Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no kettô
Tags: violence, romantic

Plot synopsis:
Musashi walks alone from the mountains to the seashore, then to the farm fields, "in search of knowledge and to complete his character as a respectable samurai". It is evening as he stops by a hut and prepares a bandana on his forehead. He tells a young lad to go, the boy knows Musashi is there to duel with Old Baiken. Shisido Baiken arrives with two aides.The two men face off, Musashi with his katana, Baiken with rapidly swinging ball and chain and scythe (kusarigama). After a tense battle Musashi delivers a killing thrust. An old man passing by chastises Musashi, although he is skilled fencer he lacks chivalry, is not mentally relaxed, is not a true samurai.The boy, Jotaro, follows Musashi on his journey. He is an orphan. In Kyoto, Otsu still waits, selling fans by the bridge. Akemi comes by and notices her sadness, they talk, Akemi says she longs for a certain man also. Toji, comes and grabs Akemi to take her back to entertain Seijuro Yoshioka, a wealthy Martial Arts School owner. Toji and Oko discuss how rich they will be by pimping out Akemi. Matahachi still hangs around the house also and sings a mournful song.At the Yoshioko school Musashi practices with the students, laying a beating on them one by one. He's killed two already and finally Musashi demands a match with the school master, Seijuro. Later Seijuro arrives to see his wounded students, defeated by who they consider a back country fencer. Seijuro prepares for a duel but is stopped by Toji, who says Musashi is not good enough for the master. The men whisper and plan. They attack his room in mass but Musashi is gone. He left a note saying Seijuro is to post his time and place for a duel by Sanjuro Bridge the next day.Back at the house, Oko and Toji try to cheer up a pensive Seijuro. Akemi delivers tea. Toji tells him to have his brother Denschichiro fight instead. Akemi sees Musashi's note and his signature, realizing it must be her Takezo. She goes to tell a stunned Matahachi, who sets out to find his old friend.In a shop Musashi is trying to get his sword sharpened, the smithy calls Musashi a murderer and refuses to polish the weapon. The samurai leaves in anger, then pauses, returns and asks humbly, the smithy now agrees but says only the Master Koetsu Honami can polish the sword. At Honami's shop the master polisher is friendly and shows a recent job, a long sword nicknamed "the Clothes Pole". Musashi is interested in the owner and learns it is a Kojiro Sasaki.In a park Matahachi walks nervously. He sees a group of men attack a samurai, they cry out they made a mistake. The dying man gives Matahachi a package to deliver to Kojiro Sasaki.At the house Seijuro punishes Akemi for loving his enemy, he rapes her. Oko and Toji leave them alone. Afterwards, Akemi glares at her mother with hate.In the dusk Musashi waits by the bridge. Otsu arrives by coincidence and the two meet once again, Otsu never wants to leave him again. A stoic Musashi admits he prefers his sword. Suddenly a large group of men approach. Vastly outnumbered, Musashi fights and retreats, demanding a fair duel, he escapes by the riverbank.
A tall young samurai crosses the bridge and speaks to Toji. Toji acts bossy until the young man suddenly takes his sword and quickly slices off Toji's topknot with the "Swallow Turn" move. The samurai strides away back across the bridge.Otsu runs along the river calling for Takezo. Akemi is there also and hears her. The two women meet and Akemi realizes they both long for the same man. She lies to Otsu that Takezo had proposed to her. Sadly Akemi says she was going to kill herself but now will live for Takezo. Otsu weeps, not believing it.Back at the temple she seeks guidance from Takuan the Buddhist priest. She wants to be nun. Takuan tells her she doesn't have to and introduces her to Jotaro.Akemi wakens at Sasaki's house. Startled, he tells her she is free to go but asks her to stay awhile. He grills her about Musashi. Toji and a group arrives to take Akemi back, but Sasaki threatens them with his long sword. In a clearing the men surround him, he strikes down two until one man stops the fight, finally recognizing him.Elsewhere in Kyoto, Koetsu Honami has taken Musashi to see the star courtesan Yoshino at the best nightclub in town. She performs her dance routine then comes to sit by Musashi. An ascetic, Musashi declines any drinks, the women make ribald double entendres.At the school Denschichiro comes to see his older brother, ripping him for the cowardice in not fighting the previous evening. All over town the men are looking for Musashi. Homani's mother tells Takuan Musashi is being kept occupied in the geisha quarters until the trouble passes. Finally two men discover where he is and deliver a summons from Denschichiro to duel at nine that night at Rengein Temple.At the temple Denschichiro waits as Musashi arrives. The two men commence to swordfight. As a geisha sings, Musashi returns none the worse for wear, the geisha tells him he must visit with Lady