Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)

Musashi Miyamoto is challenged to a duel by a confident swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. He agrees to fight him in a year's time.

Director:

Hiroshi Inagaki

Writers:

Hideji Hôjô (play), Hiroshi Inagaki

Stars:

Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kôji Tsuruta	...	Kojiro Sasaki
Toshirô Mifune	...	Musashi Miyamoto (Takezo)
Kaoru Yachigusa	...	Otsu
Michiko Saga	...	Omitsu
Mariko Okada	...	Akemi
Takashi Shimura	...	Sado Nagaoka the court official
Minoru Chiaki	...	Sasuke the boatman
Takamaru Sasaki	...	Omitsu's father
Daisuke Katô	...	Toji Gion
Haruo Tanaka	...	Kumagoro the horse thief
Kichijirô Ueda	...	Priest Ogon
Kokuten Kôdô	...	Old Priest Nikkan
Ikio Sawamura	...	Innkeeper
Nakajirô Tomita
Sônosuke Sawamura

Storyline

A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.

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Plot Keywords:

japanese history | felling tree | cutting wood | cutting down a tree | becoming a farmer | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

November 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bushido

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #16.

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Goofs

In one shot as he is rowed away, the background behind Miyamoto does not move as the boat moves.

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Quotes

Otsu: Darling, abandon your sword. Don't fight! Let them call you a coward. I want happiness, just us two!
[She sobs into Musashi's chest while Musashi looks straight on, sternly]
Musashi Miyamoto: That's impossible now, Otsu.
Otsu: Please, I won't let you go! No!
[She continues sobbing into Musashi's chest, but Musashi pushes her up gently to look at him]
Musashi Miyamoto: Don't be unreasonable.
Otsu: I'm a woman. I wish you had been an ordinary man.
[She buries herself in Musashi's chest and continues crying]
Musashi Miyamoto: Otsu, don't demoralize me, please. A ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Deddobôru (2011)

User Reviews

Such a lovely film

The Samurai series is one of my favorites. Toshiro Mifune is by far one of the most classic and amazing Japanese actors of the screen, and he outdoes himself in the Samurai series. The colors, the settings of these films are amazing, and part III, with it's wonderful dual at Ganryu Island, is by far one of the most well-planned and conducted films in history. If you have not seen this series, you need to; it need not matter if you are a Samurai film junkie or just a cinemaphile, you will enjoy the subtle touches that make this one of the finest trilogies in film.

I'd also suggest seeing Yojimbo, Sanjuro and of course the Seven Samurai; other great titles are "The sleepy eyes of death" and The Lone Wolf and Cub series.