Miyamoto Musashi (Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto) (The Legend of Musashi) (Master Swordsman) poster & wallpaper
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Toshiro Mifune, Koji Tsuruta, Akihiko Hirata, Rentaro Mikuni, Daisuke Katô ... see more see more... , Kuroemon Onoe , Eiko Miyoshi , Kaoru Yachigusa , Mariko Okada , Mitsuko Mito , Kasuo Abe , Wong Chung , William Holden , Kanta Kisaragi , Yoshio Kosugi , Tien Peng , Sojin Kamiyama , Sakae Ozawa

Musashi Miyamoto was the first entry in Japanese filmmaker Hiroshi Ingaki's Samurai trilogy. Toshiro Mifune is Takezo, a good-for-nothing from the farming village of Miyamoto, who dreams of becoming a... read more read more... samurai in 17th century Japan. Over the course of the first part, Takezo evolves from being a man filled with rage and violence who is looked upon by others as a wild animal to being Musashi Miyamoto, a man yearning for a deeper understanding of himself and what it takes to be a true warrior. When first released in the US, Samurai 1 was "clarified" by the narration of William Holden, an actor with a long-standing fascination and affection for all things Japanese. Based on a mammoth novel by Eiji Yoshikawa, Musashi Miyamoto was followed by Duel at Ichijoji Temple and Duel at Ganyru Island . All three films were eventually combined into an epic single entity, Samurai Trilogy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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83% liked it

6,236 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Hiroshi Inagaki, Tomu Uchida

Release Date: September 26, 1954

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DVD Release Date: May 4, 2010

Stats: 255 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (255)

  • ythelastman89
    July 10, 2010
    ythelastman89
    I must be in the minority, but I think this is a really dull movie chalk full of wasted talent. The poor and uninspired direction really ruin the movie, no time is spent on the glorious landscapes, sets and costumes. That would be acceptable if the story was taken as the focus, b... read moreut even that lacks intrigue. In the end, it's a very jumbled movie. Toshiro Mifune is really the only part that I would say is above average, he always manages to be an interesting screen presence.
  • sanjurosamurai
    March 21, 2010
    sanjurosamurai
    the first of the 3 films in this trilogy is exceptional. great story and character development, and awe inspiring landscapes. although embellished and told out of order to musashi's life, the story is compelling and still lets us in on the legend and psychology of the greatest ... read moreswordsman in japanese history.
  • rubystevens
    June 28, 2009
    rubystevens
    good film. see mifune defeat 50 swordsman using only a stick! ...is it just me or is he still playing the fool from seven samurai? pt 1 of a trilogy...so that's 3 i'm in the midst of lol. this one covers takezo's origin and the beginning of his training as a samurai
  • Saxia
    April 11, 2008
    Saxia
    It was hard to get my hands on, but I finally got it on dvd! Mifune is the best choice for the role of Musashi Miyamoto. This is the firs part of a trilogy.
  • kenstachnik
    April 11, 2008
    kenstachnik
    Toshiro Mifune the constant badass that he is, earns his right to train to become a samurai.

    Color color and color and set design bring Samurai ear Japan to life.
  • hypathio7
    September 23, 2008
    hypathio7
    Takezo goes to battle trying to make a name for himself. His friend Matahashi follows him, leaving behind a fiance. The battle does not go well and as they stagger back home they stop to be cared for at the isolated home of a mother and daughter. The mother and daughter use ab... read moreandoned supplies from dead soldiers to make trades with bandits. Still both men fall for the daughter (Oko), but later when the mother lies about Takezo attacking her, Oko becomes bitter. Takezo is left behind, when the women decide to leave hurriedly and take Matahashi along as their protector from bandits. Matahashi will not return to his fiance. Takezo is known to be wild and unruly and so is not wanted when he returns to his hometown to break the news to his friend's mother (Osugi) and fiance (Otsu). Mother Osugi blames Takezo for everything. He is outlawed and hunted around the hills of the town. A wise priest (Takuan) realizes it is not by force and numbers that Takezo will be caught, and heads to the hills to bring Takezo to justice. Otsu starts preferring the company of the priest and Takezo instead of the sad memories at mother Osugi's house. The priest begins to teach Takezo how to be a man, not an animal, suggesting that the fight in his spirit is a good thing if he could just use it for the good of man. Eventually Takezo and Otsu run away to start a new life together but Otsu is captured and this renews the anger in Takezo. The priest must intervene again making sure Otsu is safe, and resorts to more extreme measures by locking Takezo in a room with a bunch of books to force him to become educated and be introspective. Years go by... Finally Takezo's name is changed to Musashi Miyamoto, a name more appropriate for a samurai. By now Oko have a daughter, Akemi. Musashi has more training to accomplish but cannot resist seeing Otsu one more time before he goes, even though the priest advised him to cut himself off from his past. Takezo now has a new life before him, many travels, and a couple more movies!
  • panta2
    April 11, 2012
    panta2
    Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵) has a legendary status in Japan. This 1954 Japanese film by Hiroshi Inagaki starring my favourite actor Toshirō Mifune was the first film of Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy of historical adventures. The screenplay was an adaptati... read moreon of Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi which is loosely based on the life of the famous Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. In the 50's was a real hit and it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (1955). If you want the full story, I'll suggest to check the other two films in the trilogy : Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple and Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island.

