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Budo: The Art of Killing

Name: Budo: The Art of Killing
Director: Masayoshi Nemoto
Released: 1979
Duration: 101 min

Representation Score

3.9/10

Limited

1979

Director

Masayoshi Nemoto

Runtime

101 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Budo: The Art of Killing serves as a cultural archive rather than a social commentary. It excels at providing authentic visibility for Japanese martial arts, presenting masters like Gozo Shioda and Teruo Hayashi without Westernized filters. However, the film adheres to the traditional hierarchies inherent to its subject matter. This results in a lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities and a heavy emphasis on masculine physical dominance. Ultimately, the documentary prioritizes technical mastery and cultural preservation over the subversion of social or gender-based power dynamics.

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Category Breakdown

Does Budo: The Art of Killing have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses solely on the technical execution of martial arts disciplines. There are no characters or narratives exploring non-straight relationships or identities.

How does Budo: The Art of Killing portray gender?

Limited

The documentary centers on traditional martial arts hierarchies that emphasize masculine physical dominance. It lacks evidence of challenging traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Budo: The Art of Killing?

Good

The film provides high ethnic specificity by focusing entirely on Japanese practitioners. It offers an authentic, localized perspective on these cultural traditions.

How does Budo: The Art of Killing represent religion and culture?

Fair

The work celebrates traditional Japanese institutions and the spiritual underpinnings of disciplines like Aikido. It reinforces structures of respect and mastery.

Does Budo: The Art of Killing include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information regarding the inclusion or portrayal of individuals with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Provides authentic, non-Western cultural expertise through localized perspectives.
Avoids the whitewashing often found in Western interpretations of Eastern disciplines.
Acts as a valuable ethnographic record of traditional Japanese martial arts.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight narratives.
Follows traditional hierarchies that center on male practitioners and masculine dominance.
Does not address or include individuals with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Budo: The Art of Killing is an award winning 1978 Japanese martial arts documentary created and produced by Hisao Masuda and financed by The Arthur Davis Company. Considered a cult classic, the film is a compilation of various Japanese martial art demonstrations by several famous Japanese instructors such as Gozo Shioda, Taizaburo Nakamura and Teruo Hayashi. Martial arts featured in the film include: Karate, Aikido, Kendo, Sumo, and Judo among others.

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