The Samurai Film
by SirPlebeian | created - 24 Sep 2013 | updated - 24 Sep 2013 | PublicAdopted from the book The Samurai Film by Alain Silver [2006 Expanded & Revised edition]
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1. Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade (1963)
Not Rated | 82 min | Action, Drama
Nemuri Kyoshiro, a youthful and cynical ronin with unparalleled skill, is approached by both sides in a game of corruption, ambition, and double crosses. The leader of the Kaga clan, who ... See full summary »
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Shinobu Araki, Saburô Date
Votes: 312
2. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Adventure (1964)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Drama
The orphan swordsman wanders into a town and stumbles upon the opportunity to do righteous deeds. He finds a larger plot is afoot with a corrupt court system, a well meaning public servant and lots of danger for all involved.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kôichi Aihara, San'emon Arashi, Shinjirô Asano
Votes: 295
3. Nemuri Kyôshirô: Engetsugiri (1964)
86 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
The shogun's illegitimate son decapitates a peasant which draws in nomadic Nemuri Kyoshiro into more sword-fighting adventures when he's blamed for the beheading.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kyôko Azuma, Ryônosuke Azuma, Saburô Date
Votes: 207
4. Nemuri Kyôshirô: Joyôken (1964)
87 min | Action, Drama
This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the quite reluctant hero refuse to come to the assistance of a Japanese Christian in an age of both proselytizing and persecution, but later ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Michiko Ai, Akira Amemiya, Shinjirô Asano
Votes: 225
5. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Fire (1965)
83 min | Action, Drama
This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the red-haired swordsman on his way to the city of Edo when he comes across the scene of a woman in the midst of a knife fight with a man. When... See full summary »
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Michiko Sugata, Sanae Nakahara
Votes: 187
6. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Hell Is a Woman (1968)
82 min | Action, Drama
Two devious retainers are competing to take control of a fief when the current Lord dies, but involving Kyoshiro in the conflict against his will is a bad idea.
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Miwa Takada, Yaeko Mizutani, Takahiro Tamura
Votes: 137
7. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Castle Menagerie (1969)
82 min | Action, Drama
Just when you think Kyoshiro's life can't get any stranger, someone starts running around raping and murdering, and leaving notes proudly proclaiming that he did it. Tracking down the real ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Naoko Kubo, Shiho Fujimura, Shinjirô Ebara
Votes: 136
8. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Satan (1965)
75 min | Action, Drama
Tsurumatsu, a young boy, is supposed to be a new Lord but he's not really interested, he would rather be a carpenter. So he gets kidnapped and it's up to Nemuri Kyoshiro to save him.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Michiko Saga, Machiko Hasegawa, Masako Aboshi
Votes: 157
9. Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Mask of the Princess (1966)
85 min | Action, Drama
Princess Kiku, Shogun's daughter, wants revenge on Nemuri Kyoshiro for embarrassing her.
Director: Akira Inoue | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Ichirô Nakatani, Keiko Kayama
Votes: 148
10. Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Villainy (1966)
79 min | Action, Drama
The hero avenges a band of samurai whose master was unceremoniously assassinated for seeking justice and better conditions for the citizens. The city shall burn for the elite's greed.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shigeru Amachi, Shiho Fujimura, Kentarô Kudô
Votes: 147
11. Sleepy Eyes of Death: A Trail of Traps (1967)
88 min | Action, Drama
This film of the sleepy-eyed ronin series has the hero talked into escorting a precious religious artifact to Kyoto, Japan. A sect of Christian swordsmen are lying in wait to steal the ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Nobuo Kaneko, Toshio Kimura, Haruko Wanibuchi
Votes: 146
12. Sleepy Eyes of Death: In the Spider's Lair (1968)
81 min | Action, Drama
Our anti-hero discovers locals who are oppressed, held captive against their will. For the swordsman to succeed, he first must wade through traps and assassins, and a few seductive maidens.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Mako Midori, Maka Sarijo, Yûsuke Kawazu
Votes: 128
13. Abe ichizoku (1938)
105 min | Drama
Jidai-geki surprisingly critical of bushido codes and practice of seppuku (aka hara-kiri). Yaichiemon Abe, denied permission to commit ritual suicide with more than a dozen vassals to Lord ... See full summary »
Director: Hisatora Kumagai | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kan'emon Nakamura, Shizue Yamagishi, Masako Tsutsumi
Votes: 26
14. After the Rain (1999)
91 min | Drama
During a downpour, a generous ronin and his supporting wife are stranded at a country inn. The ronin comes to the attention of a lord who wants to hire him as an instructor for his men, who treat the ronin with disrespect.
