"The typeof late wartime movie of which Mizoguchi told Donald Richie, 'I avoided the draftby making films like this.' At barely over an hour, The Famous Sword is a slimfable of magic and myth about obsessed swordmakers who seek perfection by afanatic loyalty to the Emperor rather than harboring personal grudges. Themid-nineteenth century late Tokugawa period is recreated through sets reminiscentof 47 Ronin, but most interesting is the manner in which the aristocratic ladySasae (Isuzu Yamada) appears first in ghostly form to shore up the flaggingspirits of the loyalist swordsmiths, then fights the climactic duel herself witha treacherous samurai. Even in this piece of period propaganda, the strongestimage is of a strong woman taking her fate in her hands."-Andrew Sarris/TomAllen, Village Voice