NEW Samurai 1 (DVD): Amazon.ca: DVD

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33 Reviews

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting film for Criterion to release, Mar 22 2004

By

Ted "Ted" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NEW Samurai 1 (DVD) (DVD)

This film (which won an Oscar� in 1955 for best foreign language film) is the first part of a trilogy which is known as the Samurai Trilogy. I find it very impressive for a color film to be released in 1954 at a time where even most American films were still in B&W. At this time, color films were still far more expensive than B&W and Japan was not yet even close to becoming the tech savvy country it is known for being today.

The film itself is based loosely on the true story of 17th century Japanese samurai Musashi Miyamoto. He was considered a hero by the Japanese though I disagree because he participated in the massacre of a Japanese Christian community in Kyushu.

The films have been likened to a Japanese equivalant of "Gone with the Wind" as it is of a woman torn between two lovers during a civil war.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, lousy DVD, Jan 4 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: NEW Samurai 1 (DVD) (DVD)

The movie is completely wonderful. Unfortunately, the image quality of this DVD is completely unwatchable. Much of the movie is too dark to make out what is happening, day scenes look like night scenes. You are literally better off buying the VHS version of this movie.

Unfortunately, the same is true of the other DVDs in this trilogy. I had to return all three.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Miyamoto Musashi: The Pure Hero, Sep 11 2003

By

Daitokuji31 (Black Glass) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NEW Samurai 1 (DVD) (DVD)

This extraordinary 1955 movie tells the tale of a young man named Takezo. Living in Miyamoto village, Takezo is despised by the other villagers because he is a hothead and quite wild. To escape this village he joins the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's son versus the mighty Tokugawa Ieyasu. At the battle of Sekigahara, Toyotomi's forces fall, but Takezo and his friend Matahachi cut on through. They somehow survive their lost cause and make there way to a small hut inhabited by a woman and her teenaged daughter. the daughter comes on to Takezo, but he fends her off. Later after bandits attack, Takezo fights them off with a wooden sword. The mother then comes on to him, but he runs off. The woman then shacks up with Matahachi and the three leave the cabin, so Takezo returns to an empty home. He feels an obligation to go to Miyamoto Village and tell Matahachi's mother and fiance that Matahachi is still alive, but he runs through a guard post so he is hunted down, but not without a fight! This is a great film, that shows the roughness of true samurai, not the polished beings of the Tokugawa period. An extraordinary film, and Priest Takuan is wonderful.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Mifune at his best!
Going into this I was slightly apprhensive since I read the book by Eiji Yoshikaw, I didn't think it would be able to live up to the incredible story of Musashi. I was wrong. Read more

Published on May 22 2003 by Christopher Wicker

4.0 out of 5 stars Great film, bad transfer
As the other reviewers have said, Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy is a fantastic example of the genre. These films trace the development (both physical and moral) of a headstrong young... Read more

Published on April 20 2003 by Scott Richardson