Ninjas for breakfast

I watched the first half of Masahiro Shinoda's stunning "Ibun Sarutobi Sasuke (Samurai Spy)" last night, until sleep overtook me and I struggled to follow the complicated plot.
That's why I woke up early today: So I could complete watching this classic 1965 example of the Japanese New Wave while sipping my morning coffee.
Koji Takahashi stars as Sarutobi Sasuke, a neutral spy who finds himself immersed in deadly political machinations of 17th century Japan.
Sasuke is smart and he's got ninja skills, both attributes that come in handy throughout the film.
Multiple double- and triple-crosses help create a labyrinthine plot that feels more like a dream than a film. Some people might not appreciate such twists and turns.
Shinoda's direction helps fuel the feeling of unreality. Shinoda sets his extraordinary fight scenes in heavy fog, then shoots the stylized clashes through weeds or with a high crane.
The unexpected camera work can increase the plot-weary viewer's sense of confusion, so I just sat back and marveled at Shinoda's style.
I will try to figure out the film's multiple meanings -- some label it a cold-war parable -- during subsequent viewings. This film, I know, will be one I will need to see again and again.