Story of self realization love and becoming a samurai in Mifune's most well known non-Kurosawa film
Musashi Miyamoto was one of the most famous swordsmen in ancient Japan. Not only that, but he was unique. He was not a famous shogun, warlord or general, but a common peasant who taught himself how to fight. This was a fictional three part movie series featuring Toshira Mifune as Musashi in one of his most well known non-Akira Kurusawa roles. The story is part self-realization, part love story with a woman named Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa) who would follow Musashi throughout his life, and part samurai flick.<br /><br />The first film in the series covers Musashi’s start when he was like a wild animal. First he took part in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 hoping to become famous but he was on the losing side. He found himself alone afterward. His one friend abandoned him and his village rejected him. At one point he was even strung up on a tree. This is what made him like a beast. It wasn’t until he learned to control himself that he could become the warrior he always wanted to be. Kurosawa always complimented Mifune on his raw energy he conveyed with his acting so he played this part perfectly.<br /><br />To highlight the drama they introduced Otsu a woman from his village. The two fell in love but he chose becoming a samurai over her. She would be the main co-star throughout the trilogy.<br /><br />From there the following movies establish Musashi as a famous sword fighter. At the same time Otsu continues to follow him up and down Japan as he searches for the perfect fight. By the third film this started getting playedout however and too melodramatic. They introduce the famous two swords style of Musashi which was what he was known for. There’s also Sasaki Kojiro (Koji Tsuruta) who would lead to the greatest fight of Musashi’s career.<br /><br />Overall this is a fine movie series. Director Hiroshi Inagaki did an excellent job. There’s lots of bright colors and nature which was a big part of traditional Japanese film making. There’s enough sword fights to keep you interested, and it was only at the end that the drama got too much with Otsu.<br />C
The movie title "The Samurai Trilogy (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.8 from 893 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Action & Adventure", "Format": "Blu-ray", "Contributor": "Hiroshi Inagaki, Toshiro Mifune", "Language": "Japanese", "Runtime": "5 hours", "Aspect Ratio": "1.33:1", "Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "MPAA rating": "NR (Not Rated)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 4 Ounces", "Item model number": "Relay time: 300min; 2 Videos", "Director": "Hiroshi Inagaki", "Media Format": "Blu-ray", "Run time": "5 hours", "Release date": "June 26, 2012", "Actors": "Toshiro Mifune", "Subtitles": "English", "Studio": "Criterion Collection", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "2"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki (The Rickshaw Man) and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai), was one of Japan’s most successful exports of the 1950s, a rousing, emotionally gripping tale of combat and self-discovery. Based on a novel that’s often called Japan’s Gone with the Wind, this sweeping saga fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto, following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. With these three films—1954’s Oscar-winning Musashi Miyamoto, 1955’s Duel at Ichijoji Temple, and 1956’s Duel at Ganryu Island—Inagaki created a passionate epic that’s equal parts tender love story and bloody action..