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It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Three Samurai: Heihachiro Komaki (Toshirô Mifune), Jutaro (Jurota) Karibe (Akira Takarada), and Akaboshi (Akihiko Hirata), all in love with the same woman: Lady Ochii aka Princess Chiyo (Yôko Tsukasa).Komaki is a Japanese version of Cyrano. he has a big nose and knows that no woman would approach him, so he becomes the clown. Jurota is the one who the Princess loves, and, as a childhood friend of Komaki, asks him to protect her love. Akaboshi is in the shadows just hoping for a chance.It is 1621 and a great war occurs. During the war Komaki writes many letters in Jurota's name. Jurota doesn't survive and Komaki goes into hiding as the Shogun never rests and continues to seek out his enemies - even 10 years later. Akaboshi is determined to remove the one remaining rival for his love and is a spy for the Shogun.Mifune is spectacular in a beautifully done remake of Cyrano that has all the great elements of a Japanese movie. There are many fights, and a great battle, but there is no blood, as this is a love story. It is beautiful.

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.

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.

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.