#16: Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
Hi loves,
How ya doing this week? I’M SLEEPY.
9/22 FUND RACIAL JUSTICE/ACTION ITEM:
Two things!
Listen to this podcast with Brene Brown and poet, author, and activist Sonya Renee Taylor about Sonya’s work with radical self love. It is extremely relevant to the conversation about systemic racism.
I just found this really cool tool called Leveler. It facilitates peer-to-peer wealth distribution. You can read about it here but basically you can sign up as a distributor and are matched with 5 real people in their database to whom your funds will be shared. Choose a database here and it will randomly choose 5 people you may directly send money to.
9/22 MOVIE BY A BLACK FILMMAKER REC:
Rec’ing this because I love Tessa Thompson so much, even though I haven’t seen it. It’s on my list! It’s called Little Woods and was written and directed by Nia DaCosta, who is also doing a Candyman remake, which is a horror movie I half-watched from under a blanket this week. Little Woods is only available on Hulu.
#16: Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki
Country: Japan
Year: 1956
Runtime: 104 minutes
Language: Japanese
**As always, this post contains spoilers**
When we last saw Musashi, he was walking away from Otsu after trying to pin her down and kiss her by the river. Remember? Our hearts were collectively broken at yet another reminder that all men are trash.
Well we’re back at a river. This time, it’s Kojiro Sasaki (the guy who was often defending Musashi against Seijūrō’s friends), in front of a rainbow and a waterfall, waxing poetic about how he is determined to win a match against Musashi to become Japan’s no. 1 fencer. He kills a swallow with a single, silent move with his sword, a move he proclaims he will kill Musashi with.
Sasaki
For some reason Akemi is there and very bummed about the dead swallow and the fact that Sasaki wants to kill the man she loves. She tells him that he scares and horrifies her and runs away. GO GIRL.
In the town of Nara, a group of Buddhist priests are battling with very long sticks (possibly spears?) with puffy covers on the end. One of the priests wins by what looked to be killing his opponent but I’m not sure how since the swords were covered? Idk, it’s the Medieval times; killing people was super casual back then, yes? The winner challenges a bunch of people in the crowd but no one will fight him probably because he is HORRIFYING.
Musashi is in the crowd! A teen boy verbally insults the priest and the priest calls him out. Musashi bends a knee and apologizes on behalf of the boy, but the priest doesn’t accept and starts jabbing his spear in their direction. And in a total power move, Musashi just holds the spear really tight so the priest can’t get it away. Eventually an older priest breaks them up.
Jotaro and Musashi
Back at a temple, Otsu arrives looking for Musashi. The priest there tells her she is too late. As she runs away, the priest tells her not to chase him and she falls down and cries. So, she’s still into him I guess.
We arrive at the city of Edo, which looks to be the most crowded city in Japan. The streets are packed with men pushing and carrying stuff wearing only tops and no pants and I said “oh look, it’s me” and Josh said, “beat me to it” so it’s good to know yourself and to be with someone who shares that vision. Edo is the shogun’s political and military center. For those who don’t know (me!), a shogun was the military dictator in Japan up until the mid 1800s. Turns out working for the shogun was like the dream job for a samurai.
Sasaki, shocker, is in another bad relationship and by that I mean he’s abusive to a new lady named Omitsu. He rips up a gift she made for him, asks her if she still likes him, she says she likes it, he asks her to elope, and she runs out of the room. This is very classic This Trilogy.
At an inn, Musashi carves a wooden statue. It’s nice to have a hobby! The boy who insulted the priest at the match is with him and calls him master and we realize it's an older Jotaro! He rags on Musashi for not being more worried about trying to get hired by the shogun. And then he calls him out for carving his wooden statue to look like Otsu. I like Jotaro.
Musashi has a flashback to that very romantic time by the river where he kept trying to kiss her and she kept saying no. He admits he wants to see her but she’d refuse to see him because he “did something shameful” to her. WONDER WHAT.
There’s a ruckus outside their room and four dead men. But! The killer left a note taking responsibility for it: Odama Strategic School Students. Apparently this means Sasaki is responsible for it? I have so many questions about the logistics of killing 4 people during the day in a city, then leaving a handwritten note, but I’m again chalking it up to “the 1600s.”