    It is a movie with a simple message but delivered in such a way that nothing is missing: from depth of contemplating moral dilemmas, to love, meaning of life, urge to explore, fighting (very realistic - no flying swordsmen here)... it is a real smorgasbord of subjects! The story starts following the battle of Sekigahara (1600 AD), where Takezo (Toshirō Mifune) and his friend Matahachi (Rentaro Mikuni) find themselves on the losing side. Instead of the grand victory and glory Takezo had anticipated, he finds himself a hunted fugitive... I won't be retelling the full story, but at the end film shows Takezo being granted his samurai name 'Musashi Miyamoto' leaving to search for enlightenment!

    Superb acting with some minor editing glitches and very enjoyable directing of the best cinematography at the time! Traditional music won't win too many fans but for me worked well... Recommended for everyone with real interest in film history!
  • fb208103125
    November 23, 2011
    fb208103125
    Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto is the first look into The Samurai Trilogy and at Toshiro Mifune's stunning portrayal as the legend himself! We are introduced to Miyamoto from the beginning and see that he has substantial skill but is also a short fused and uncontrollable man. Throug... read morehout the film he is betrayed and sold out but in the end its the young girl Otsu that saves him. Miyamoto is later imprisoned in an attic and told he must learn discipline and the way of the Samurai. After a few years he is released, but must be separated from Otsu once again in order to gain experience and knowledge in his travels. As the first film comes to a close we see Miyamoto walking off into the sunset and Otsu reading Miyamoto's farewell and forgive me inscriptions he carved into the bridge where moments before they had finally reunited.
  • 9876a
    June 5, 2008
    9876a
    Toshiro Mifune is a man amongst boys.
  • eurocaptain1
    January 19, 2012
    eurocaptain1
    This review is for all three films in the Samurai trilogy.

    This is a sweeping epic detailing the career of (real life) master swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. His story has been told in dozens of films, but this is the most famous one (overseas anyway). Moreso than any other Japane... read morese samurai film I've seen, this has a real feeling of a Hollywood epic. Indeed, it is often referred to as the Japanese answer to 'Gone with the Wind' and was tied with 'Seven Samurai' as the most expensive film ever made in Japan at the time

    . It begins in the early days of Musashi as he leaves his village to join the great Battle of Sekigahara (on the losing side). From there, he goes from outlaw to prisoner to samurai. Along with his pursuit of drawing ever closer to perfection, he must deal with the betrayal of his childhood friend, navigate the politics of the newly founded Tokugawa shogunate, fight in duel after duel, and come to terms with his feelings for the love of his life.

    Toshiro Mifune in the title role is awesome, and convincingly shows the change between wild dog to cool and collected enlightenment between three films. His foil, Sasaki Kojiro, is a worthy adversary. Cool and charismatic, he is the opposite of Musashi and the final duel between them is a worthy conclusion to the trilogy.

    The cinematography is gorgeous, with vibrant colors bringing out the colorfulness of the garb and banners but also the muted natural colors of the wilderness.

    If you enjoy films like 'Ben Hur' or 'El Cid', you may want to give this a shot.

View All Miyamoto Musashi (Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto) (The Legend of Musashi) (Master Swordsman) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz
May 28, 2004
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Ingaki does a nice job in blending together battle sequences with plot and character development. Full Review

Gabe Leibowitz
September 10, 2003
Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt

Aggressively plunging into a rich story and never relenting, Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto provides the same snappy pacing and riveting battle sequences that made Akira Kurosawa legend... Full Review

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