Stories of feudal infantrymen with swords are a staple of Japanese film history. Samurai movies, also called Chanbara, or “sword fighting” movies, are a type of jidaigeki (Japanese-era dramas). Like American westerns, the Chanbara genre peaked before the 1970s before saturating the market and experiencing a decline. popularity. While fewer samurai films are made today than they were in the 1950s and 1960s, some of the most productive samurai films are from the 1980s, 1990s, and even the 21st century. Although samurai movies can exist in any genre, they are on the line between drama, war, and action. The most important samurai films feature very good combat scenes, are emotionally powerful and offer a window into the codes and norms of feudal Japan. While there are many samurai movies out there, this list is meant to be an introduction to the genre and showcase the most productive samurai movies of all time.
Samurai existed from the 12th century until the Meiji era at the end of the 19th century, which means that most of the films on this list are period films. However, this list takes a fairly broad approach to what can be considered a samurai film. He defines samurai films as films with at least one character known as a samurai. This is another technique of how Chanbara films are usually recognized. However, the selection took into account the criteria of the genre and how samurai film enthusiasts would enjoy the film. rating as well as the quality of the film in general.
Samurai videos have been made in Japan since the silent film era, but many of the most memorable ones date back to the post-World War II era. Samurai videos have influenced other genres, especially Western videos, and many of the Westerns are remakes or are heavily influenced by Chanbara videos. Many Westerners came to the genre through the legendary director Akira Kurosawa, who helped shape it. He has directed nine samurai films over his decades-long career and is the most notable director on this list. He also had a long relationship with Toshirō Mifune, who is arguably the most important samurai film actor and the actor who seems the most on this list.
The Legend of the Eight Samurai dates gloriously from the 1980s. The film feels more like a fantasy movie than a jidaigeki. It’s overkill but also a treat for the eyes. The film follows a princess who will have to defeat an evil queen and break the curse on her family.
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the film stars Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Sonny Chiba. It’s in Toshio Kamata’s 1982 novel Shin Satomi Hakkenden and lately streams for free on Tubi and Plex.
Also called Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins, the film is based on a manga of the same name. It spawned 3 sequels and a prequel. While not each and every Rurouni Kenshin movie is great, there’s a lot to love about the series.
Directed by Keishi Ōtomo, the film stars Takeru Satoh and Emi Takei. It follows a wandering swordsman who seeks to atone for the murders of him beyond protecting a woman from a drug dealer in the early Meiji era. The film has wonderful combat choreography, and even though it drags on at times, it’s a strangely clever live-action adaptation. Lately it is available to stream on Netflix.
The only animated film on this list, Sword of the Stranger, follows a boy who hires a ronin to take him and his dog to protection at a temple during the bloody Sengoku period. The film features very good animation and impressive combat scenes.
Sword of the Stranger was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but was not chosen. From the final combat scene to the Lone Wolf and Puppy dynamic, it’s clear that Sword of the Stranger has some sort of respect for past Chanbara films. It is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is an outlier. It is a foreign co-production between the United States, France, Germany and Japan and stars Forest Whitaker. The film follows a hitman who, in the spirit of a samurai, has sworn allegiance to a gangster. It’s a weird movie that shouldn’t work, but it does.
While it’s not a jidaigeki and is arguably more of a mafia movie than a samurai movie, it does feature hardcore samurai like Yamamoto Tsunetomo’s Hagakure and a fencing scene. While other action films, such as Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 The Samurai, and possibly many westerns, Percentage Qualities with Chanbara Cinema, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is by far the most obvious. Viewers will have to make up their own mind whether a movie filmed primarily in New Jersey with a soundtrack by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA is a samurai movie, even if it doesn’t count, Ghost Dog is a wonderful movie for movie enthusiasts. crime dramas and samurai movies. Lately it is broadcast on Max.
Hollywood westerns and samurai movies have a long history. Many iconic westerns have been influenced by samurai movies. Unforgiven is a version of this quote, as it is a remake of Clint Eastwood’s 1992 western of the same title set in Meiji era Japan.
