The trilogy closer doesn't skimp on the action as Miyamoto Mushashi travels toward the titular duel, a turning point in his life. By this time the swordsman is concentrating more on his study of the arts than swordplay, even taking a year off to become a farmer. The sets are more studio-bound than ever, but the color and depth of the cinematography more than makes up for that. Especially glorious is that final duel, fought on a beach with the sun slowly rising behind the combatants.

Collectively known simply as "The Samurai Trilogy", all three movies are recommended, and the recent Criterion Blu-Ray release is beautiful to behold.

38/100

Serious question: Has there ever been a trilogy—bona fide, I mean, not just a film and its two sequels—that isn't widely considered a masterpiece? No matter how mediocre some or even all of the films may be, people just swoon at the sheer triptychyness of the whole affair. (See also: Red Riding, Dreileben, etc.) Anyway, this final entry does nothing but stall for nearly two hours, as Musashi postpones his inevitable face-off with the effeminate rival (which, again, has no emotional undercurrent whatsoever because it's strictly glory-seeking) in order to go be a humble farmer for a year, which despite the presence of some bandits is about as exciting as it sounds. Sunrise duel, when it finally arrives, is superbly elemental and suggests that Inagaki might have been something had he been a stronger judge of material. But the series honestly needs Harvey Scissorhands to fashion one solid two-hour film from all the largely redundant and/or monotonous footage.

I love that the same characters are a part of each film in this trilogy. By the end I was so invested in each character that I was kind of sad the trilogy ended.

It also seems, if the experts on the Criterion discs are to be believed, that the films follow legitimate events in the historical Musashi Miyamoto's life, although many characters were added and many events were told out of sequence to enhance the drama.

I loved these movies and felt their vibrant color and shooting style felt well ahead of its time (the mid-1950s). Even if there was a ton of old school reliance on sets and backlots, I still felt very much a part of the action.

Is the final duel, set on a beach at dawn and beautifully shot, the inspiration behind the final fight in Haywire? I wouldn't be surprised if Soderberg was referencing this duel in that film.

Ah, what a great ending to a overall great trilogy. Midway through this trio of feudal Samurai flicks, I began to get a little disappointed but I have come to realize my expectations may have been too high. After seeing Kurosawa's samurai films such as Yojimbo for example, I guess his films sort have raised the bar. Ignaki's trilogy is not on the same level as Kurosawa's samurai films but they are indeed very good and Mifune really pulls out some of his best work in a character that he truly believes in. To see his performance in this one compared to the first film is remarkable to look back on, and it is really he who makes this trio such a grand epic. I rate the whole trilogy a 8/10 across the board.

The last of Inagaki's Samurai trilogy moves along at a bit of a slower pace than the first two entries. This is especially true for the first third of the film before Musashi heads off to farm at the village.

I have to admit that I likely caused problems for myself by watching these three movies so spread apart that I grew fuzzy on who some of the characters were at first, so I would recommend against breaking them up over too long a time.

The movie picked up quite a bit for me after the conflict started with the bandits in the village and the final duel was really cool, but I think this might be the weakest of the trilogy for me. It's still an excellent watch and puts a good bow on the trilogy, but felt a little uneventful in comparison.

Samurai III: He's Just Not That Into You features our hero decamping to a new village to raise vegetables. Even so, everyone wants a piece of him, and his women keep hunting him down. Watch in horror as Otsu and Akemi, bells jingling along their waists, engage in the world's most pathetic ax fight, the result of which is a house fire. At the end, Musashi feels the samurai's duty to upbraid his vaguely feminine rival, so he puts his tilling on hold for a thrilling beach duel. I liked the trilogy, but did it really need to be three movies? Especially when Musashi became so Zen (and dull)? More bodies with elegantly written public declarations posted nearby, please.

A sprawling yet towering film that concludes the Samurai Trilogy in an unforgettable duel that features another magnificent performance from Toshiro Mifune.

A fitting conclusion to Musashi's story and my favourite of the trilogy.

The best of the trilogy, though this is not a ringing endorsement. The conclusion to Inagaki's 'Samurai' series, 'Ganryu' seems the most focused as it builds towards a definitive endpoint. I was tempted to give this a higher rating as there are several points in its favor. First of all, it focuses more on Musashi himself. While the soap elements and romances from its predecessors carry on, they are less of a distraction here (though they are still the film's low points), allowing us to watch Musashi function without all the fabricated drama of 'Samurai I & II'. Finally, the big duel at the end is appropriately hyped up, and the setting is beautiful, though some unfortunate cutting choices diminish its impact. It's hard to recommend this film without its predecessors, so I say see it if you're a Toshiro Mifune fan, but don't expect a masterpiece.

a gorgeous piece of postwar Japanese prestige & a rejection of pride without sacrifice or conscience