PATH OF BLOOD: PAPER CUT

I’ve long been a fan of animation of any sort. To think that some creative mind could find a way to bring to life a story using ink, paper or more is fascinating. So when I heard that a movie had been done using paper stop motion animation I was intrigued.

The story revolves around ancient samurai who were left to their own devices when the Shogun found no need for them any longer. Zazuo is one of those left behind, now a Ronin or samurai without a lord to command him. As he travels the countryside he makes a few friends and continues on until he learns of a place where warriors are needed, where he could once again serve a lord who would make use of his abilities.

But the path there is not for the meek or untrained. Along the journey he takes down the path he is confronted by various foes who will determine if he is worthy or not to reach the final destination. And that final destination involves a lord unwilling to make any compromise named Osamu. Will Zazuo’s sword skills be enough to earn him a place at Osamu’s side? Or will he even want that once he gets there?

The story here is a simple one but then there were a number of the classic samurai films in the past whose stories were simple. There was no need for convoluted tales when the ones being told fleshed out an entire film. The same holds true here as writer/director Eric Power uses the onscreen time (not to mention the pain staking laborious task of animating it all) to tell the story.

That someone could accomplish the animation this way is an amazing feat. While I’m sure SOUTH PARK has a team of animators working nonstop on each episode from all accounts Power was working alone to produce this film. That’s an amazing task and one done for love of what a person is doing. The enthusiasm he shows in the extras included here giving a behind the scenes look at what was involved prove this.

The end result is a movie that fans of samurai movies and animated films will be sure to enjoy. It isn’t the standard Friday night date movie, instead a film created for those who enjoy what is being offered. If you fall into that category then by all means make a point of picking this up and adding it to your collection.

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