is a 1959

samurai film , also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of '' ...

directed by

Hiroshi Inagaki was a Japanese filmmaker best remembered for the Academy Award-winning '' Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto'', which was released in 1954. Career Born in Tokyo as the son of a shinpa actor, Inagaki appeared on stage in his childhood before joining t ...

and starring

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and '' ...

. Its story is an adaptation of the 1897

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...

play ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

'', and its basic plot faithfully follows that of the play. The film was released in the English-speaking world with the title ''Samurai Saga''. In the film, Mifune plays a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

named Heihachiro Komaki, who is analogous to the Cyrano character.

Yoko Tsukasa is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 17th Blue Ribbon Awards for '' Kinokawa''. She is professor at Tokyo University of Social Welfare and serves as the 2nd head of Nihon Taishōmura theme park. Life Yōko Shōji ...

plays Komaki's

love interest ''Gli Innamorati'' (, meaning "The Lovers") were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the Lovers in some regard. These dramatic and pos ...

, Princess Chiyo, who is analogous to Cyrano's love interest, Roxane. At the end of the film, when the mortally wounded Komaki visits Princess Chiyo at her

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

to bring her the latest news of the outside world, he mentions the defeat of

Kojirō Sasaki Kojirō, Kojiro, Koujirou or Kohjiroh is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * (born 1977), Japanese footballer *, Japanese educationist *, Japanese scholar of Islam *Sasaki Kojirō (Ganryu Kojiro, c. 1585–1612) ...

in a duel by the famed samurai

Musashi Miyamoto , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...

. Prior to filming ''Life of an Expert Swordsman'', Mifune had played Miyamoto in

Samurai Trilogy The ''Samurai Trilogy'' is a film trilogy directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshiro Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto and Kōji Tsuruta as Kojirō Sasaki. The films are based on '' Musashi'', a novel by Eiji Yoshikawa about the famous duelist an ...

, also directed by Inagaki, which chronicled Miyamoto's life, culminating in his legendary duel with Sasaki.

Cast

: Komaki Heihachiro *

: Lady Chiyo *

Akira Takarada was a Japanese film actor best known for his roles in the ''Godzilla'' film series. Life and career Akira Takarada was born in Korea under Japanese rule, and lived for a time in Manchuria, China. His father worked as an engineer on the Sou ...

: Karibe Jurota *

Keiko Awaji was a Japanese film actress. Notable highlights of her career were an appearance in Akira Kurosawa's ''Stray Dog'', and a role as Kimiko in '' The Bridges at Toko-Ri'', in which she appeared alongside William Holden and Mickey Rooney. Her firs ...

: Nanae *

Kamatari Fujiwara was a Japanese actor. Fujiwara worked regularly and extensively with Akira Kurosawa, and was known for both being adept at comic acting, as well as being able to take on serious roles. Early life and career Early life Fujiwara was born on ...

: Rakuzo *

Sachio Sakai , born , was a Japanese actor. In 1947, he made his film debut with Akira Kurosawa's ''One Wonderful Sunday''. He often worked with Akira Kurosawa and Kihachi Okamoto. Filmography Films * ''One Wonderful Sunday'' (1947) as Ticket seller * ''Drun ...

: Hayashida *

Akihiko Hirata (December 16, 1927 – July 25, 1984), born , was a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies (including Hiroshi Inagaki's ''Samurai'' trilogy), he is most well known for his work in the ''kaiju'' genre, including such films as '' ...

: Akahishi Sakon *

Yoshio Inaba was a Japanese actor best known for his role as Gorobei in Akira Kurosawa's '' Seven Samurai''. In addition to his career in film, Inaba was also a prolific theater actor and a member of the prestigious Haiyuza Theatre Company. He died of a heart ...

: Shiraishi Genpachi

References

External links

* * 1959 films Films based on Cyrano de Bergerac (play) Samurai films Jidaigeki films Films directed by Hiroshi Inagaki Films produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka Japanese films based on plays 1950s Japanese films {{1950s-Japan-film-stub