Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
Directed by: Hiroshi Inagaki
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa, Mariko Okada
Rated: NR
Running Time: 1h 45m
TMM Score: 4.5 out of 5
STRENGTHS: Characters, Story, Themes
WEAKNESSES: Mellow Drama
Samurai Musashi, by now an accomplished swordfighter, finds himself at odds with Sasaki Jokiro, a ronin swordsman, when they are both considered for employment with the Shogun.
Read More
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
Directed by: Hiroshi Inagaki
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta, Mariko Okada, Kaoru Yachigusa
Rated: NR
Running Time: 1h 43m
TMM Score: 4 out of 5
STRENGTHS: Characters, Story, Themes
WEAKNESSES:
Musashi, ever the wanderer, continues his journey, dueling and gathering knowledge to become a respectable samurai.
Read More
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
Directed by: Hiroshi Inagaki
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Rentarô Mikuni
Rated: NR
Running Time: 1h 33m
TMM Score: 3.5 out of 5
STRENGTHS: Characters, Story, Themes, Color, Japan
WEAKNESSES: Action, Blocking
An aspiring warrior joins the losing side of a feudal war, sending him on a downward spiral as he finds himself a wanted fugitive in the land he once called home.
Read More