Day 15: Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)

“Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple” is a far more action packed film then it’s predecessor “Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto” but, surprisingly enough, the film’s main theme is that of putting down your sword to become more whole through acts of nonviolence. Working as the second act of the three film trilogy, “Samurai II” does it’s job well. It not only moves the plot forward at an ever heightening pace, but also allows us to dive deeper into the minds of our characters and react when their situations grow both promising and bleak.

In this second installment of the “Samurai” story, our hero Musashi (formally known as Takezo) has been traveling for several years, gaining a reputation as a master swordsmen. But, after a close but victorious duel, a wise old man confronts him and declares that he is too strong to yet be considered a Samurai. Confused by the old man’s words, Musashi continues on his way until finally returning home to Kyoto, where his love Otsu waits.

But Musashi has not arrived to reunite with his loved one. First, he must duel Seijuro Yoshioka, the teacher of the region’s finest school of fencing. You see, Seijuro wants to wed Akemi, the daughter of Oko, from the first film, but finds she only loves Musashi. Though Musashi has no interest in Akemi, it is for his honor he must duel the jealous teacher. But Seijuro is a coward through and through and sends eighty of his school’s disciples to ambush Musashi at Ichijoji Temple. With his foes hot on his heels, Musashi will have to remember the words of that wise old man and find the true strength of a Samurai to lay his sword down.

In “Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” we find an older, more mature, Musashi, who, though not as wild as his former self, is still seeking the true path of a Samurai. He has been a rogue nomad, moving about the country looking for fights to prove himself but, what he has failed to realize, is that a true Samurai never looks for a battle, but only picks up his sword when their is no other choice. His enemy in the film, Seijuro Yoshioka, is living in direct opposition to the true Samurai way- teaching his fencing students how to ambush and turing them into nothing but undisciplined thugs. Through this conflict of views, we, as Musashi, seek for what the true Samurai way is.

It is this aspect of the story that makes it both a great film and an excellent second part of the trilogy. We are now seeing Musashi grow from a simple warrior to a Samurai, which leads him to battle, not bandits and ruffians as in the first film, but trained fellow warriors. We have already watch this great fighter transform from a violent hothead to a person of quiet introspection. What awaits us in the third film? Hopefully Musashi finally becoming what he truly desires- a Samurai.

To find out more about “Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” check out Criterion’s page here.

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