The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki (The Rickshaw Man) and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai), was one of Japan?s most successful exports of the 1950s, a rousing, emotionally gripping tale ... more »of combat and self-discovery. Based on a novel that?s often called Japan?s Gone with the Wind, this sweeping saga fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto, following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. With these three films?1954?s Oscar-winning Musashi Miyamoto, 1955?s Duel at Ichijoji Temple, and 1956?s Duel at Ganryu Island?Inagaki created a passionate epic that?s equal parts tender love story and bloody action.« less