RISE OF THE SWORD-SAINT
This film marks the glorious conclusion to the Samurai Trilogy and the ascent of Musashi Miyamoto to spiritual perfection, Musashi Kensei (The Sword-Saint). TOSHIRO MIFUNE, one of the world's greatest actors, delivers a memorable performance as the master at the peak of his enlightenment.
Several years have goneby and Musashi Miyamoto has emerged invincible in over SIXTY duels. Interestingly enough, one sees no pride or ambition in Musashi's manner. He turns down job offers from important lords, including the Shogun's martial arts teacher. In the meantime, Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta) regrets the little recognition he has so far received, and seeks to duel Musashi and attain immortal fame.
Otsu (the beautiful Kaoru Yachigusa), the quintessence of loyalty, has fervently sought to see Musashi once again, having parted unwillingly in Part II. In like manner, Akemi (charming Mariko Okada) maintains hope of seeing Musashi, having through a tragic turn of events wound up as a...
Excellent film, bad transfer
While I agree with the other reviewers that the culmination of Inagaki's Samurai trilogy is a wonderful film, I feel that this DVD can't truly be rated at five stars. The reason for this is that the transfer on the disc (and the other two in the series) simply doesn't do justice to the film's beautiful cinematography. The colors are muted in most scenes, often shift from scene to scene, and the film itself is frequently scratched or pitted.
However, it's doubtful that these fantastic films will receive a better transfer any time in the near future, so be sure to see them, but be warned that the transfer is sub-par (although it's certainly watchable).
a great film regardless of print quality
i must disagree when people say the print quality is poor. the quality may not be what some people are used to, but if you look at the restoration footage of the seven samurai, you can see that not all films stand the test of time well. the performances are magnificent and this third installment in the trilogy completes the story nicely. toshiro mifune has, for me, always been the definitive samurai. with a lesser emphasis on action and a greater emphasis on mental and emotional development, this film portrays his final arrival on becoming a samurai. it should not be missed.
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