Musashi visits the school, where the headmaster denies those men are his students, which is confusing. Musashi leaves with the bodies of the men in a cart. He and Jotaro bury them in a grave for unknown samurai.
Sasaki appears at the grave.
Sasaki, Musashi, and Jotaro
Musashi remembers Sasaki as the guy who saved him last year and praises him for his work killing these four men. Sasaki asks him if he wants to see the move that he used but Musashi asks if they can fight elsewhere. They reschedule for the next night. The way scheduling happens in this movie is hilarious. “I’d looooove for you to try to kill me tonight but I am just SWAMPED. Is next Thursday good for you??”
Turns out the students who killed the four samurai were students of the shogun’s teacher, Lord Hosokawa. They ask Susaki if he will become the shogun’s teacher instead. He will receive protection in exchange. He declines, saying he doesn’t want or need protection.
Outside Musashi and Jotaro's room at the inn, a bunch of dudes are causing a racket while they’re trying to eat. They open the door and taunt Musashi, asking him to confess that he’s scared. Kumagoro, a horse dealer, literally just says, “I’m tough.” Which is what tough guys say.
Musashi is obviously chill, catching a fly out of the air with chopsticks. This freaks the living hell out of all of these guys and they run away screaming.
Jotaro delivers a note to Sasaki saying Musashi would like to postpone their duel for a YEAR. Turns out Musashi just wants to train more, which is fair, but also how easy would it be to just keep asking for a rain check.
Jotaro, Musashi, and Kumagoro leave Edo and settle in a nearby village. They even build their own hut!
At a brothel, a bunch of women get ready to entertain some rich men. Sasaki is one of these men and asks specifically for Hanagiri. Guess whattttt...it’s Akemi. They have a tense exchange where he calls her out for her unrequited love for Musashi in front of all of these rich men, which is so fucking rude, even if it’s true. He tells her where Musashi lives now and throws a bag of money at her. I really cannot express to you how much I hate this person.
Walking through a field, dressed as a man, Otsu is stopped by two bandits who fight over her. Jotaro and Kumagoro hear her screams and come to her rescue. Are they the only good men in this movie??
Back in the village, Otsu and Musashi reunite! He says he thought she was mad at him. She takes the blame, saying it was so sudden. And then they just….get over it. He shows off his hut. He’s proud of it and their little crops. He reflects on how he used to be so interested in fame but now he’s just interested in...life. He is your friend from college who was making 100K at Deloitte and then tried mushrooms for the first time.
Akemi prepares to leave home to find Musashi. A group of bandits arrive before she can leave. One of the men is Toji, Oko (Akemi’s mother)’s terrible lover from the last movie. Akemi asks him what happened to her mom and one of the other bandits says he killed her and that Akemi will be next.
“These are NOT good dudes, Terry.” Josh says. Sometimes he calls me Terry but that’s NUNYA.
Toji drops her off at Musashi’s village in exchange for her telling Musashi that the brigand have all left town so he won’t be prepared when they set his hut on fire the next evening. If she doesn’t agree, he will kill her. She walks away smirking.
Otsu tills away in a field when Musashi shows up to tell her how to do it. She goes AWF on him for not telling her how he feels, for not loving her. She says she wishes she would die and then runs into a pond and he rescues her. As he’s pulling her out of the water, Akemi appears. Otsu sees her and runs away.
Akemi: “Oh. She’s here.” LOL
As Musashi sits by a fire that night, he and Akemi argue about him not being into her, as usual. Akemi cries and apologizes and promises to leave in the morning, promising to give him up but asking him to...choke her to death as one last favor. Which he probably rightly ignores. But she gives no warning of Toji and his bandits’ plan to burn down the village (also, Toji and the Bandits is a sick band name). The next morning she even tells all the men that all the bandits have been arrested. Not just a casual lie, but like excitedly tells a BUNCH of them separately. So she’s super salty. Also, possibly suicidal because she goes back in the hut and says she’ll stay awhile. Woof.
The whole village dances and sings, except Akemi who asks Otsu to come talk with her in the hut. Akemi holds an ax and gives one to Otsu, demanding her to fight her.
Akemi
Y’ALL!! In their struggle, a candle is flung and lights the hut on fire, but they’re able to escape. Otsu and Akemi cling to each other (fast friends!) as the village runs to the hut and the bandits descend on the town. SO much is happeningggggg. V chaotic.
