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| Musashi Miyamoto | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Hiroshi Inagaki |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Musashi,[2] byEiji Yoshikawa |
| Produced by | Kazuo Takimura[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jun Yasumoto[1] |
| Music by | Ikuma Dan[1] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Musashi Miyamoto (Japanese:宮本武蔵,Hepburn:Miyamoto Musashi) is a 1954 Japanese film directed and co-written byHiroshi Inagaki and starringToshiro Mifune. The film is the first film of Inagaki'sSamurai Trilogy of historical adventures.[3][2]
The film is adapted fromEiji Yoshikawa's novelMusashi,[2] originally released as a serial in the Japanese newspaperAsahi Shimbun, between 1935 and 1939. The novel is loosely based on the life of the famousJapaneseswordsmanMiyamoto Musashi.
The film was followed bySamurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955) andSamurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956).
The film won a Special/Honorary Award at the1955 Academy Awards for outstanding foreign language film.
Following thebattle of Sekigahara, Takezo (Toshiro Mifune) and his friend Matahachi (Rentarō Mikuni) find themselves on the losing side. Instead of the grand victory and glory Takezo had anticipated, he finds himself a hunted fugitive, having to assist a severely injured Matahachi. The pair seek shelter with a widow and her daughter who unknown to them are connected to local brigands. The brigands soon show up and ask for tribute from what the women have stripped off dead samurai, and Takezo has to fight them off. Both women attempt to seduce Takezo but are rejected. The widow then tells Matahachi that Takezo tried to assault her and convinces him to escort her and her daughter toKyoto. Matahachi agrees even though he loves (and is betrothed to) Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa), a woman from his village.
Takezo thinks his friend Matahachi has deserted him, and he makes his way home - on the way breaking through a roadblock, injuring several of the local lord's men manning it - and returns to his village. He tells Matahachi's family that he is still alive but will not reveal why Matahachi has not returned. Matahachi's mother does not believe him, and sets a trap for his capture, but he escapes and she is arrested for treason along with many members of her clan. There is a village-wide search for Takezo, organized by the lord. Even after using his relatives as bait, the villagers cannot catch Takezo.
Otsu, meanwhile, gets a letter signed by the widow Oko saying that Matahachi has gone off with her and to forget him, which leaves her devastated. Matahachi's mother, however, continues to insist that Otsu is her daughter-in-law and must live with her.
Takezo is finally captured by theBuddhist priestTakuan Sōhō, who tells the lord that he must be allowed to use his own methods to control him. The priest believes that he can straighten Takezo out, but Takezo again escapes with Otsu's help. Otsu now understands that Takezo was trying to shield her from the knowledge that Matahachi had abandoned her, and begs him to let her travel with him. They flee together but are soon tracked down. Otsu is captured, but Takezo fights his way out. Takezo learns that Otsu has been taken toHimeji Castle and breaks in to rescue her, but is once more tracked down by the priest Takuan. He is tricked and locked in a room in the castle for three years, told to study the ways of the samurai to earn his release while Otsu safely waits for him in a hiding place chosen by Takuan.
The end of the film shows Takezo being released and granted his samurai name 'Musashi Miyamoto'. He then leaves to search for enlightenment, leaving two messages for Otsu: "Soon I will be back" and "Forgive me".
The film begins in the year 1600 withTokugawa Ieyasu's victory in thebattle of Sekigahara, which cleared the path to theShōgunate forTokugawa Ieyasu; however, it took three more years to consolidate the position of power over the other clans. The historical Miyamoto Musashi is believed to have fought in this battle.
DirectorHiroshi Inagaki had done a serial onMusashi Miyamoto in 1941 but prints of it were apparently destroyed due to its feudalistic theme.[4] He also directedKanketsu Sasaki Kojirô: Ganryû-jima ketto (1951), which had Mifune as Miyamoto.Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto was the second Toho film production in color and the first in theEastman Color process.[5]
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto was released in Japan on 26 September 1954 where it was distributed byToho.[1] It was distributed theatrically in the United States asSamurai (The Legend of Musashi) by Fine Art Films with English-subtitles and English narration on 19 November 1955.[1][5]
The film was released to home video in Australia and New Zealand byMadman Entertainment asSamurai Musashi Miyamoto.[6]
All three instalments ofSamurai Trilogy have been released in a single set byThe Criterion Collection.
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 1954 and has continued to be highly regarded in the decades since. The film was a commercial success in Japan and gained recognition internationally, solidifying its status as a classic of Japanese cinema. It won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1955, further cementing its critical and commercial acclaim. Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews, with an average score of 8.7/10.[7]