Day 16: Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)

Rounding out the epic three part “Samurai” trilogy, director Hiroshi Inagaki brings us “Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island,” the conclusion to the legend of real life Samurai Musashi Miyamoto. With as heartfelt a love story as its first part and the same tense action of the second, “Samurai III” delivers a poignant third act, giving us the resolution we seek.

In this final installment, Musashi has finally made it to the top of the Samurai world. Loved by the country, feared by his peers, and having defeated over sixty challengers, he is at the top of his game, and yet, still not satisfied. After dishonoring his love Otsu so many years ago, Musashi continues to roam, unsure of what his future will hold.But, one day, his life finds a silver lining as Shogun, Japan’s most powerful clan leader, seeks Musashi to be his teacher. Though the offer is tempting, Musashi declines, to the astonishment of all, realizing that he is to become a farmer in a small village instead- seeking the quiet life he once mocked in his wild youth.

Though his farm prospers and he and Otsu eventually reunite, Musashi’s Samurai statues brings trouble to his door. For one, Mushashi must defend his small village against a group of thieves, who’s leader seeks vengeance for the death of his brother at Mushashi’s hand. For another, a young and magnificently skilled Samurai named Kojiro Sasaki, who took the job as Shogun’s teacher, now seeks to beat Mushashi, the only Samurai better than him. For Mushashi, it will take everything he has ever learned about being a Samurai to help him defeat his foes and go back to his life of peace with Otsu.

In this final chapter of Musashi’s story, we find him, at the very beginning of the film, remembering the lesson he was taught at the end of the second adventure. While an angry head strong man challenges him to a duel, Mushashi gets to his knee and apologizes for the misunderstanding that began the fight in the first place. This is a very poignant moment for several reasons. For one, Mushashi has certainly become the Samurai he had dreamed of. He is now calm and discerning. Knowing that his skills are great, he refrains from accepting every fool-hearty challenge as this would end many arrogant, but otherwise harmless, lives.

Also, with this hot headed individual in particular, Mushashi is basically facing his former self. To both him and the audience it is obvious that he is looking into a figurtive mirror and, while his hotheaded past wants to fight, Mushashi shows his true Samurai ways and asks for forgivness. Truly Mushahsi is speaking beyond the man in front of him and making peace with his former reckless life.

From that point on, the story swells into a beautiful tale of love, devotion, and dedication as Mushashi faces the enemies of his present self, who seek to keep him from moving beyond his warrior ways. After enjoying the “Samurai” trilogy as a whole, I can truly appreciate the pace of the story and its subtle way of progressing its characters through a span of, most likely, a decade or more. With a beautiful eye for the Japanese landscape and a compelling journey of self discovery, both “Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island” and the trilogy as a whole, are just as captivating as they were when they first appeared on the big screen.

For more information on “ ”Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island,” check out Criterion’s page here.

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