| Notes | "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 Minamoto", 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.
SPECIAL FEATURES
New high-definition digital restorations of all three films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
New interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson about the real-life Musashi Minamoto, the inspiration for the hero of the film
Trailers
New English subtitle translations
PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by film historians Stephen Prince and Wilson |
