Review: Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (Criterion Collection Spine #15)

The Bridge to the Finale

If Samurai I was the origin story, Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955) is the training montage that tests the hero’s soul. It does an excellent job acting as the bridge for the trilogy, introducing a “final boss” in Sasaki Kojiro and raising the stakes for Musashi’s development.

The introduction of Kojiro is fascinating because he doesn’t actually do much—and that’s the point. The respect in the samurai community is on full display here; Kojiro is so confident in his skill that he aids Musashi rather than killing him early. He wants a challenge, not an easy win. He is content to wait, knowing that battling Musashi now would be a waste, but battling a fully realized Musashi later will be a legend.

Musashi, meanwhile, is forced to grow up. The climax features a massive ambush where he faces quantity over quality. For the first time, he can’t just rely on brute force; he has to learn strategy on the fly (using the muddy rice paddies to tire out his opponents) and manage his endurance. But the true victory isn’t the body count. It is the maturity he displays at the end of the fight—the hesitation and control that proves he is no longer just a wild beast, but a thinking warrior.

The film also digs deeper into his isolation. Musashi spends the runtime surrounded by the affection of women, yet he pushes them away. I don’t view his claim that “the sword requires isolation” as an excuse; I view it as a personal hurdle. He is navigating this journey without a master—much like a Jedi trying to figure out the rules of the Order on his own. He is clearly attracted to Otsu (his desperation at the end proves it), but when the connection fails, he retreats into his training. He believes he must choose between the heart and the sword, setting up the central conflict for the final chapter.

The Verdict: Samurai II successfully bridges the gap between the wild youth of the first film and the master we expect to see in the third. It leaves us with the two biggest questions of the trilogy: Will Musashi be ready for Kojiro? And will he finally allow himself to be human enough to love Otsu?

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