Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Moments in Cinema: Sanjuro.

One of my favorite films is Sanjuro, particularly the near final lines after Toshiro Mifune's character has defeated his enemy, Muroto, one of the corrupt swordsmen of the film, who forces a reluctant Sanjuro to a final duel.



Sanjuro kills his adversary with a single stroke of 'exemplary' swordsmanship, stunning both for its lightning swiftness and its graphic gore. The young samurai who witness the duel run up to Sanjuro trying to congratulate him, but they are quickly rebuked:

"He was just like me, a naked blade. We're both swords out of our scabbards. But it's like the lady said: really good swords stay in scabbards."

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