Review of Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) by Private U — 31 Mar 2016

Definitely felt like the first part of an epic instead of its own film, but I don't hold that against the film. This part focuses on the origins of Musashi and his struggle to control his temper and anger. At first it appears he is a feral warrior with no ability for compassion, but the jilted Otsu changes him, as well as the tough guidance of the Buddhist monk. Toshiro Mifune turns in a powerhouse performance, however, and that definitely elevates this movie. Looking forward to see what Inagaki does with the remaining two films.

The DVD transfer for this film was not very good though. Lots of dark film and dirty frames, not to mention some untranslated dialogue. It's not enough to make the Criterion version not worth watching, though.