# How unrealistic are duels between samurai depicted?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unrealistic-are-duels-between-samurai-depicted/719957>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 13, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unrealistic-are-duels-between-samurai-depicted/719957 "2015-05-13T17:23:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unrealistic-are-duels-between-samurai-depicted/719957/21 "2015-05-14T14:05:52Z")

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> [@Kobal2](#):
>
> _blood geyser_

Naah, the Japanese didn’t build pyramids.

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unrealistic-are-duels-between-samurai-depicted/719957/22 "2015-05-14T14:15:39Z")

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> [@Kobal2](#):
>
> Huh. I could have sworn the inspiration flowed both ways ; but you’re right. Actually looking it up it seems western directors were influenced by Japanese cinema and not the other way round. Ignorance slashed (but it will only erupt in a geyser of blood three posts from now :D).

In addition to Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, one should also mention _The Outrage_, which re-imagines Kurasawa’s _Rashomon_ (!) as a Western. (!!!)  
I’d love to see this film someday. I’ve read part of the script, and seen some stills (they’re in Grove Press’ wonderful edition of _Rashomon_, which includes not only the script, but also both stories the film is based on and a slew of great essays on it and Japanese cinema), but never seen the film itself. The cast is outrageous:

Paul Newman (as a Mexican ! – The Toshiro Mifune character)  
Clair Bloom  
Howard da Silva (Ben Franklin!)  
William Shatner as a Preacher  
Edward G. Robinson (as a con man)  
Laurence Harvey

The earliest instance of the one-stroke duel I have seen, by the way, is in _The Seven Samurai_. When they redid it for The Magnificent Seven it became a throwing knife vs. gun duel, with James Coburn. Coburn, with his long face, looks astonishingly like Seiji Miyaguchi (as “Kyuzo”), the Samurai he’s essentially playing.

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