Yoshino. Mushashi is shy beside the aggressive courtesan, she taunts him and questions his attitude towards women.Seijuro sees his dead brother laid out and tells him he shouldn't have been so rash. He tells Sasaki he must now fight Musashi. Seijuro then goes to a bedroom and apologizes to a sad Akemi and asks for one kind word from her to help his spirit, she refuses and says she'll pray for Musashi.Toji has 200 gold pieces and prepares to leave town with Oko, leaving Akemi behind. As the two run out they bump into Matahachi and scurry off. As Matahachi gets up his mother Osugi arrives. He shows his mother the scroll he took from the dying samurai, it is a diploma from the Chujo School and he claims it as his, and he has changed his name to Kojiro Sasaki.At Yoshino's Musashi relaxes by painting, he hears the word on the streets is he's a coward. Yoshino leaves him a farewell note, not being able to tell him goodbye, he is her one true love. Now he walks through a deserted part of town. Again he is quickly surrounded. Sasaki intervenes and introduces himself to Musashi. They agree to a duel with Seijuro at five the next morning at Ichijoji Temple, 19 February. The duel is posted for all to read.Otsu prays at the temple, Takuan prepares to have her long hair cut to become a nun. As Takuan readies the razor Jotaro comes and tells her she must go the the Ichijoji Temple for the duel.Musashi cleanses himself by a well. In the dawn a large group of men confront an approaching man, it is Sasaki, coming to be a witness. They tell him he is a meddler and he realizes they are to ambush Musashi, the house of Yoshioka has no honour. Sasaki retreats.Osugi has convinced Matahachi to kill Otsu, they intercept her in the woods. Matahachi instead wants to elope, Otsu explains she loves Takezo. Enraged, Matahachi chases her with the long sword. Sasaki happens to come by. Boldly, Matahachi proclaims himself as Sasaki. The real Sasaki is amused and introduces himself.Musashi stops briefly at a well and ponders the enscription. Akemi arrives and hugs him. Otsu also shows up and sees the two in a close embrace. Akemi tells him there are 80 men waiting for him, she tells him not to go. Otsu watches as Musashi pushes Akemi down and continues towards the duel.He strides confidently through the bush and arrives behind the ambushers. He decides to go in as promised, demanding to see Seijuro. Defiant, he draws his blade and starts taking them down. Otsu arrives as more reinforcements also appear. Musahsi continues to kill his attackers. Sasaki and Akemi watch from a hillside nearby. Archers land their arrows at Musashi`s feet. He retreats slowly across a rice paddy, the thick mud and water hampers the mob. He gets to dry land first and makes an escape.As day breaks Takuan appears. Otsu announces she will not be a nun afte rall.Somewhere in the woods Seijuro confronts a tired Musashi. He claims he is not a coward but his men stopped him earlier. The two men draw and approach, Seijuro is nervous, he falls to the ground and Musashi has him at his mercy. Recalling the old man`s earlier words about chivalry, Musashi relents and leaves Seijuro alive.On the run, Mushashi is exhausted and collapses at a stream. Jotaro sees him and calls for Otsu. Later, by a mountain stream Musashi awakens. Otsu is happily washing clothes by the water. The two are living their dreams. Overcome with emotion, Musashi wants to consummate their relationship right there, but Otsu is not ready to go all the way. Confused, Musashi quickly packs his swords and leaves, he renounces the love of women. High above, Sasaki sees him walking alone and wishes him luck in his development.

Review: The great cast that was in Musashi Miyamoto, the first part of this samurai trilogy continues in the second part with a few additions.By this time Musashi Miyamoto has been on the road for three years and is still learning.
The most important lesson as a Samurai will not be learned until the film is almost over.
Another important lesson comes quickly after that, and it will interesting to see how it plays out in the final part.In the opening Musashi Miyamoto is doing battle with a samurai similar to our buddy Hanzo.
They are the only two I have ever seen use chains.After this he heads to Kyoto to do battle with the best in the capital, and also to get himself mixed up with the two women who are in love with him.Love, fickleness, treachery, rape, revenge, honor, and great sword fighting all have a place in this magnificent film.The amazing cinematography and scenery also place an important part.This is truly a samurai classic..
"Miyamoto Musashi" was already a great movie but this movie is even a better one on basically every front.This movie is part of a real trilogy, that follows one story and one main character.
All 3 movies closely follow each other, in which the first movie is being really used as a movie to set up things, while this second movie is mostly being used to build up to its climax that will occur in the third movie.This time the movie flows better because the story gets used better as well.
