10 Classic Samurai Movies To Watch

Samurai tales, an integral genre of Japan’s film industry since its inception, have recently enjoyed a global resurgence.

FX and Disney’s smash hit period series The ShogunCreated by and starring veteran Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, last month it became the most-honored drama in Emmys history, winning more categories in one year than any show in TV history. I got success. The series, a painterly drama about the struggle for power at the dawn of Japan’s Edo period, also became Disney+ and Hulu’s most-watched show globally.

Despite The Shogunhowever, fans — and Disney content executives — will have to wait a long time for more. The Shogun has been renewed for two additional seasons, but the first season was based on the best-selling 1975 novel by James Clavell, and the show’s storyline ends where the author’s book ends. FX and The Shogunco-creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo are taking quite a risk by expanding the franchise’s story without relying on any pop classic pre-existing material — and writing, shooting, and releasing 10 more episodes. It may take several months to develop. If not the year (production is estimated to begin in the summer of 2025).

Fortunately for the fans, it was turned on. The Shogun On feudal Japanese lords, swordsmen, concubines and the wily machinations of ladies-in-waiting, the wellspring of samurai storytelling that inspired The Shogun And Claywell’s book is very profound indeed. Samurai Television and Filmmaking, referred to as jidaigeki (translated as ‘period drama’) in Japanese, spans several sub-genres and dates back more than 100 years, harkening back to Japan’s so-called Golden Age of filmmaking – the 1950s. and the post-war period of the 1960s, when a remarkable number of masterpieces were created.

To support the tide The Shogun fan out, The Hollywood Reporter Tokyo International Film Festival artistic director Shozo Ichiyama was asked to pick 10 of his favorite samurai films from all of film history. Achiyama, a top film connoisseur who says he watches about 700 films a year, is also a veteran film producer and visiting professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. His recommendations are in alphabetical order and are listed below. Glad to see.

13 The killer by Eiichi Kudo (1963)

“This is a masterpiece of the Toei Group’s 1970s period dramas – and one that inspired the opening film of this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, Eleven rebelsIchiyama says. 13 The killer Takes place in 1844 during the Tokugawa Shogunate – the end of the period after the events were lightly fictionalized and shown in FX’s The Shogun – and it follows a group of assassins who vow to kill a rogue lord whose selfish and selfless behavior is bringing disrepute to the Bushido honor code of the samurai class. The story later received a critically acclaimed remake in 2010 by contemporary director Takashi Mike.

Hero of the Red Light District by Tomo Uchida (1960)

Says Ichiyama: “A work by the master of period dramas, Tomu Uchida, stars Kataoka Chizo as the great star and portrays a tragedy that unfolds in Yoshiwara’s picturesque scenery.” The film tells the story of a successful textile businessman who cannot find a wife due to a birthmark on his face. When he encounters a slave street prostitute who treats him well, he falls in love and vows to free her and marry her – leading to a tragic fall. is

Humanity and paper balloons. Sadao Yamanaka (1937)

According to Ichiyama, “This is the last work of the talented director Sadao Yamanaka, who died at the age of 29 during World War II.” “Different people’s lives intersect in a tenement house.” A treasured jidaigeki classic in Japan, the film depicts the harsh realities of life under the shogunate. His release is believed to have upset the country’s imperial government, possibly leading to Yamanaka being assigned to the war front in China – where he died – because of his hubby. In return for anti-patriotic sentiments. Even today, almost 90 years after its release, the film contains a sharp social critique while also being an undeniably entertaining piece of filmmaking.

Kinky by Kenji Masumi (1965)

“A work set in a beautiful rural landscape depicting the tragedy of a kind man who is groomed to become a hitman by Ichikawa Raizo, a great star of period dramas.” Masumi’s work is well known internationally thanks to his creations. Lone Wolf and Cub The movie series and the long-running Zaidai geeky story about the blind swordsman Zatuchi. A story of rise and fall, Kinky tells the story of a man who goes from peaceful flower farming to much deeper pursuits after mastering a special swordsmanship technique.

Always (Aka Majin, the monster of terrorby Kimiyoshi Yasuda (1966)

“A masterpiece of monster period dramas inspired by the legend of Gollum,” says Ichiyama. “When it was released, its brutal depictions shocked many children.” Part Jadaiki, part tokusatsu (A genre of live-action Japanese film that relies heavily on practical special effects. Godzilla being the most famous example) Always It tells the story of an angry spirit (i.e. Daimajana) encased inside a gigantic ancient statue, who comes back to life to help the surviving children of a slain lord.

Peony lantern by Satsuo Yamamoto (1968)

A bright, deeply disturbing adaptation of a classic ghost story, this gothic period drama set during the days of the samurai explores the consequences of falling for and befriending the dead (i.e. no sword can save you). Sakti). The lesson here is that even samurai cinema can be scarier than the competition. Says Ichiyama: “A representative work of many ghost stories set in the Edo period. Ghosts floating in the air are terrifying.”

Red lion by Kihachi Okamoto (1969)

“Like Eleven robbersis a samurai classic depicting the last resistance of those who are being betrayed and double-crossed during the Meiji Restoration Wars. The film stars the incomparable Toshiro Mifune – wearing a huge, spiky red wig, no less – as a samurai who becomes a pawn in a political power struggle when he is attacked by the emperor’s latest. He is sent to his hometown to announce tax cuts.

Samurai Rebellion by Masaki Kobayashi (1967)

“A true masterpiece of Dark Age dramas represents the absurdity of feudal society,” says Ichiyama. Another Mifune starrer – has an actor ever had a more swagger? (Hint: No) – This Kalya collection staple tells the story of a silent swordsman who is finally forced to stand up against his lord’s injustices. One of the undisputed greats of the Golden Age of Japanese cinema, Kobayashi’s other beloved works include the samurai masterpiece Harakiri (1962), The Epic Trilogy The human condition and deeply influential horror anthologies The egg (1964).

Lovebirds Songs by Masahiro Makino (1939)

“A representative work of the musical comedy Zadai Geki, which was produced in large numbers in the past but has since become rare.” Makino made this charming film in just two weeks after the star of another film he was making came down with appendicitis. The film stars Takashi Shimura, best known as Akira Kurosawa’s lead character. seven samurai, In the song section. Picture a light-hearted musical rom-com set in the brutal world of feudal Japan, complete with an umbrella-swinging dance routine.

Throne of Blood by Akira Kurosawa (1957)

“While I am aware of it. Seven Samurai Masterpiece is often picked for lists like this, I recommend this adaptation. Macbeth Kurosawa acts as my representative,” says Ichiyama. Despite moving into an entirely new cultural context, Kurosawa’s film—in which Mifune plays the murderous Macbeth, or his Japanese analogue, the samurai warrior Taketoki—doesn’t seem like a good idea. Washizu — is widely regarded as one of the greatest cinematic adaptations of a Shakespeare play (including by the late, great literary critic Harold Bloom, who called it “the most successful film version”).