Samurai Trilogy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Samurai Trilogy | |
|---|---|
 The cover of the Criterion Collection DVD box set of all three films. |
|
| Directed by | Hiroshi Inagaki |
| Produced by | Kazuo Takimura |
| Written by | Hideji Hojo (play) Hiroshi Inagaki Tokuhei Wakao Eiji Yoshikawa (novel |
| Starring | Toshirô Mifune, Rentaro Mikuni |
| Music by | Ikuma Dan |
| Distributed by | Toho Studios |
| Release date(s) | 1954-1956 |
| Running time | 303 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
The Samurai Trilogy is a film trilogy directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshiro Mifune as Miyamoto Musashi and Koji Tsuruta as Sasaki Kojirō. The films are based on the novel by Eiji Yoshikawa, about the famous duellist and author of The Book of Five Rings.
The three films are:
- Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
- Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
- Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
Together, they are a trilogy of epic proportions following the character growth of Musashi from brash – yet strong – young soldier to thoughtful and introspective samurai, culminating in Musashi's duel with the greatest opponent he would ever face.
[edit] Reception and influence
Samurai I won the 1955 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The trilogy also became an influence for future films. In Kill Bill, for example, The Bride kills O-Ren Ishii with the exact same swallow's tail move that Miyamoto Musashi uses to kill Sasaki Kojirō, and the filming for this scene is almost identical as well with the same parallel run, blood splash, and unknown victor until the faces are revealed. Bill himself references the ending to Samurai III when he suggests an "old school" duel on the beach at sunrise.
[edit] External links
- Samurai I at the Internet Movie Database
- Samurai II at the Internet Movie Database
- Samurai III at the Internet Movie Database
| Samurai Trilogy |
| The films |
|---|
| Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) | Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955) | Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956) |
| Key figures |
| Eiji Yoshikawa | Sasaki Kojirō | Hiroshi Inagaki | Miyamoto Musashi | Koji Tsuruta | Toshiro Mifune |
| Other related articles |
| Bushido | Jidaigeki | Musashi (novel) | The Book of Five Rings |
 |
This article about a Japanese film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
