Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)

 Hiroshi Inagaki's "Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto"

Hiroshi Inagaki's 1954 film "Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto" is the first of a three film trilogy centering on the iconic 17th century samurai Musashi Miyamoto. Although Inagaki takes liberties with the true events of Musashi, the film brings to life the conditions for which the legendary samurai would rise to fame. It was one of the few films to be released in Japan to feature color. It was only the second Toho film production in color and the first in the Eastman Color process. 

In this first episodic film, Takezo - who would eventually become the titular samurai - joins the battle of Sekigahara in the year 1600. Rather than achieving a grand victory and glory, Takezo finds himself on the losing side. He is eventually hunted down as a fugitive. The remainder of the film details the attempts to capture him, until he ultimately is by a patient and headstrong monk. By the end of the film, Takezo has spent years until the tutelage of the monk, learning the ways of being a samurai. Takezo has now been christened 'Musashi Miyamoto.' 

Despite a few moments in the film in which I felt the direction and editing were clunky, the majority of the film is quite visually remarkable. Although, the color within the film is not on par with other color films at the time, most of which were using technicolor to great effects. The color palette of this film is a bit unremarkable. Still, the very existence of color in a Japanese film at the time is a rarity. 

The biggest appreciation I have for the film's visuals are its openness and scale. Because the story of this legendary samurai is so epic, along with the episodic nature of a trilogy, the scale and visual breadth of the film requires a degree of grandeur. The set pieces, the action, and the performance by Tishiro Mafune as Musashi all create visual engagement that requires the immediate attention of anyone watching.

I was so engaged with the story that I longed for more by the film's ending. That is presumably the best possible scenario for the first installment in a trilogy of films. The dire circumstances that Musashi is thrust into create the necessary drama and tension that pulls the story along throughout its runtime. The addition of Otsu as a love interest in the second half of the film also create interest in the film's human elements. The final moment where they separate is another attribution to the longing for more of the story.

As an American, I have no degree of knowledge about Musashi. I understand that this particular film trilogy is taking liberties with the actual real-life story, however I am completely on board with the 'legend' of the character. A degree of hyperbole and exaggeration is required to truly iterate the intensity and circumstances for such a lauded figure to arise. "Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto" is an incredible opener for what I hope to be is a fantastic Japanese trilogy.