Brave samurai

Toshiro Mifune plays a seasoned wandering samurai ( ronin ), who comes to the aid of a group of young, assertive, but at the same time short-sighted and insecure warriors, saving their lives, risking their own. It helps to suppress the malice and controversy in their own clan, and thereby changes their established beliefs about a true samurai.

At the beginning of the film, it is shown how a group of young samurai gathers for a secret meeting in an abandoned temple in the forest and naively discusses the need to plot and carry out a conspiracy. The purpose of the conspiracy is to overthrow the old chamberlain who is in power in the clan , whom the head of the clan left for the chief, setting off on a long military campaign. Young samurai are unhappy with the gloom, stinginess and firmness of the chamberlain in the management of the clan. It seems as if the manager Kikui sympathizes with them, who verbally promises them support in the implementation of the conspiracy .

In the midst of a secret meeting, samurai notice that their conversation was overheard by a middle-aged lonely samurai-ronin (Mifune), who slept in the temple where they gathered. Ronin casually analyzes what he heard and explains to the samurai that, most likely, the chamberlain is an honest and truthful person, albeit mean and ugly, but the manager is only hypocritical. Then it turns out that the temple is surrounded by clan warriors, which means that the ronin is right and the steward is going to kill the young samurai conspirators. It becomes clear that the real plot was arranged by the manager, who provoked the young samurai to speak out against the mean, but rational and honest chamberlain, and he himself wanted to seize power. An experienced ronin decides to help young and inexperienced samurai, whom he despises because of their stupidity, and hides them under the temple floor, while he himself deceives the clan warriors and their leader. Seeing how masterfully the ronin wields the sword, the clan leader Hanbei Muroto invites him to come and join the clan. Later, ronin took advantage of this offer for the next rescue of young samurai, as well as for the rescue of the old chamberlain.

Later, young samurai, on the advice of the ronin, hide in the clan itself, in a neighboring house with the ruler’s palace. Ronin explains to them the plan - no one will guess to look for them right under his nose. Samurai learn that the chamberlain and his family were arrested by the manager. Again, thanks to the sharp mind and sword of the ronin, they manage to free the wife and daughter of the chamberlain. The wife of the chamberlain asks the name of such an experienced ronin, but the wandering samurai refuses to give his real name, instead, looking at the camellia tree, he appears as “Tsubaki Sanjuro”, which literally means “30-year-old camellia”. Ronin actually becomes the leader of a group of samurai conspirators. He behaves outwardly indifferent to the others, unobtrusively giving reasonable advice that always turns out to be true. Tsubaki also constantly keeps hot and inexperienced samurai from hasty action. With all this, ronin often manages to sleep, yawn, and externally behave very relaxed.

As a result, Tsubaki Sanjuro, who infiltrated the steward with the invitation of Hanbei Muroto, sends almost all clan warriors to falsely pursue the samurai, and by leading them, he helps to free the chamberlain and arrest the steward and his accomplices.

After all the incidents, the chamberlain, his family and that same group of samurai will meet. All of them are waiting for the arrival of the ronin, who saved them, who is late. According to the chamberlain, the viewer learns that the traitors were punished: the manager committed suicide, and his associates confiscated family names and destroyed the estates, but the chamberlain saved their lives. Ronin “Tsubaki Sanjuro” never comes to a meeting, instead he leaves his way, thus refusing to stay in the clan and take an honorable and high place there. The chamberlain's wife tells the samurai to catch up with the ronin, which they perform. However, the chamberlain understands that this great ronin will not return, that he is an independent warrior and cannot stay to work for the clan, that he has his own way. Samurai catch up with the ronin and see him standing next to Hanbei Muroto. The intelligent and experienced military leader Hanbei Muroto, whom the ronin managed to deceive, feels fooled and dishonored. Despite the fact that the ronin expresses his respect and unwillingness to fight to Hanbei, Hanbei insists on drawing his swords, otherwise his honor will not be restored and he will not be able to live on. Ronin asks not to touch the young samurai if he dies. However, he wins the match. The Sanjuro is angry that he killed a man so much like himself. The mysterious lonely ronin, who appeared from nowhere, says goodbye to the admiring samurai and goes nowhere.

• Brave Samurai on the Internet Movie Database  
• Brave Samurai on allmovie