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Editorial Reviews
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Toshirô Mifune defines the quintessential samurai in Hiroshi Inagaki's 1954 Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, the first feature in a trilogy based on the epic novel by Eiji Yoshikawa. As in Kurosawa's classic Seven Samurai, which appeared the same year, Mifune plays a brash and ambitious peasant who desires fame and power as a swordsman. His dreams of glory in war sour when his army is routed and he becomes hunted by the authorities, but the "tough love" attentions of a kindly but severe monk help him develop from a hot-tempered outlaw to a thoughtful swordsman. Inagaki's somber color epic is very different from the energetic action of Kurosawa's films. The sword fights and battles are practically theatrical in their presentation, staged in long takes that emphasize form and movement over flash and flamboyance. Mifune brings a sad, almost tragic quality to the samurai warrior Musashi Miyamoto, whose dedication proscribes him to a lonely life on the road. Though the film stands well on its own, its stature takes on greater significance as the first act of Inagaki's stately, contemplative epic of the professional and spiritual development of Musashi.
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
Picking up where Samurai I left off, Toshirô Mifune's samurai in training Musashi Miyamoto is a wandering swordsman who hones his skills in a succession of duels. When he defeats a succession of students from a local school of martial arts, he becomes marked for death by the school elders and is attacked in a series of cowardly ambushes. Romantic threads from the first film become further complicated when the virginal Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa) and the sad courtesan Akemi (Mariko Okada) meet and discover their rivalry and Musashi earns himself an archenemy, an ambitious young swordsman named Sasaki Kojiro (Koji Tsuruta) who vows to defeat Musashi to make his name as the finest fencer in all of Japan. Inagaki ably manages the rather complicated plot with unexpected ease (subtitles are employed to help English viewers make a few narrative jumps) while he charts Musashi's education in compassion and humility and his internal struggle with his conflicted love for Otsu. The direction is still as distant and unostentatious as in the first film, while the color and settings become richer and more pronounced: studio-bound locations take on the quality and delicacy of paintings. The dramatic centerpiece of the trilogy, an epic pre-dawn battle where 40 swordsmen ambush Musashi, uses darkness and landscape to great dramatic effect as figures seep in and out of the picture
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
Toshirô Mifune is confidence supreme and humility incarnate as the mature samurai master Musashi Miyamoto in the final film of Inagaki's sprawling trilogy. Now a legendary swordsman whose latest quest is to save an isolated village from rampaging brigands (shades of Seven Samurai), he remains haunted by the memory of Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa). Meanwhile the ruthless and increasingly jealous Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta) plots his battle royal with Musashi to prove who is the finest fencer in Japan. Inagaki weaves the web of subplots into a series of grand confrontations, among them the most exciting battles of the trilogy: Musashi's skirmish with the army of cutthroats while the village erupts in a fiery inferno around him, and the sunset duel between Musashi and Kojiro on an isolated beach, the two warriors taking on mythic dimensions silhouetted against the sun setting over the surf. Inagaki's delicate use of color throughout the series becomes most pronounced in this final sequence, where the glow of orange and red adds dramatic flourish to the twilight battle. Inagaki's reserved, restrained style and Mifune's melancholy performance--his granite face and stocky stance the very essence of somber wisdom and sad assurance--bring a gravity and seriousness to the drama that ultimately illuminates the personal cost of Musashi's supreme skill as his story ends on an elegiac but hopeful note. --Sean Axmaker
Product Description
Customer Reviews
In short, the story of perhaps the greatest master of Japanese sword skill ever, a historical/almost mythical figure from 1600 feudal Japan.
The 3 movies tell of his evolution from a young hot head with exceptional ability, to a master of both his martial art and of life from a Japanese Shinto perspective.
These films are full of Japanese culture and mentality.
The actors are spell binding.
The fight sceens are believable and of the highest standard. (No, the actors cannot walk up walls!!! and fly through the air!!!).
The story for me, was and is deeply moving.
Do not misunderstand, my insight and identification does not parallel that of the main character, but it is a story which has become part of me.
I do not know if this will appeal to every one.
It is in Japanese with subtitles.
Some parts of the film become slow.
Nonetheless, for me, this is a masterpiece and one of my all time favorites.
It is timeless.
Several years have goneby and Musashi Miyamoto has emerged invincible in over SIXTY duels. Interestingly enough, one sees no pride or ambition in Musashi's manner. He turns down job offers from important lords, including the Shogun's martial arts teacher. In the meantime, Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta) regrets the little recognition he has so far received, and seeks to duel Musashi and attain immortal fame.
Otsu (the beautiful Kaoru Yachigusa), the quintessence of loyalty, has fervently sought to see Musashi once again, having parted unwillingly in Part II. In like manner, Akemi (charming Mariko Okada) maintains hope of seeing Musashi, having through a tragic turn of events wound up as a courtesan in a geisha house. Yet both women defy their seeming fates and separately seek Musashi, a testament to the power of love. Musashi himself has not forgotten his love for Otsu, expressed in his Kwannon statuettes made in her likeness. In a poignant paradox, Musashi escapes fame and the follies of this world as a farmer, having once been in that position and dreaming of fame.
In the meantime, Kojiro's skill is finally recognized and he comes under the employ of the Shogun.
The romance between Musashi and the two women is tragically resolved, and a battle between Musashi and a group of bandits proves very costly. Yet Kensei maintains his poise and graciously accepts Kojiro's challenge to a DUEL AT GANTRYU ISLAND.
... Read more ›Regarding the DVD transfer, let me first say that I am a frugal guy who does not think that any DVD, however good the transfer, is ever worth 30 bucks. That said, I don't know what all the fuss is about over the image quality on these disks. The film was not released in widescreen so the full-screen image is correct. The only scenes which are perhaps too dark are in the end of the second film, because it was filmed that way originally! The VHS is even darker as far as I could tell. I have 20/40 vision, yet I had absolutely no problem reading the subtitles ever in any of the three films. The image quality in general is not Jeanne d'Arc but it certainly never came close to impairing my ability to enjoy the films. Finally, there are no special features beyond theatrical trailers on any of the DVDs, but the three-pack is also priced cheaper than any other Criterion issues (less than $20/disc) so why complain!
Highly recommended - definitely a big step up from the DVD version.
They put the 2 bluray discs on one spindle which is divided top and bottom and the booklet on the left side on a single bluray case. I have a slight gripe about this set up. First, the films can't be sold separately because 2 movies are on 1 50gb bluray dual layer and the 3rd movie is on the 2nd bluray 25gb single layer. So, wanting a collector's item goes right out the door due to not having individualized packaging just like Yojimbo and Sanjuro.
The films are in it's original 1.33:1 aspect ratio at 1080p HD and amazon's listing at 1.77:1 is incorrect. When viewing on your widescreen TV, you'll see 2 black bars to the sides just like Seven Samurai. The picture quality is definitely leaps and bounds superior to that of the 2004 criterion DVD release. The colors are vibrant and the contrast is maxed out. Almost feels like I'm watching something new entirely. Some might be turned off by the heavy grain quality but keep in mind this film is old. In todays standards with recent films, the grainy quality would be unacceptable. Audio has been improved as well with a noticeable higher Mhz monaural. If you're watching on a 120Hz or 240Hz refresh rate TV, go ahead and turn them off, it gets distracting with the blurriness of movements.
Recommended.
SO hard to critique something I havn't seen
Was really looking forward to seeing these classics
(Also bought... Read more
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