This is a classic Japanese film, very nicely shot, that combines some very nicely designed sets as well as nice locations. It’s a nice combination of Western-esque storytelling, samurai story, and 50s melodrama. It was the melodrama aspect that was the most interesting to me, actually: the colors, lighting, and camerawork reminded me more of Douglas Sirk than Akira Kurosawa, and it’s an interesting combination. The story comes at you pretty fast-paced, introducing a number of characters and establishing relationships quickly but effectively. The best performance is from Toshiro Mifune, who does a great job showing Miyamoto’s transformation from brash, angry youth to stoic, idealistic swordsman. The fight scenes are lacking a little bit of impact, but that makes sense given the fact that the main character is an untrained wannabe, not an experienced swordsman. A really good start to what I hope is an interesting series.