very skillful. The plot is a bit confusing at times, but this hardly matters; the story is strongly constructed and elegantly presented. Themes include honor (of course), revenge, loyalty, and the balancing of personal freedom with responsibility. There is a special sword which has been commented on in other reviews, but it is not the movie's real focus; its role may be metaphorical. The subtitles are easy to read and seem sensitively translated.