Directed by Lee Sang-il and starring Ken Watanabe, the film follows a former samurai enlisted to claim reward for two men who disfigured a sex worker. While the remake doesn’t surpass the original in this case, Unforgiven is a charming film that will pay homage to a Western classic. Unforgiven is available to rent on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
Lady Snowblood is rarely a samurai film in many ways, but it is considered one. While not your typical samurai film, it is an underrated gem worth watching for any fan of jidaigeki films. Based on the manga of the same name, the film follows a woman who takes revenge on the men who raped her mother and killed her brother.
The film directed by Toshiya Fujita and starring Meiko Kaji. Lady Snowblood animated Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and explores the same themes of revenge and female rage. Currently, the film has a hundred percent rating on Rotten Tomotoes and is available to stream on Max.
Directed by Hideo Gosha, Goyokin follows a ronin who hopes to prevent a massacre as atonement for the massacre beyond a small village. The movie is also called The Steel of Revenge in United States.
The film stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurō Tamba, Yōko Tsukasa, and Nakamura Kinnosuke. Toshiro Mifune was the first to appear in the film, but was replaced by Nakamura. The movie is brutal and the combat scenes are really what’s worth watching. Gosha released some other samurai films from the same year, Hitokiri, which is also wonderful, perhaps more confusing for audiences who don’t know Japan’s history intimately. Unfortunately, Goyokin is not available for streaming.
Samurai Fiction is a samurai comedy that plays with tropes from past Chanbara films. This film is and may not be for everyone, but from its black and white cinematography to its rock and roll soundtrack, it oozes style. The film follows a young samurai and his friends as they seek to recover a stolen sword.
Although this is a comedy, Samurai Fiction has a certain respect for the genre and many references to previous films. The sword stolen in the film was even borrowed from Toshiro Mifune’s estate. The film’s iconic opening series is also referenced in Kill Bill Vol. Via Quentin Tarantino. 1. Unfortunately, lately it is not available for streaming.
Unlike the 2013 film 47 Ronin (which is not good) or the 1958 film The Loyal 47 Ronin (which is okay), The 47 Ronin is one of the first chanbara films. The film follows the mythical 47 Ronin as they avenge the death of their lord during the Tokugawa shogunate.
First, the film was intended to be government propaganda intended to reinforce patriotism in times of war; however, director Kenji Mizoguchi took it in a much more low-key direction. The film is very long and had little luck at the box office (mainly because it was released the week before the attack on Pearl Harbor). It was originally released in two parts and did not air in the United States until two decades later. Nevertheless, it is a charming and essential film. The 47 Ronin is available to stream on Tubi for free and Max with a subscription.
Hideo Gosha’s directorial debut, Three Outlaw Samurai, is actually a prequel to a 1963 TV show of the same name. However, it is a surprisingly well-made and impressive film that you don’t need to watch the TV show to love.
The film follows three swordsmen protecting a peasant organization who hold a local lord’s daughter for ransom until their taxes are reduced. This seems like a new interpretation of the issues of authority and power. Three Outlaw Samurai (along with some other film on this list, Kill!) influenced Rian Johnson while writing Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The film is available to stream through Criterion Channel.
Perhaps Kwaidan is not considered a samurai movie. It is a horror anthology and features 4 unrelated ghost stories; however, two of the stories, Hoichi the Earless and The Black Hair, tell stories of samurai. While other films by director Masaki Kobayashi are more obviously samurai films, Kwaidan is among the most interesting.
Kwaidan is based primarily on Lafcadio Hearn’s 1904 collection of popular stories, Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. Although it is technically a horror film, Kwaidan is not that scary and stands out much more for its good looks and strangeness. It won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Kwaidan is streaming lately on Max.
Kill! is a parody of the samurai genre. However, his comedy technique is very deadpan, which would possibly confuse some viewers, especially those who are unfamiliar with the genre’s tropes.
