The second film in director Hiroshi Inagaki’s SAMURAI trilogy brings us on the journey of Musashi Miyamoto (Toshiro Mifune, RASHOMON) as he studies to be a samurai. His love Otsu (Kaoru Tachigusa) has left her home in search of him, selling fans to survive. Otsu’s former fiancée and Musashi’s best friend Matahachi (Sachio Sakai) is now the drunken husband of Oko (Mitsuko Mito) who is running around with Toji Gion (Daisuke Kato, SEVEN SAMURAI). Oko’s daughter Akemi (Mariko Okada) too longs for Musashi. However, Musashi has fallen in love with the sword and fighting.
He challenges the leader of a samurai school named Seijuro Yoshioka (Akihiko Hirata, GODZILLA), who Oko is trying to set up with Akemi. In the meantime, top swordsman Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta, GYANGU) comes into town. As well, courtesan Dayu Yoshino (Michiyo Kogure, TEA AND RICE) and old monk Nikkan (Kokuten Kodo, THRONE OF BLOOD) will play key roles in Musashi’s journey.
This film has a far more complex plot than the first film. It is intriguing to see how more profound characters in the first film become secondary characters in this film and visa versa. Musashi is a changed man from the first film, but there is still some of his old self buried underneath. His demeanor has changed, but he’s still the same person. Viewers could watch his film not having seen the first, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
The subtly of how Musashi’s emotional journey is shown is amazing. Inagaki’s patience pays off by creating an epic in both its subject matter and its look at the life of one man grows over time. The action in this film is better than the first, especially the closing ambush on Musashi by the school. The construction is amazing. This is a solid extension of the first film and sets up the third very well. It makes you want to rush out and see the conclusion of this epic tale.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
