This, the third and final film of the trilogy, is the best of the series – even if watched by it self. The strength of the story is of course based on, that now all lose ends are tied up and everything reaches an either solution or conclusion.

It is also the saddest part. In the two prior, we always had some sort of hope. With the conclusion of the story, we can only contemplate their fates.

The story circulates around and up to the final duel between Musashi and Kojiro, with the now central subplot where Otsu and Musashi are struggling to come to terms with their love.

The film is more intimate than the previous two. Where reflection always has been a major theme, it mostly had to do with the past, now it is more about the future, especially for Otsu and Kojiro, and if there is a nuance between reflection and contemplation, then its what we experience here. We spend more time which each character in an almost “time out” situation, which is supported by moving closer thru close-up.

While there are a great deal more close up compositions now, it frame almost erupts in the final duel. Nothing is spared, even the historical revision of Musashi gets a notch up. It is here everything is concluded, it is here is emerges as the supreme legend. Where Kojiro stands firmly on land, Musashi walks the waves, literary is a ronin (wave man). And while Musashi fought with the sun in his back to blind his opponent, here its depicted as him almost evoking the sun god to aid him. And again, we get these wonderful transition shots between long shots and extreme close ups.

The Musashi legend has been told many times on film, and recently in a rather interesting version on Japanese TV with Kitano as Musashi’s father, but this three parter from Toho still is the best version of the story.
 

Henrik Sylow

(Criterion Collection - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. ArtsMagic - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
	You may also buy the Three Samurai films (Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island) in a Criterion Boxset - saving over purchasing individually.
Distribution	Criterion Collection Spine #16 Region 0 - NTSC	ArtsMagic Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:45:02	1:44:21
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.45 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.57 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Criterion Collection
Bitrate:   ArtsMagic
Audio	1.0 Dolby Digital Japanese Monaural	2.0 MPEG Japanese Monaural
Subtitles	English, None	English (burned)
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • 4 page insert • Original Japanese Trailer (3:21) DVD Release Date: July 21, 1998 (Reissue: May 18, 2004) Amarey Chapters 38	Release Information: Studio: ArtsMagic Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Trailers: • Samurai 1 (2:25) • Samurai 2 (1:47) • Samurai 3 (1:34) • Red Lion (2:00) • Ambush at Blood Pass (1:46) • Zatoichi the Outlaw (1:31) • Biographies for Hiroshi and Mifune • Cast gallery • Artwork for Babycart Assasin, Zatoichi and Lady Snowblood • Notes of Musashi's 'Book of 5 rings': The Wind Book and The Void Book   DVD Release Date: November 19, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 11
Comments	This is the best looking of the three DVDs, both for the Criterion and for the ArtsMagic. Still lacking definition and sharpness, the source is much better than the one on the previous two DVDs. As the ArtsMagic also is better, this suggests that the basic problem is the source and then the transfer. Once again, the same problems with scratches on sound and poor image. And once again, the trailer simply looks great.  - Henrik Sylow

Recommended Reading for Japanese Film Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

 

 

The Japan Journals : 1947-2004, by  Donald Richie	The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp	Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs) by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario	Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 1) by James Quandt	Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema (Midland Book, Mb 469) by David Desser	The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie	Tokyo Story by Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda, Donald Richie, Eric Klestadt	Ozu by Donald Richie	A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie

Check out more in "The Library"

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Report Card:

Image:	Criterion
Sound:	Criterion
Extras:	ArtsMagic
Menu:	Criterion

DVD Box Covers
	You may also buy the Three Samurai films (Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island) in a Criterion Boxset - saving over purchasing individually.
Distribution	Criterion Collection Spine #16 Region 0 - NTSC	ArtsMagic Region 2 - PAL