The film follows a guy tired of being a samurai and a farmer who longs for something more. Surprisingly, Kill! is in the same original story as Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro. However, it takes on a much more comical dimension. Directed by Kihachi Okamoto, Kill! It stars Tatsuya Nakadai Etsushi Takahashi. Kill!is airing lately on Max.
When the Last Sword is Drawn examines the lives of two samurai through flashbacks and the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. The film directed by Yōjirō Takita and starring Kiichi Nakai and Kōichi Satō.
The film was nominated for 11 Japanese Academy Awards and won three, in addition to Best Picture. In his review of Empire, William Thomas wrote, “With its understated palette, soulful music, and melancholy tone, Takita’s character-centered drama deserves the same good fortune it has earned in Japan. Unfortunately, it’s not available for streaming lately.
Onibaba is a horror film set in the Nanboku-chō era, a civil war. Directed by Kaneto Shindō, the film follows two women who loot the corpses of fallen samurai to survive, the guy who stands between them and a mysterious demonic mask.
While there are other “ghost stories” on this list, Onibaba is the only horror movie. While it’s not overly scary by today’s standards, it is terrifying and disturbing in a way that will stick in viewers’ minds. The film is one of Willem Dafoe’s favorites. Onibaba is lately available to stream on Max.
There are six films in the Lone Wolf and Cub film series and the first one, Sword of Vengence, is arguably the best. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance follows a disgraced wandering executioner and his three-year-old son during the Edo period. Directed by Kenji Misumi, the film stars Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Fumio Watanabe, and Shigeru Tsuyuguchi.
Some will possibly know the film (especially in the West) from the 1980 film Shogun Assassin. Shogun Assassin is a type of Frankenstein-style film consisting of a remake of Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance and its sequel Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart on the River Styx. While Shogun Assassin is a cult crop and grindhouse, Sword of Vengeance is better. Lately it’s been streaming on Max.
Ugetsu is a masterpiece of the golden age of Japanese cinema. However, this is another movie that is sometimes not considered a samurai movie. The film follows a hopeful samurai seduced through a ghost. It may not be a typical samurai movie, but it’s definitely worth watching. Although it is called a “ghost story”, it is not a horror movie. Rather, it is a delicate look at the themes of lust, arrogance, and the position of women in society.
Directed by prolific filmmaker Kenji Mizoguchi, Ugetsu won the Pasinetti Award and the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival before being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Black and White Costume Design. The film is available to stream on Tubi for Loose and Max with a subscription.
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, also known as Musashi Miyamoto, is the first film in director Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai trilogy. Although all 3 films are classics of the Samurai genre, the first film is arguably the best. It is based on the novel Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, loosely based on the life of real-life swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi.
The film follows a soldier who has a fugitive as he is trained in the way of the samurai. It stars Toshiro Mifune, Rentarō Mikuni, and Kuroemon Onoe. The film won a special/honorary Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Lately it also has a score of one hundred percent on Rotten Tomatoes (although this is based on very few reviews). Lately, the movie is available to stream on Max.
There are over twenty “Zatoichi” films starring Shintaro Katsu in the 1960s and 1970s. Notable films in the series include Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival (the 21st and highest-ranked film), The Tale of Zatoichi (the first film in the series), and Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (a strange but fun crossover starring the famous Akira). Kurosawa’s character played through Toshiro Mia laughter). However, the most productive Zatoichi film might actually be the 2003 reboot, Zatoichi, known as The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi.
Directed, written by, and starring Takeshi “Beat Takeshi” Kitano, the film follows the titular blind swordsman as he defends a village from a local yakuza war. The movie is everywhere. There’s plenty of comedy, action, a Muderous geisha subplot that ages strangely well for 2003, and a still-impressive dance scene. It shouldn’t work as well as before, but it does. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival. where he won the Silver Lion for Best Director. Zatoichi is available to rent on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play and Apple TV.