In this movie we actually get to see more epic moments and fights, as it follows the further travels of Musashi Miyamoto, on his way to become a master-swordsman.
Its story and different characters all work out nicely, as things also gets developed more, with its drama and romance.There are a couple of really great fight sequences, of course mostly featuring Toshirô Mifune.
The tale of Myamoto Musashi - thief, lover, rogue, then warrior, hero and master - is enshrined in Japanese culture, perfect showcase material as it were.
It is everything you'd expect from a period samurai film if you've never seen one and harbor no negative preconceptions.After a playful first part that has a classic hero's journey structure, part II takes things to the next level without having to rush to the finish, and is the more interesting film.
It allows him the get mad, and nobody does unleashed fury like Toshiro Mifune, not when you throw 80+ armed fools in this way.I chose to review this one because it is a good sample of the very best this trilogy accomplishes: compelling archetypical characters, lush cinematography and that "oriental" elegance that always seduces non-Japanese audiences, drawn in as they are by the very universal plot and character dynamics.I cannot put it in the same leagues as the masterpieces of Kurosawa, Ozu and Kobayashi, but if it is to be a gateway film experience, then it is a bloody good one, and laudable for what it accomplishes.You might really enjoy this, and if you do, it's just the beginning!.
Musashi is set up to choose between the way of the sword or love for the girl Otsu, while having to face his nemesis, foreshadowed for the closing chapter.
The narrative is a loose stitching together of episode and digress, thrust and feint in many directions; observant viewers will notice the same in the elliptical shooting mode.I will not say more about this as a film since we are still halfway there, instead let's look at some context around the film, here on the fluidity of self.--This is a core precept of Buddhism, which features prominently in the films; Musashi receives key lessons by monks, his journey is one of self-realization, internal abating of ego.This fluidity is seen in the transmission and establishment of Buddhism in Japan over several hundred years through several attempts, several travels of Japanese monks in China.
The little wooden statuette that Musashi is seen carving in spots is of Kannon.Now simply saying that the self is illusory sounds weird, metaphysical or philosophical at best.
Zen Masters (as well as Musashi whose 'Way of strategy' is Zen-flavored) knew this, which is why they loved paradox, urged silence or beat and kicked their students when they asked logical questions.
Munenori briefly appears in the third film.Munenori and Musashi both wrote books with background in all this.
Both are still being widely read in the martial arts and business worlds, by people looking for insights on real or metaphorical war.Musashi's first four books comprise technique and strategy.
No, it's the books on strategy that deserve study once you look past hand-to-hand combat, at least for our purposes here.Suffice to say, both Zen and Musashi urge direct observation of mind instead of general reasoning.
I've watched the entire trilogy of the Musashi Miyamoto films, of which this film is the second part.
The first film, titled simply "Musashi Miyamoto," introduces us to the characters of this and the third film.
Without having seen the first film and developing some interest in the welfare of the characters, I certainly wouldn't have sat through the second and third films."Duel at Ichijoji Temple," this film, deals with Musashi's exploits as a sort of samurai knight-errant, seeking glory in a very ambiguous and roundabout way.
Two women are trailing after him, as Kurosawa films would say, "like goldfish dung."  Musashi himself is a flat character on whom Toshiro Mifune's acting skills are wasted.
Their hand wringing, collapsing, and sobbing is typical of American movies of this time period and grows tedious in a samurai film.
Having seen other films from this time period set in the days of samurai, I've seen that much more can be done with female characters.
The plot was likewise predictable and slow-moving.If you don't care about characters or plot, the high points of the movie may compensate: beautiful color landscapes and Toshiro Mifune's thrilling fight scenes.
This comment about the "Samurai Trilogy" starts on the page for Miyamoto Musashi (Samurai I).
The first episode had just been shown on base, in a sort of cultural exchange, and my parents saw it and were pleasantly non-outraged-- I was a 9-year-old samurai-movie addict, and they believed enthusiasm beyond a certain intensity should be curbed.
Technicolor was a big deal back then, especially in Japan, and it became the issue on which my viewing of "swordfighting movies" was decided-- the ones in color were historical films worth viewing, and even had something to teach.
A new character is introduced, Kojiro Sasaki who will emerge in part 3 as a rival for Musashi-- his equal except for certain features in their respective character.
And lastly I have seen plenty of Samurai films.
It is perhaps one of the most clichéd samurai films I have ever seen.
The story seems to be based on the mystical Miyamoto Musashi, rather than a more realistic character.