Director: Takashi Koizumi | Stars: Akira Terao, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shirô Mifune, Fumi Dan
Votes: 4,463
15. Red Shadow: Akakage (2001)
108 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A love triangle blooms between a team of three ninjas before tragedy strikes and forces them to reassess their clan's principles.
Director: Hiroyuki Nakano | Stars: Masanobu Andô, Megumi Okina, Kumiko Asô, Jun Murakami
Votes: 967
16. Red Lion (1969)
115 min | Action, Comedy
Impersonating an Imperial Army officer by wearing a "red lion's mane", a poor servant returns to his village after 10 years of absence to end the village's suffering caused by corrupt officials and businessmen.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Shima Iwashita, Etsushi Takahashi, Minori Terada
Votes: 798
17. Red Beard (1965)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama
In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan
Votes: 21,109
18. Bakumatsu (1970)
120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The story of Ryoma Sakamoto, considered to be the architect behind the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was considered an outlaw by his own clan, hunted by his government, and was ... See full summary »
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Toshirô Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Tatsuya Nakadai
Votes: 142
19. Incident at Blood Pass (1970)
Not Rated | 117 min | Action, Drama
Sent on a secret mission, a ronin must discover who his friends are and who must die.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûjirô Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Shintarô Katsu
Votes: 901
20. Assassination (1964)
104 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In 1863, when Americans warships approach Japan, a enigmatic ronin becomes a important figure in a complex game of power between the Shogunate and the empire.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Shima Iwashita, Eiji Okada, Isao Kimura
Votes: 969
21. The Assassin (1996)
82 min
"Assassination" - Adaptation of Hermann Hesse's novel "Demian". A young man's detachment from and revolt against the superficial ideals of the world of appearances and eventually awakens ... See full summary »
Director: Masatoshi Takeuchi | Stars: Yasuki Kume, Kazunobu Kawazu, Yumi Goto, Yusuke Urano
22. Azumi (2003)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Raised to deal in cold blooded death, the teenage assassin girl Azumi must defeat three evil warlords while also battling her own heart.
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura | Stars: Aya Ueto, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroki Narimiya, Takatoshi Kaneko
Votes: 15,160
23. Bakumatsu jyunjyoden (1991)
105 min | Romance
In the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, there was a cute warrior, Souji Okita, who belonged to the armed police of the shogunate in Kyoto. Very few knew that Souji was not a boy, but a ... See full summary »
Director: Mitsuyuki Yakushiji | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Riho Makise, Tetta Sugimoto, Masatô Ibu
Votes: 29
24. Ninja, a Band of Assassins (1962)
Not Rated | 104 min | Action, Drama
A young ninja becomes embroiled in a plot to kill a tyrannical warlord. He journeys across feudal Japan, facing deceit, betrayal, and enemy ninja at every turn. Goemon must complete his mission, regain his honor, and survive.
