Samurai 1: Miyamoto Musashi (1954)

Another Japanese swordplay movie, this one is lovely and lyrical and fairly uninteresting until the striking third act. Toshiro Mifune is still The Man, of course, but this film doesn't seem like it's going anywhere until it abruptly spews forth a wealth of thematic material that begs further contemplation. The next two films, by all evidence, should be forces to be reckoned with.

Grade: B-