It’s an absolute shitshow. All of the huts are being lit on fire, which is a very easy thing to do. Everybody is fighting everybody. The guy who killed Akemi’s mother confronts Musashi and is immediately killed. Toji captures Otsu and Akemi kills him with a sword she finds on the ground. But before he dies, he stabs her.
“Otsu. I’m dying now. I’ve been so wicked.” Akemi gasps. Otsu comforts her.
Musashi arrives and holds her as she dies. “Darling! At last...you hold me in your arms. It’s all over with me. I can’t even...see you. Be happy together, you two.” And DIES. But does she mean it? Either way, I’m sad. Akemi’s entire life was a tragic mess. RIP Akemi.
So many people are dead by the next morning and Musashi and Otsu kneel by Akemi’s grave. A man arrives with a letter for Musashi. It’s from Sasaki basically saying, “See you next April.”
Otsu has traveled to the town site of the match with Jotaro so that if Musashi loses, she can at least gather his remains. But he again has chosen fencing over her. Otsu falls ill.
Sasaki has gotten very cocky now that he’s employed by a Lord. I know this because he grew his hair out and all he does is talk at his girlfriend and his bird about how he’s going to win. He’s lacking humility BIG time. A FATAL FLAW?
Sasaki and his bird
Otsu is really sick but a group of his friends take Musashi to see her, him not knowing she’s even in town. They take a walk on the beach. He asks for her forgiveness, saying that he’s been heartless. He says he can now fight with a clear conscience.
She cries and tells him she wishes he weren’t a samurai. She begs him not to fight. They go back and forth like this for awhile, getting nowhere, his conscience getting all dirty AGAIN. He tells her the fight is for a good cause and she watches him leave in a boat.
Here’s the thing: Otsu is allowed to feel her feelings and express them! However, because she does not feel safe in this relationship, she’s unable to self-soothe and puts her anxieties about Musashi’s chosen career on him, instead of having an open and honest conversation about these fears and getting real about what part of those fears she owns. And because Musashi is emotionally unavailable and in MY hot take, conflicted about whether he actually wants to be a samurai, he is unable to ever truly hear her. She is just a constant obstacle representing his own internal conflict about his career. It would be great if they could have a conversation at a neutral time (when he is not about to go maybe die in a duel or “find himself” for 3-5 years) where they both reflectively listened. Musashi, what are you hearing Otsu say? Otsu?
I usually charge $125/hr for couples counseling, but that one is free.
On the boat, he carves a wooden sword. As a procrastinator, this is very relatable.
Musashi gets off the boat with the sunset behind him, walking knee deep in the water. Sasaki meets him on the shore. It looks SO cool.
Josh says, “Terry, it has all led up to this.”
InDEED.
I can’t reiterate enough how cool this looks.
They start battling: Sasaki with a sword, Musashi with a wooden stick he carved, again, on the boat ride over! Musashi is in the water, running parallel to the shore with very slow and fancy footwork.
Musashi, with the sun at his back, makes sure not to block it so that it blinds Sasaki which is so smart!
In a split second move, Musashi jumps up and switches to a sword in the air. Sasaki knicks him on the forehead and he bleeds.
As he notices Musashi's wound, Sasaki smiles, then his face goes blank and he collapses. Musashi killed him in that split second jump move.
Musashi wins.
“That was splendid” ---Sasaki’s friends. That’s how you know you’re the GOAT: you kill somebody’s friend and they’re like “gotta hand it to ya.”
Musashi says Sasaki was the best fencer he will ever face, grabs his wooden stick and walks back into the sea to his boat.
Sasaki is dead but smiling.
Musashi weeps in the boat.
THE END
I really can't believe how much I loved this trilogy! It packed in so much wisdom, emotion, and DRAMA, not to mention the gorgeous costuming. I know I don’t rate these but oh, WHAT THE HECK: 10/10 would recommend.
Up next is #17, a movie that I could not be less interested in watching and by that I mean terrified of and by that I mean I don’t feel emotionally or mentally stable enough to see it right now or ever because its about teenagers being subjected to “extreme violence, sadism, and sexual and psychological torture.” Ugh. Enter Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. See you there, bbs.
XO
Steph