Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
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1h 43m
Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki • 1955 • Japan
Starring Toshiro Mifune, Koji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Toshiro Mifune furiously embodies swordsman Musashi Miyamoto as he comes into his own in the action-packed middle section of the Samurai Trilogy. DUEL AT ICHIJOJI TEMPLE furthers Miyamoto along his path to spiritual enlightenment, as well as further from the arms of the two women who love him: loyal Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa) and conniving yet tragic Akemi (Mariko Okada). The film also brings him face to face with hordes of rivals intent on cutting him down, especially his legendary rival Kojiro (Koji Tsuruta). The titular climax is one of Japanese cinema’s most rousingly choreographed conflicts, intensified by Jun Yasumoto’s color cinematography and Ikuma Dan’s triumphant score.
Up Next in Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
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On Musashi Miyamoto, Part 2
The character Musashi Miyamoto was inspired by the historical figure of the same name. In this interview, conducted in 2012, translator and historian William Scott Wilson (“The Lone Samurai”) discusses the real-life events corresponding to the time frame of SAMURAI II: DUEL AT ICHIJOJI TEMPLE.