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Yûnosuke Itô, Katsuhiko Kobayashi
Votes: 936
25. Shinobi No Mono 2: Vengeance (1963)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Drama
Confident that he has destroyed the Iga Ninja, the evil Oda Nobunaga continues his quest to conquer Japan. Meanwhile, Ishikawa Goemon (Ichikawa Raizo) has settled down with his wife and ... See full summary »
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Sô Yamamura, Shiho Fujimura, Mikiko Tsubouchi
Votes: 369
26. Shinobi No Mono 3: Resurrection (1963)
Not Rated | 86 min | Drama, Crime, Action
When we last saw the intrepid ninja Ishikawa Goemon (Raizo Ichikawa), he was about to be boiled alive. But a good ninja is both hard to find, and even harder to kill. With the help of the ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Ayako Wakao, Saburô Date, Chikako Hosokawa
Votes: 234
27. Shinobi No Mono 4: Siege (1964)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama
Tokugawa Ieyasu is the ruler of all Japan. But one last loose thread must be tied up before his domination is complete -- the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, now beseiged in Osaka castle.... See full summary »
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Saburô Date, Midori Isomura, Ganjirô Nakamura
Votes: 233
28. Shinobi no mono: Zoku Kirigakure Saizô (1964)
91 min | Action, Drama
In part five of the 8-part Shinobi No Mono Ninja film series the heroic ninja Kirigakure Saizo (Raizo Ichikawa, of Sleepy Eyes of Death fame) serves the daimyo Sanada, played by Lone Wolf ... See full synopsis »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Yukiko Fuji, Shiho Fujimura, Saburô Date
Votes: 151
29. Shinobi no mono: Iga-yashiki (1965)
89 min | Action, Drama
The story of Saizo's son, Kirigakure Saisuke, who after seeing his father die at the Battle Of Shimabara, grows up to be an expert ninja.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kaoru Yachigusa, Isao Yamagata, Kenji Imai
Votes: 131
30. Shinobi no mono: Shin kirigakure Saizô (1966)
87 min | Action, Drama
The dream of Tokugawa Ieyasu has come true: together with his son Hidetada he rules all over Japan.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Yûko Kusunoki, Takahiro Tamura
Votes: 139
31. Shinsho: shinobi no mono (1966)
91 min | Action, Drama
It is the 1570's in Japan. Ninja Kasumi Kanbey specializes in making gunpowder. He lives with his young son Kojiro, who witnesses his assassination by five skilled ninjas. Kanbey manages to... See full synopsis »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Manami Fuji, Michiyo Yasuda, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 136
32. Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron (1978)
163 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Kumokiri Nizaemon, a former samurai warrior, has abandoned his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. He leads his outlaws in an attempt to rob the castle of his former clan.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Kôshirô Matsumoto, Shima Iwashita, Keiko Matsuzaka
Votes: 435
33. The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958)
TV-G | 105 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In 1856, the first U.S. Consul General to Japan encounters the hostility of the local authorities and the love of a young geisha.
Director: John Huston | Stars: John Wayne, Eiko Ando, Sam Jaffe, Sô Yamamura
Votes: 2,190
34. The Romance of Book and Sword (1987)
180 min | Action, Drama
The young leader of the rebel Red Flower Society discovers a secret about the current Manchu emperor which may change the fate of China.
Director: Ann Hui | Stars: Nuo Ai, Shichang Da, Jie Deng, Cuihua Ding
Votes: 97
35. The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan (1970)
104 min | Comedy, Drama
An outlaw pushes the residents of Edo's red light district to rebel against a growing number of stifling, moralistic laws.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Shima Iwashita, Shôichi Ozawa, Fumio Watanabe
Votes: 269
36. Love and Honor (2006)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, History, Romance
A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai (Kimura) and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Mitsugorô Bandô, Takashi Sasano
Votes: 4,284 | Gross: $0.02M
37. Bushido (1963)
122 min | Action, Drama
After a salary-man's fiancée attempts suicide, he remembers his gruesome family history, which sees his ancestors sacrificing themselves for the sake of their cruel lords, and realizes that he's about to repeat their mistakes.
Director: Tadashi Imai | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Eijirô Tôno, Kyôko Kishida, Masayuki Mori
Votes: 506
38. The Bushido Blade (1981)
R | 104 min | Action, Drama, History
A steel samurai blade that was to be given to the American ambassador by the Emperor of Japan is stolen. American sailors and Japanese samurai are sent to find it.
Director: Tsugunobu Kotani | Stars: Richard Boone, Toshirô Mifune, Mike Starr, Timothy Patrick Murphy
Votes: 438
39. The Loyal 47 Ronin (1932)
139 min | Drama
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Tomio Aoki, Jûzaburô Bandô, Kôtarô Bandô, Tsumasaburô Bandô
Votes: 30
40. Chushingura (1962)
207 min | Action, Drama, History
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Chûsha Ichikawa, Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Mihashi
Votes: 2,239
41. Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969)
88 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young blind girl is abandoned by her mother. When her guardian is killed, she learns to wield a sword from a traveling "Ronin". She travels to seek her mother and her revenge.
