is a 1955 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki starring Toshiro Mifune. Shot in Eastmancolor, it is the second film of Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy.
The film is adapted from Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi, originally released as a serial in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, between 1935 and 1939. The novel is loosely based on the life of the famous Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi.
The first part of the trilogy is Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) and the third is Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956).
The film's production designer was Kisaku Itō, the set decoration was made by Makoto Sono, the consultant of art department was Kisaku Itō, the sound technician was Chōshichirō Mikami, the lighting technician was Shigeru Mori, and the choreographers were Tokuho Azuma and Yoshio Sugino.
Plot
Musashi walks alone from the mountains to the seashore, then to the farm fields, "in search of knowledge and to complete his character as a respectable samurai". It is evening as he stops by a hut and prepares a bandana on his forehead. He tells a young lad to go, but he refuses, saying that he lives there and knows Musashi will duel with Old Baiken nearby. Shisido Baiken arrives with two aides. The two men face off, Musashi with his katana, Baiken with rapidly swinging ball and chain and scythe (kusarigama). After a tense battle Musashi delivers a killing thrust. An old man passing by chastises Musashi, commenting that although he is a skilled fencer, he lacks chivalry and is not mentally relaxed, thus is not a true samurai.
The boy, whose name is Jotaro and is an orphan, follows Musashi on his journey. In Kyoto, Otsu still waits, selling fans by the bridge. Akemi comes by and notices her sadness, they talk, Akemi says she longs for a certain man also. Toji comes and grabs Akemi to take her back to entertain Seijuro Yoshioka, a wealthy Martial Arts School owner. Toji and Oko discuss how rich they will be by pimping out Akemi. Matahachi still hangs around the house also and sings a mournful song.
At the Yoshioka school Musashi keeps dueling with the students, laying a beating on them one by one. Believing all the students are not powerful enough, he demands a match with Seijuro, the school master. Later Seijuro arrives to see his wounded students, defeated by who they consider a back country fencer. Seijuro prepares for a duel but is stopped by Toji, who says Musashi is not good enough for the master. The men whisper and plan. They attack his room en masse but Musashi is gone. He left a note saying Seijuro is to post his time and place for a duel by Sanjuro Bridge the next day.
Back at the house, Oko and Toji try to cheer up a pensive Seijuro. Akemi delivers tea. Toji tells him to have his brother Denschichiro fight instead. Akemi sees Musashi's note and his signature, realizing it must be her Takezo. She goes to tell a stunned Matahachi, who sets out to find his old friend.
In a shop Musashi is trying to get his sword sharpened, the smithy calls Musashi a murderer and refuses to polish the weapon. The samurai leaves in anger, then pauses, returns and asks humbly, the smithy now agrees but says only the Master Koetsu Honami can polish the sword. At Honami's shop the master polisher is friendly and shows a recent job, a long sword nicknamed "the Clothes Pole". Musashi is interested in the owner, who is Kojiro Sasaki.
In a park Matahachi walks nervously. He sees a group of men attack a samurai, they cry out they made a mistake. The dying man gives Matahachi a package to deliver to Kojiro Sasaki.
At the house Seijuro punishes Akemi for loving his enemy, then he rapes her. Oko and Toji leave them alone. Afterwards, Akemi glares at her mother with hate.
In the dusk Musashi waits by the bridge. Otsu arrives by coincidence and the two meet once again, Otsu never wants to leave him again. A stoic Musashi admits he prefers his sword. Suddenly a large group of men approach Musashi. Vastly outnumbered, Musashi fights and retreats, demanding a fair duel. While he escapes by the riverbank, Sasaki crosses the bridge and says that Toji will lose against Musashi. Toji acts bossy until Sasaki suddenly takes his sword and quickly slices off Toji's topknot with the "Swallow Turn" move. Sasaki then strides away back across the bridge.
Otsu runs along the river calling for Takezo. Akemi is there also and hears her. The two women meet and Akemi realizes they both long for the same man. She lies to Otsu that Takezo had proposed to her. Sadly Akemi says she was going to kill herself but now will live for Takezo. Otsu weeps, not believing it.