The Hidden Fortress is one of the many samurai classics directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune. The film follows peasants turned war profiteers who encounter a general and a princess hiding in the mountains with a sum of gold.
Most notably, The Hidden Fortress features special effects via Eiji Tsuburaya, a Japanese practical effects pioneer who rose to fame thanks to his paintings on the early Godzilla films. The Hidden Fortress also greatly influenced 1977’s Star Wars; the two movies percentage plot points, camera shots and more. It is available for streaming on Max.
The Gates of Hell by Teinosuke Kinugasa follows a samurai who hopes to marry a woman he met and discovers that she is already married to the Heiji Rebellion. The film stars Kazuo Hasegawa and Machiko Kyō. It has action scenes, but it’s more character-based. because it examines themes of obsession and passion.
Part of the film’s legacy is its use of color. While many early samurai films were shot in black and white, Gate of Hell uses Technicolor. The cinematography is wild in its use of bright colors, making the film a must-see. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design. It currently has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is available to purchase on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
Directed a year after The Hidden Fortress, Throne of Blood is a film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune and with special effects through Eiji Tsuburaya. Game of Thrones of Blood is a story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in feudal Japan with elements of Noh theater.
At the time of its release, it was one of the most expensive Japanese films ever made, and more than 60 years later, it is still visually stunning. Kurosawa has directed several adaptations of Shakespeare (another even appears on this list), and Throne of Blood is considered one of the most productive film adaptations of a Shakespeare play. It was even adapted to the level of the 2010 Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It is currently available to stream for free on Plex or Max with a subscription.
If you’re looking for a lot of action, The Twilight Samurai probably isn’t the movie to watch. The movement is quite slow and silent. The film is set just before the Meiji Restoration, at the end of the feudal system, unlike many other samurai films (which take place before).
Directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Rie Miyazawa, the film tells the story of a low-level samurai who works as an accountant whose sleepy life is cut short when a woman from his afterlife arrives in town. Twilight has won 12 Japanese Academy Awards and has also been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Unfortunately, it’s not available for streaming lately.
Rashomon is synonymous with the film-inspired narrative device, “The Rashomon Effect,” which describes the narrative use of other perspectives on the same event. However, it’s also arguably a wonderful samurai movie. Written and directed by Akira Kurosawa, Rashomon is a Jidaigeki film that follows the same story of the rape of a girlfriend and the murder of a samurai from various angles, adding a thief, the bride, a woodcutter, and the ghost of the samurai.
Rashomon helped identify Kurosawa and was one of the first Japanese films to be celebrated by foreign critics after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It won an Honorary Award at the Academy Awards (since it predated the Academy’s International Film category) and is still enjoyed. Today. The film is currently 98% off on Rotten Tomatoes. Lately it is available to stream for free on Tubi or with a subscription on Max.
Directed by Kihachi Okamoto, The Sword of Doom follows an amoral samurai’s descent into madness in a time of violence. The film stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Yūzō Kayama, Michiyo Aratama and Toshiro Mifune.
The film is as fascinating as it is violent. Although this film is very graphic, the combat scene that may be the most memorable is not the one between two samurai, but the one of the main character attacking the mesh walls of a house. It is heartbreaking and will stay with the viewer long after watching it. In an essay for Criterion, Geoffry O’Brien wrote: “In the age of Japanese cinema. . . where even photographs of samurai of the highest regime tended to look very elegant, The Sword of Doom stands out for the rigor and pictorialism of calligraphic compositions. ” It is available to rent on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
One of several films directed by Masaki Kobayashi on this list, Samurai Rebellion is a superbly scholarly look at the rigidity of feudal society. The film follows a samurai who disobeys his extended family for family reasons and the consequences that follow.
The film stars Toshiro Mifune, Yoko Tsukasa, Go Kato, and Tatsuya Nakadai. Roger Ebert said of the film: “It’s a film of grace, good looks and fierce moral debate, the story of a resolution in favour of romance and against the samurai code. » Lately it remains one hundred percent on Rotten Tomatoes. it has recently aired on Criterion Channel.