Director: Sadatsugu Matsuda | Stars: Yôko Matsuyama, Isamu Nagato, Akitake Kôno, Chizuko Arai
Votes: 192
42. Mekurano Oichi inochi moraimasu (1970)
86 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Oichi, the blind bounty hunter, frees a woman from unjust prison and is now hunted by order of the local magistrate. She is concerned with the poor fishermen, who are oppressed and robbed by a gang in collusion with the authorities.
Director: Hirokazu Ichimura | Stars: Yôko Matsuyama, Yûki Meguro, Meichô Soganoya, Reiko Ôshida
Votes: 73
43. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 281,666 | Gross: $128.08M
44. Sword in the Moonlight (1957)
106 min | Drama
Tsukue Ryunosuke is a master swordsman with an evil style, reflecting the evil in his heart.
Director: Tomu Uchida | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yumiko Hasegawa, Satomi Oka
Votes: 101
45. Satan's Sword (1960)
106 min | Action, Drama
The story follows the life of Ryunosuke Tsukue, an amoral samurai and a master swordsman with an unorthodox style.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kôjirô Hongô, Tamao Nakamura, Fujiko Yamamoto
Votes: 277
46. Daimajin (1966)
Unrated | 84 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A giant stone statue comes to life to protect the residents of a small town against the depradations of an evil warlord.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Miwa Takada, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Jun Fujimaki, Ryûtarô Gomi
Votes: 1,892
47. Wrath of Daimajin (1966)
Not Rated | 87 min | Fantasy
In a mountainous region of Japan, Lord Arakawa kidnaps the men of nearby villages to use as slave labor, producing gunpowder from his sulfur pits. A band of young boys decide to rescue their enslaved fathers on their own.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Hideki Ninomiya, Shinji Hori, Masahide Iizuka, Muneyuki Nagatomo
Votes: 840
48. Jittemai (1986)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action
After their executions are faked by the authorities, three criminals are forced to become assassins under the Shogun's command
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Mariko Ishihara, Masanori Sera, Mari Natsuki, Takuzô Kawatani
Votes: 254
49. Dodes'ka-den (1970)
Not Rated | 140 min | Drama
Various tales in the lives of Tokyo slum dwellers, including a mentally deficient young man obsessed with driving his own commuter trolley.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Yoshitaka Zushi, Kin Sugai, Toshiyuki Tonomura, Shinsuke Minami
Votes: 7,623
50. Double Suicide (1969)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama
A doomed love between a paper merchant and a courtesan.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita, Shizue Kawarazaki, Tokie Hidari
Votes: 2,605
51. Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Depicts the early life of the legendary warrior Musashi Miyamoto; his years as an aspiring warrior, an outlaw and finally a true samurai.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Rentarô Mikuni, Kurôemon Onoe
Votes: 9,511
52. Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
TV-PG | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Musashi Miyamoto returns to Kyoto after years of absence. After a series of fights against the Yoshioka School, he challenges its master to a duel.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Votes: 6,963
53. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
TV-PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Musashi Miyamoto is challenged to a duel by a confident swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. He agrees to fight him in a year's time.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Votes: 6,702
54. The Steel Edge of Revenge (1969)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurô Tanba, Yôko Tsukasa, Ruriko Asaoka
Votes: 2,618
55. Harakiri (1962)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 68,704
56. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Not Rated | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Lured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Votes: 42,257
57. Hitokiri (1969)
140 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A destitute ronin allies himself with an established clan, but its ruthless leader tries to turn him into a mindless killer.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yukio Mishima, Yûjirô Ishihara
Votes: 1,228
58. Samurai Spy (1965)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Drama
The legendary samurai Sasuke Sarutobi gets caught in a web of political intrigue, deception and espionage during the early 17th century.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Hiroshi Aoyama, Jun Hamamura, Osamu Hitomi, Minoru Hodaka
Votes: 1,860
59. Inn of Evil (1971)
121 min | Crime, Drama
The story takes place in feudal Japan, when any commerce with the rest of the world was strictly prohibited. An idealist suddenly appears in an isolated inn (the one that the title refers ... See full summary »
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Komaki Kurihara, Wakako Sakai, Kan'emon Nakamura
Votes: 2,061
60. Gate of Hell (1953)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama, History
A samurai pursues a married lady-in-waiting.
