Daimajin

Daimajin, “great demon god” (大魔神) is the titular character from the Daimajin trilogy created by Daiei Film. All three movies in the trilogy — Daimajin, Return of Daimajin (Daimajin ikaru), and Wrath of Daimajin (Daimajin gyakushu) — were made in 1966 and were released months apart. Daimajin Kanon, a new television drama based on the films, premiered in Japan in 2010. It features a new Daimajin and takes place in modern-day Japan. Daimajin is a spirit who takes the form of a giant statue as a corporeal form. Daimajin appears to those who need his help and does not cease his crusade until peace has been achieved.

The movie opens with a household of peasants cowering during a series of earth tremors that are interpreted as the escape attempts of Daimajin, a spirit trapped within the mountain. The village gathers at their shrine. This is observed by the local feudal boss, Lord Hanabasa, a good and just man. It is also observed by his treacherous chamberlain, Samanosuke (Yutaro Gomi). Samanosuke has been waiting for just such a diversion to stage a coup d'état. As the villagers pray, Samanosuke and his henchmen slaughter Hanabasa and his wife, but their son and daughter escape, aided by the heroic samurai Kogenta (Jun Fujimaki). Back at the shrine, Samanosuke's men break up the meeting, forbidding all such gatherings in the future. The priestess issues a dire warning, but the men ignore her. Discouraged, the priestess, Shinobu, goes home, only to find Kogenta and the two children. She takes them up the side of the mountain into forbidden territory, where the stone idol which is Daimajin stands, half-buried into the side of the mountain. Near this idol is an ancient temple - safe as only Shinobu knows of its existence. The children grow to adulthood. The son, Tadafumi (Yoshihiko Aoyama) reaches his 18th birthday. The years have been miserable on the villagers. Samanosuke is a brutal leader who is using every man in the starving village as slave labor. The place is ripe for revolution and surviving Hanabasa retainers are starting to return. Kogenta journeys to the village to try to gather the old retainers, but gets himself captured. A boy gets word to Tadafumi and his sister, Kozasa (Miwa Takada) that their friend is a prisoner. Tadafumi tries to rescue him, only to discover it's a trap. With both awaiting execution, Shinobu tries to talk to the tyrant, who is drinking too much and becomes incensed at all this talk of the god of the mountain; he murders the priestess and orders the idol demolished. The crew that travels up the mountain to smash Daimajin accidentally discovers Kozasa and force her to take them to the idol. The soldiers bring out an enormous chisel and proceed to hammer it into Daimajin's head; they stop when they see blood beginning to drip from the statue. Horrified, the men attempt to flee, but the earth cracks open and swallows them. Kozasa begs Daimajin to save her brother and punish the wicked Samanosuke. At the fortress, Tadafumi and Kogenta are tied to large crosses, awaiting their fates. Kozasa offers her life to Daimajin and attempts to throw herself over the nearby waterfall, but the rock and earth covering the lower half of the idol falls away, and it walks out into the clearing. Kozasa prostrates herself before it, as the stone mask disappears, revealing the true face of Daimajin, a vengeful spirit resembling that of a grotesque shōgun. Daimajin goes to Samonosuke's stronghold, which he destroys. After impaling Samanosuke with the chisel from his forehead, Daimajin now turns its wrath upon everyone in sight. Only Kozasa, once more offering her life and letting her teardrops fall on his stone feet, stops its rampage. The spirit leaves the statue, flying away. It collapses into a heap of rubble.
Original release date: 17 April 1966. Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda.
Also known as Majin (literal English title), Majin the Monster of Terror (as released in the U.S. by American International Television), and Majin the Hideous Idol (Daiei's international sales title).