this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2025
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Recommendations for samurai films? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by HakunaHafada@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/movies@piefed.social
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I've enjoyed some of Akira Kurosawa's works (Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Ran, Seven Samurai, Rashoman), and The Hidden Fortress is on my list, but I'd like to hear any of your suggestions for samurai cinema.

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[–] memfree@piefed.social 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)

There's the Zatoichi series. The first, The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) is required but I gave up after the first three. @falidorn@lemmy.world mentioned that Kazuo Miyagawa was the cinematographer for some of them in this thread.

The Sword of Doom is a classic. Same for Harakiri. Maybe Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai, too (depends on one's tastes). If you don't want to get stuck in the 60s, Twilight Samurai is more modern.

I'm forgetting some that are worth a mention, but I'm totally skipping some titles I think are just 'meh'.

[–] falidorn@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

I’ll piggyback off of this and agree with Zatoichi (the first is definitely worth it) and most definitely the excellent Sword of Doom and Harakiri.

I’m also gonna add a few more:

The Samurai Trilogy - Mifune really gets to stretch his legs and show off some incredible character growth. Great story and action that might not reach Miyazaki’s best but gets darn close.

Samurai Rebellion - a slower paced film (for a samurai movie) that ratchets up the tension with almost each passing scene until it culminates in an emotional confrontation in the fields.

Kubo and the Two Strings - newer stop motion film that maybe stretches the genre a bit but I still highly recommend it. Absolutely stunning.

I have several more that are on high my watchlist:

Kwaidan, Kagemusha, Onibaba, Three Outlaw Samurai

[–] HakunaHafada@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago

Thanks for the suggestions!

[–] Tugboater203@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I enjoyed 13 Assasins, it's worth a viewing.

[–] HakunaHafada@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago

The plot sounds good! Thanks

[–] elbucho@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The Samurai Trilogy is great. It's a fictionalized telling of Musashi Miyamoto's life based on a serial published in a Japanese newspaper between 1935 and 1939 (and was later released as the novel "Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era"). It was directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, and stars Toshiro Mifune as Miyamoto. I re-watch the trilogy once every couple of years. It's pretty solid.

[–] HakunaHafada@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 10 months ago

Awesome, thanks!

[–] teft@piefed.social 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

47 Ronin and Shōgun.

Shōgun is a miniseries but it’s awesome.

[–] jawa22@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

How is the new Shogun? I've heard good things, but haven't had a chance to see it yet.

[–] teft@piefed.social 2 points 10 months ago

Really good. I never saw the first one but the latest one was epic.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 2 points 10 months ago

Tadnobu Asano is a personal favorite actor of mine and he just chews up the scenery whenever he's on screen. I LOVED it. My dad complained that the pacing too slow, but I'm not sure if his real issue wasn't reading subtitles fpr so long.

[–] Flickerby@lemmy.zip 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Hesitant to even suggest this because I don't think it's quite what you're looking for, but I loved The Last Samurai as a kid. I still do. Cruise is pretty great in it, don't care what anyone says. Good calming nostalgia movie for me.

[–] cobysev@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I saw The Last Samurai when I was living in Japan, and I can't tell you how awkward it was being the only white guy in a theater packed with Japanese people, watching a film about a white samurai savior in Japan.

I've been meaning to watch it again for a more objective viewpoint, but it's been over 20 years and I still can't convince myself to just sit down and watch it. That whole movie just feels wrong.

[–] Flickerby@lemmy.zip 5 points 10 months ago

It's a really good movie when you're like 10 and don't realize the "white savior" trope is problematic. But yeaaaaah that would be awkward. I think it's worth another watch just to take it as it is, basic hollywood action movie.

[–] HakunaHafada@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago

Yeah, I saw it once some time ago and decided it wasn't for me. Thanks anyways!

[–] shuvit@lemmy.ml 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The Lone Wolf and Cub series for sure. Maybe start the traditional way with the "americanized" "compilation" Shogun Assassin.

On the modern side, rza's Man With The Iron Fist is worthwhile, along with the Kill Bills.

There is a lot of overlap with kung fu. I would recommend 36 chambers of Shaolin as a good entry point there.

[–] auzzy@feddit.uk 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Shinya Tsukamoto's 2018 film Killing is a great, tense story that both plays into and undermines some of the tropes of samurai films. It's a bit brutal at times, and also amusing in that wry way that Tsukamoto is so good at.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 1 points 10 months ago

I'll have to try that!

[–] regedit@lemmy.zip 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The Last Samurai!

Kek

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

The First Weeaboo