Years of warfare end in a Japan unified under the Tokugawa shogunate, and samurai spy Sasuke Sarutobi, tired of conflict, longs for peace. When a high-ranking spy named Tatewaki Koriyama defects from the shogun to a rival clan, however, the world of swordsmen is thrown into turmoil. After Sasuke is unwittingly drawn into the conflict, he tracks Tatewaki, while a mysterious, white-hooded figure seems to hunt them both. By tale’s end, no one is who they seemed to be, and the truth is far more personal than anyone suspected. Director Masahiro Shinoda’s Samurai Spy, filled with clan intrigue, ninja spies, and multiple double crosses, marks a bold stylistic departure from swordplay film convention.

导演增村保造继影片《巨人与玩具》之后，开始转向以妓女为题材的影片。本片中他通过对被凌辱、被迫害的女性自身的不屈精神描写，表达了他以及主人公希望的明天。剧情主要为住在四国深山里的少女阿铃，相依为命的奶奶在她13岁时死去，不久她便被拐卖到濑户内海一个岛上的妓院里，虽然年纪较小，但终归逃脱不了做妓女的恶运。她在忧愤中双目失明，但仍以顽强的毅力不向命运低头，终于在一个同情她的传道师的帮助下逃回了故土。她用故乡沾满露水的泥土擦拭自己的脸，仿佛听到了来自大地深处的纯洁的声音……扮演阿铃的原田美枝子当时16岁，却以鲜活的演技，生动地表现了花季少女不幸的遭遇，以此荣获新人奖。