Not to mention it often takes away energy from some of the action scenes.Mifune really makes this film bearable.
However, some of the other actors are mediocre at best.There is much to be said about old Samurai cinema, and the way they glorified and really elevated these noblest of warriors.
But Ichijôji no kettô just covers it in a thick melodramatic goo and wraps it in toilet paper.In addition, the film has very bad lighting, plenty of anachronisms, continuity problems and poor editing.
Once again, Toshiro Mifune as Miyamoto Musashi is my personal hero, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior...but was there ever!
The women throw themselves at our hero at a much faster rate, which gets things moving along nicely.Nevertheless, I have marked down this movie significantly for the incredible stupidity of setting most of the action scenes in the dark.
Although this is a samurai movie, story is far more than just sword fights.
Musashi Miyamoto is perhaps the most famous swordsman in Japan.
Based on a novel by Eiji Yoshikawa, the second chapter of Musashi trilogy focuses on years of Musashi's development as a master swordsman.
This is perhaps the producers intent not to portray Musashi as a mean swordsman.This chapter also introduces Kojiro Sasaki - a master swordsman who is to become Musashi's arch rival.You get to see young Toshiro Mifune , Kaoru Yachigusa, and Mariko Okada in their prime delivering their A list performances.A very classy film that's worth watching..
Being the middle film of a trilogy, Duel at Ichijoji Temple thankfully came with a lot more battle sequences than the first film, and had more finesse in its swordplay since our legendary heroic character Takezo (Toshiro Mifune) is now a skilled swordsman, but yet to put into practice many aspects of Bushido, and often criticized in the manner in which he finishes off his opponents because of his innate brute strength and force.But I guess when you're top dog, criticism comes part and parcel, and in his warrior pilgrimage in discovery of skill and self, we see how he further develops, though at time I felt that the story utilized a cheat sheet just like the first film, where priest Takuan (Kuroemon Onoe) locked him in a castle with plenty of books.
Here, while Takezo is in hiding, he spends plenty of time indoors under the patronage of Lady Yoshino (Michiyo Kogure), a courtesan who would inculcate some compassion into the gruff man's life - while he looks refined on the outside, his ambition and reputation continue to earn him no favours, especially since he had issued a challenge to the Yoshioka School.As a middle film, it expanded the mythology, and further developed the characters who made teasing appearances in the first one.
In fact, the first duel was a battle with an opponent using a chain-and-sickle, in compensation for the lack of a swordfight as a climax in the first film.
Familiar faces like Takezo's lover Otsu (Kaoru Tachigusa) returns to pine a lot more for him after 3 years of waiting, while her ex-fiancé Matahachi (Sachio Sakai) degenerates worse in character, into a good for nothing liar and a cheat, married to Akemi's scheming mom Oko (Mitsuko Mito).
We also get introduced to sword polisher Hanomi (Ko Mihashi) who's supposed to play an influential role in swaying Takezo's mindset, though the narrative here didn't allow too much of that on screen, deflecting it towards Lady Yoshino, for yet another romantic entanglement, where the female characters are all weak in their knees in Takezo's manly presence.But the most important character introduced in the film would be Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta), the eventual nemesis of Takezo's, but you've got to wait until the next film to see them do battle.
So far he has played things in quite a gentlemanly way, refusing to take cheap shortcuts, patiently and probably egoistically waiting for Takezo to attain more skills, before bringing down a powerful opponent.Again the technical aspects of this DVD presentation left much to be desired, especially in the night or dawn battle scenes.
I would have wished for a better presentation so that it would not detract your attention to pops and cackles, or unintentional hues to come and stain the picture quality.Duel at Ichijoji Temple ended just like how it began, with Takezo continuing his journey to seek bushido-enlightenment.
It wrapped up some of the life journeys and lessons learnt by the protagonist in this episode, and sets it all up for the climax to be in the last installment of the trilogy..
The follow-up to 1954's excellent Musashi Miyamoto, Duel at Ichijoji Temple picks up the story several years later, as an exiled orphan-turned-swordsman gains notoriety via a bloody tour of fatal duels.
This is a film about personal growth - specifically that of the samurai himself, who struggles to learn the key concepts of what his new life actually entails and where the rift lies between honor and reverence.
'Ichijouji no ketto' takes up the transformation of Musashi into a proper samurai and feels like an empty middle part just for tying the trilogy together.Musashi is here torn between becoming a true samurai and the woman that loves him, Otsu.
Toshiro Mifune gets a shallow character so he cant help it much with his presence.
I enjoyed the first movie in the famous Samurai trilogy, but I was considerably less impressed with this middle film.
