The Samurai Trilogy (1954-1956)

[Blu Titan]

The much anticipated release of Hiroshi Inagaki's The Samurai Trilogy wis coming from Criterion on 6/26/2012. Three fantastic samurai movies starting the great Toshiro Mifune. Hopefully this is a sign that The Hidden Fortress, Throne of Blood, and Rashomon are under way.

The Samurai Trilogy Blu-ray Pre-order


The Samurai Trilogy (1954-1956)

The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune, was one of Japan’s most successful exports of the 1950s, a rousing, emotionally gripping tale of combat and self-discovery. Based on a novel that’s often called Japan’s Gone with the Wind, this sweeping saga fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto, following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. With these three films—1954’s Oscar-winning Musashi Miyamoto, 1955’s Duel at Ichijoji Temple, and 1956’s Duel at Ganryu Island—Inagaki created a passionate epic that’s equal parts tender love story and bloody action.