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Machiko Kyô, Kazuo Hasegawa, Isao Yamagata, Yatarô Kurokawa
Votes: 4,280
61. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Gô Katô, Tatsuyoshi Ehara
Votes: 14,097
62. Journey of Honor (1991)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the seventeenth century, Japan is divided between two forces. The Eastern Army, lead by the Warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Western Army, which fights for Toyotomi's clan. Despite ... See full summary »
Director: Gordon Hessler | Stars: Shô Kosugi, David Essex, Kane Kosugi, Christopher Lee
Votes: 433
63. Sanshiro Sugata (1943)
Not Rated | 79 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Sugata, a young man, struggles to learn the nuance and meaning of judo, and in doing so comes to learn something of the meaning of life.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Susumu Fujita, Yukiko Todoroki, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata
Votes: 5,632
64. Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980)
PG | 162 min | Drama, History, War
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu
Votes: 38,187
65. Kwaidan (1964)
Not Rated | 183 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A collection of four Japanese folk tales with supernatural themes.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Kenjirô Ishiyama
Votes: 19,997
66. Kana tehon chûshingura (1921)
Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, Sentarô Nakamura, En'ichirô Jitsukawa, Kitsuraku Arashi
67. Kill! (1968)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Two ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local official's complex game of murder and betrayal.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi, Tadao Nakamaru
Votes: 3,178
69. Sasaki Kojiro (1967)
152 min | Drama
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Hideyo Amamoto, Yuriko Hoshi, Kenjirô Ishiyama, Tatsuya Mihashi
Votes: 76
70. Throne of Blood (1957)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 55,974
71. Korogo (1964)
120 min | Drama
An African queen agrees to sacrifice her own child to save her people from the wrath of the gods.
Director: Georges Keita
72. Lady Snowblood (1973)
Not Rated | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.
Director: Toshiya Fujita | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Toshio Kurosawa, Masaaki Daimon, Miyoko Akaza
Votes: 16,309
73. The Last Samurai (1974)
159 min | Action, Drama
Toranosuke Sugi, a brave and loyal Samurai, fights to practice and preserve his master's teachings amid a civil war. With friends on both side will he cave to temptation, or stand on principle and for freedom?
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Hideki Takahashi, Ken Ogata, Takahiro Tamura, Teruhiko Saigô
Votes: 393
74. The Last Samurai (2003)
R | 154 min | Action, Drama
Nathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton
Votes: 471,268 | Gross: $111.11M
75. The Mikado (II) (1983 TV Movie)
150 min | Comedy, Musical
In a mythical Japan, Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor, has been appointed Lord High Executioner and must find someone to execute before the arrival of the ruling Mikado. He lights upon Nanki-Poo, a ... See full summary »
Directors: Norman Campbell, Brian Macdonald | Stars: Gidon Saks, Henry Ingram, Eric Donkin, Richard McMillan
Votes: 133
76. Daibosatsu tôge - Dai ni bu (1958)
105 min | Drama
Director: Tomu Uchida | Stars: Kusuo Abe, Harue Akagi, Chiyonosuke Azuma, Kin'nosuke Fujiki
Votes: 57
77. Daibosatsu tôge - Kanketsu-hen (1959)
106 min | Drama
Director: Tomu Uchida | Stars: Ushio Akashi, Noriko Aoba, Hideo Ayuba, Chiyonosuke Azuma
Votes: 56
78. The Time of Reckoning (1968)
120 min | Drama
Director: Tadashi Imai | Stars: Ayako Wakao, Jirô Tamiya, Mariko Okada, Mariko Kaga
Votes: 14
79. Nihon ninkyo-do: gekitotsu-hen (1975)
95 min | Action, Crime
One of Toei's last ninkyô yakuza pictures of the 1970's.