Much of the movie is laughably absurd, such as the way women fall at their feet over the rather bland protagonist (Mifune isn't nearly as memorable in these films as in his Kurosawa movies), and the determination of the students of a fighting school have in protecting their master at the expense of his reputation makes little sense, especially as Musashi keeps mowing them down.The whole looking-for-people-to-kill premise seems a bit weird as well; in American westerns it's usually the bad guys who keep picking fights.
And the rather standard "there's more to being a Samurai than killing" message seems murky; it's no wonder Musashi takes so long to get it.Some of this may just be cultural, with tropes that make sense to the Japanese.
He's a really interesting character, well acted by Koji Tsuruta, but the whole movie is his just happening to be in the right place at the right time, and it's an incredibly lazy screen writing crutch.As in the previous movie, the sympathetic Otsu and women in general are treated by dirt even by those who care about them.
That may be accurate, but it's also depressing.Visually the film is striking, and the combat scenes are well done and pretty entertaining, but overall this movie is poorly structured and generally absurd..
While not nearly as compelling as Samurai I, this is still a must see movie..
Every woman he meets, falls in love with him.Every samurai he meets, meets his sword.Truly epic in every way, just see it..
"Duel at Ichijoji Temple" is one of the greatest samurai films I have seen.
It is the second part of the trilogy about Japan's most famous and arguably greatest swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, author of the book "Five rings".
Mifune is again superb as the lone wolf hero who is torn between his love to the orphan girl Otsu and his own samurai call.
Koji Tsuruta was unknown to me before this and was a pleasant surprise as the charming, ambitious and cunning Kojiro Sasaki, who later becomes Musashi's principal rival.
Daisuke Kato, one of the Seven Samurai, makes a fun appearance as one of the most loathsome characters in the movie and the trilogy.The actresses playing Akemi and Otsu were quite impressive as well.Hiroshi Inagaki was a highly capable director and proves that clearly here.
Exactly what this ideal samurai is to be seems uncertain, however Mifune is convinced by the end of the movie that there is no room on this path for the beautiful and ever faithful Ostu.
Hiroshi Inagaki's 1954-1956 three part color film, The Samurai Trilogy, is unlike many filmic trilogies for the very fact that it is, indeed, one exactly five hour long film, and not three separate linked films, for the first two films have no real endings.
This three part film is also derived from one singular literary work, from Eiji Yoshikawa's 1935 novel Musashi, loosely based upon the real life 17th Century Japanese folk hero, the samurai Musashi Miyamoto, who penned a classic book called The Book Of Five Rings.
Overall, The Samurai Trilogy is a good film, but while the narrative story gets better and tighter with each succeeding film, the visual quality of each succeeding film worsens on The Criterion Collection's three disks, both in the original film stock and the poor transfers.If nothing else, this film, The Samurai Trilogy, can be seen as a sort of training ground for the great Toshiro Mifune to try out and perfect a wide range of acting styles and characters within character that he would unleash on the film lovers of the world throughout the rest of his career, be it in his films with Kurosawa, or long after.
And, if a film can be said to have allowed something like that to happen, then its merits are certainly more than its flaws, melodramatic or not.
But, even on top of that, a film like this acts as a sort of entrée into the greater and deeper art put out by the aforementioned masters, and allows those great works of art to be more greatly appreciated, for contrast can clarify what the mists of the ineffable do not.
The opening samurai duel sets the stage for artistic, well choreographed fights with a high level of suspense.
Musashi is immediately put down by a wandering Zen monk who says that he is still too wild to be considered a true samurai; thus begins the balancing act and spiritual transformation of Musashi.In this film we see the tragedy of Matahachi in his relationship fleshed out.
In addition, the love triangle between Akemi, Otsu and Musashi continues.
Musashi wants to make a name for himself and ends up seeking out the master of the Yoshioka clan for a duel.
The students of the master continue to try to ambush and kill off Musashi.
We meet a new character that will be more fully developed in the third movie: Kojiro Sasaki.
He is interested in Musashi's growth as a legend so that he can face him off later and gain an even greater reputation.The film is shot at 1:33:1 aspect ratio which creates shots with greater depth within the composition.
Inagaki is also very skillful in setting up great scenes, like a duel with snow falling and then cutting to another simple scene that takes place after the fight.
He teases the audience and leaves it wanting for more.One of the most surprising aspects of the film is how forward the female characters are portrayed.
Toshiro Mifune plays the character flawlessly and displays his commanding presence as a skilled swordsman that is later perfected within the great Kurosawa films.