It’s hard not to fill this list with Akira Kurosawa’s films. He is prolific and has become synonymous with Japanese cinema and, more particularly, samurai films. While his early samurai films are arguably more famous, Ran is a true epic. Ran is a story by Shakespeare’s William King Lear combined with the legends of the daimyō Mōri Motonari.
The scale of the film is impressive and Kurosawa struggled to make it. Although he announced the concept of Ran in 1975, he was unable to secure funding. In 1980, he made Kagemusha as a kind of concept evidence for the kind of large-scale epic he hoped to make. While Kagemusha is a perfect movie, Ran far surpasses it. The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, winning for Best Costume Design. Lately it is streamed on BFI Player Classics.
Directed by Takashi Miike, Thirteen Killers is a remake of the 1963 Eiichi Kudo film of the same name. The film follows an organization of assassins (including twelve samurai) who plot to assassinate the leader of an extended family before he is appointed to the Shogunate Council at the end of the Edo period.
13 Assassins is the rare remake that is better than the original. While Miike has directed other samurai films, including 2017’s Blade of the Immortal, 13 Assassins is by far his best film. The film balances history and violence on an epic scale. The ultimate war scene is ambitious, with an incredibly long running time and stunning visuals. The film is nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards and won 4 of them. The film stars Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Sōsuke Takaoka, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka and Gorō Inagaki. Lately it is streaming for free on Tubi, Peacock and Pluto TV. , as well as Hulu, Amazon Prime and Disney with subscription.
Another film by the legendary Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune, Yojimbo follows an unnamed ronin, later named Sanjuro, as he starts a gang war in a small village controlled by criminals. The film’s popularity led Kurosawa to rework his next film, Sanjuro (a samurai vintage in its own right). While Sanjuro was first intended to be a direct adaptation of the short story Hibi Heian, Kurosawa reworked the script to introduce the popular character Yojimbo.
Yojimbo was also very influential outside of Japan. It was unofficially remade into two spaghetti westerns, Sergio Leone’s 1964 classic A Fistful of Dollars and 1966’s Django. The cantina scene in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope comprises a tribute to Yojimbo and Also Done reference in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Lately it is broadcast on Max.
Director Masaki Kobayashi’s masterpiece, Harakiri, is arguably cited as one of the most productive samurai films ever made. The film follows a Tokugawa shogunate-era ronin who requests to perform seppuku (or harakiri), a ritualized form of suicide, at a local lord’s mansion.
The film takes an unflinching look at authority, power and glory. Harakiri is currently is the highest-rated film on Letterboxd and holds 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. There is a remake of Harakiri, 2012’s Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai directed by Takashi Miike in 3-D. While it is surprisingly good, the original is far better. 1962’s Harakiri is available to rent on Apple TV.
Akira Kurosawa’s last film on this list, Seven Samurai, is a masterpiece. It has been widely identified as “the most important foreign language film ever made. ” Seven Samurai tells the story of a town that hires a samurai organization to cover the Sengoku era in Japan.
The film is one of the most productive Japanese films of all time and incredibly influential. It is a favorite of many directors, including Martin Scorsese and Andrei Tarkovsky. The Seven Samurai’s “build a team” trope influenced the heist movie genre. It has also directly affected animated films such as The Mercenary Seven, Star Wars, and perhaps even Pixar’s Bugs. Unfortunately, the original negative of the film was lost. However, in 2016, Toho completed a 4K recovery of the film’s second-generation detailed positives and third-generation duplicate negatives. The 4K recovery was also recently postponed in some theaters in July 2024. Lately it is also streaming on Max.
Conclusion
From sword fights to horror, thrills, and codes, there’s a lot to love about samurai and chanbara movies. From Kurosawa epics to comedic parodies, the movies on this list show what makes samurai movies great.
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