Zen And Sword

Zen And Sword collects together director Tomu Uchida's five part adaptation of Yoshikawa Eiji biography Miyamoto Musashi (aka Musashi). It was filmed over a period of five years in the early 1960s, and depicts the life of the legendary Samurai. Its accuracy as a biopic isn't even questionable. The film is strictly entertainment. The eponymous warrior is part of the myth of the Samurai that developed in the Edo period.

Eureka! has released all five films that make up the biopic in a single package. Except for the first film in the series, whose narrative has a distinct beginning, middle and end, It makes sense for them all to be viewed together as a single work. The ten hour epic of 17th Century Japanese swordsmanship is made up of Miyamoto Musashi; Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown At Hannyazaka Heights; Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth Of The Two Sword Style; Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel At Ichijyo-Ji; and Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel At Ganryu Islan.

The five parts have been restored and are presented in 1080p HD taken from Toei's 4K restoration. The quality of the restoration is, as you would expect, very good. Eureka! have given us nothing but high quality restorations in recent years.

In a couple of places in the first three films the camera's focus seems a little off. For such complex films, I-III were shot fast and Uchida makes considerable use of camera and character movement. The restoration really comes into its own in part IV. In a 1960s Pop Art move, the film shifts to crisp black and white for the massive battle between the 73 Yoshioka warriors and one Musashi. The flashing steel and glistening mud of sodden rice paddies need at least HD to do them justice. You can see Adachi Reijirō's fight choreography at its best.

The special features on the discs are in general well made and informative. The first disc has two audio commentaries. Both have a fairly academic feel about them. They take an in-depth look at various aspects of the of the material, ranging from its historical base to the life of the director. There are several trailers spread across all three discs and an extensive stills gallery on the third one. The third disk also features two video essays and an interview with Japanese cinema scholar Jennifer Coates: On Otsu And Other Women. This interview is the most interesting of the three. She brings up good points about the relationship between women and music, and has additional insights into Musashi's character.

Reviewed on: 11 Mar 2026