jazz_man1 I was fortunate to watch this film on the big screen at the Pacific Cinematheque (a wonderful institution devoted to all aspects of film) in Vancouver Canada. The night was a double bill and I think the first film was Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress. After a couple of hours viewing the sublime use of black and white, I was startled to see a glorious blaze of colours in Samurai Saga. Toshiro Mifune is all too convincing as a Japanese Cyrano DeBergerac and is wonderful in this role. It was the first opportunity I had to see Mifune outside of his performances in Kurosawa films, aside from the Shogun series. His performance equalled the wonderful work he did with Kurosawa and has made me interested in seeking out more of his work.********Spoiler Alert******** The most wonderful scene for me is when Mifune is lying dying in the courtyard of his unrequited love's house. He has fulfilled his promise to meet her during the spring festival and the cherry blossoms fall upon his body like snow. This was truly an incredible cinematic experience. I can't recommend this movie enough.

MartinHafer While I love Japanese versions of Western stories (such as Kurosawa's version of Macbeth--THRONE OF BLOOD), I guess I've just never been the biggest fan of the story of Cyrano. I have seen the José Ferrer and Gérard Depardieu versions and this film is at least as good--perhaps a little better due to its wonderful sense of artistry and the acting of Toshiro Mifune (though the other two did great jobs as well). The cinematography is exquisite and the poetic nature of the dialog is wonderful as well. But, because I knew exactly how the story would go, there was no suspense and this prevented the movie from receiving a higher score. THRONE OF BLOOD did receive a higher score because it was so unique in how it approached the material that it was almost a completely different story, but this one never veered far enough off course to make it more watchable. Excellent, but familiar.

JO I really enjoyed this movie. Mifune (as Heihachiro) is a powerhouse throughout the movie in the lead role and has remarkable presence in all of his scenes. The first part of the movie is a little slow, but the movie begins to pick up half way through as the relationship between Heihachiro and Jutaro (Akira Takarada) develops.There are some great moments you don't want to miss, especially the scenes between Mifune and Yôko Tsukasa. In one particular scene, he is covertly expressing his feelings for Lady Ochii, and it is extremely powerful. This is a solid overall Samurai flick, although it is a little light on the action and heavier on story.

Jason-38 Yes, it works! With Toshiro Mifune at his magnificent best it works remarkably well. Edmund Rostand's Cyrano was translated into Japanese early in its life. Consequently, it became a part of Japanese culture. That means that the more the Japanese sample and absorb from other cultures, the more fundamentally Japanese they become.Toshiro Mifune is totally original and compelling as the Cyrano character. No, his nose does not proceed him by a quarter hour, like Rostand's French original. In Japan, large noses are relatively flat and spread out across the face. This Cyrano writes haiku and duels in classic Samurai style. Mifune is scruffy, earthy and throroughly engaging.Some understandable liberties have been taken with Rostand's plot in order to make it consistent with Japanese culture. However, the climax remains absolutely consistent. It is as deeply felt and as moving as any Cyrano you will ever see. It is set in a a walled cherry orchard. As Mifune is dying, the cherry blossoms fall like snowflakes. Cyrano's dying words, "I fight on...", need no translation.For fans of Cyrano; or Toshiro Mifune; or Samurai films; or great romantic stories; or even if you've never particularly liked any of them, this is one you don't want to miss.