Samurai film picks?
chrisisall
Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,062MI6 Agent
My favourite is Kurosawa's Sanjuro.
Last Samurai is a good Western attempt.
Thoughts?
Last Samurai is a good Western attempt.
Thoughts?
Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
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Kenji Mizoguchi's classic Ugestu explores the dark side of samurai.
For a peasant's-eye view of samurai, check out Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko and Onibaba.
The Challenge is an interesting 1982 attempt at a contemporary samurai film. Lots of talent involved: directed by John Frankenheimer, script by John Sayles, starring Scott Glenn and Toshiro Mifune, fight choreography by Steven Seagal.
The film that inspired my screen name isn't exactly about samurai, but it's a great movie and features the cool quote "There is no greater solitude than that of the samurai unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle... Perhaps..."
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is another attempt at a modern samurai film, featuring plenty of quotes from the Hagakure. It's also one of my favorite movies.
Finally, for sheer fun and excitement, there is the Lone Wolf and Cub series.
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Samurai - I (1954)
Samurai - II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
Samurai - III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
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There are Criterion Collection releases out there - I think I got mine from eBay or Amazon years ago. They really are excellent.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Ame agaru (After the Rain), the last screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, definitely my favourite.
If you have a taste for the old melodrama, then Mibu Gishi Den (When the Last Sword is Drawn) is the ticket.
Both above have some very authentic sword play in them, quite removed from the usual sports chanbara or kungfu inspired style seen normally in samurai soaps and western samurai style movies (Kill Bill anyone 8-) )
Anything in black and white from the Master (AK) is also recommended.
IMHO I found the Ghost Dog with the Hagakure quotes and Forest Whitaker performing chiburi with a pistol just a tad bit too cheesy.
-Mr Arlington Beech