Director: Kôsaku Yamashita | Stars: Ken Takakura, Jô Shishido, Fumio Watanabe, Kin'ya Kitaôji
Votes: 9
80. Okuni to Gohei (1952)
91 min | Drama
Kogure is the widow of an assassinated samurai and Otani was that man's pupil. They have been sent out to seek revenge on the murderer, Kogure's first suitor, but their long and arduous journey has so far been fruitless.
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Michiyo Kogure, Tomoemon Otani, Sô Yamamura, Jun Tazaki
Votes: 117
81. Mute Samurai (1973–1974)
1,170 min | Action
A master swordsman, Kiichi Hogan, wanders Japan in search of the Spanish swordsman who murdered his parents and slashed his throat 18 years before. Renouncing any normal life the samurai ... See full summary »
Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Shintarô Katsu, Judy Ongg, Yûko Hama
Votes: 77
82. Ran (1985)
R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Votes: 136,242 | Gross: $4.14M
83. Rashomon (1950)
Not Rated | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 180,528 | Gross: $0.10M
84. Ronin Gai (1990)
117 min | Action, Drama
A group of masterless samurai living in Edo's red light district must fend off a militia bent on wiping out local prostitutes.
Directors: Kazuo Kuroki, Masahiro Makino | Stars: Yoshio Harada, Kanako Higuchi, Renji Ishibashi, Kaoru Sugita
Votes: 577
85. Teppô denraiki (1968)
109 min | Drama
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Rick Jason, Ayako Wakao, Eijirô Tôno, Shiho Fujimura
Votes: 18
86. Samurai Assassin (I) (1965)
122 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
February 17 to March 3, 1860, inside Edo castle. A group of assassins wait by Sakurada Gate to kill the lord of the House of Ii, a powerful man in the Tokugawa government, which has ruled ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Michiyo Aratama, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 2,509
87. Samurai from Nowhere (1964)
93 min | Action, Adventure
The adventures of a ronin, a samurai without a feudal lord, trying to achieve safety in a neighbouring domain.
Director: Seiichirô Uchikawa | Stars: Isamu Nagato, Tetsurô Tanba, Shima Iwashita, Chieko Baishô
Votes: 179
88. Sword of the Beast (1965)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Drama
After killing a counselor of his clan, a fugitive samurai befriends a couple poaching the shogun's gold in the mountains.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Mikijirô Hira, Gô Katô, Shima Iwashita, Toshie Kimura
Votes: 3,092
89. Samurai Wolf (1966)
75 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A charismatic ronin gets snared into a conflict between officials at a waystation, and gains the enmity of a group of thugs.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Isao Natsuyagi, Ryôhei Uchida, Junko Miyazono, Tatsuo Endô
Votes: 775
90. Samurai Wolf II (1967)
72 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Kiba is caught in the intrigue between a crooked goldmine owner, a cynical, betrayed swordsman, a manipulative lady and an arrogant dojo master.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Isao Natsuyagi, Ichirô Nakatani, Bin Amatsu, Yûko Kusunoki
Votes: 499
91. Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Drama
When poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirô Hira, Miyuki Kuwano
Votes: 3,994
92. Sanjuro (1962)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 41,140
93. Sanshiro Sugata (1943)
Not Rated | 79 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Sugata, a young man, struggles to learn the nuance and meaning of judo, and in doing so comes to learn something of the meaning of life.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Susumu Fujita, Yukiko Todoroki, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata
Votes: 5,632
94. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama
In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 18,237
95. Tange Sazen: Hien iaigiri (1966)
Not Rated | 91 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Loyal samurai Samanosuke is attacked, mutilated, and left for dead while carrying out a mission for his clan. He recovers but has lost an eye and an arm. Taking a new identity as Tange ... See full summary »
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Tetsurô Tanba, Keiko Awaji, Isao Kimura
Votes: 370
96. Seven Samurai (1954)
Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama
Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki
Votes: 366,935 | Gross: $0.27M
97. Zatoichi's Cane Sword (1967)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Zatoichi, while fighting off the usual group of gangsters, meets the apprentice of the swordsman who created his blade, who relays bad news about the sword.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Shiho Fujimura, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Makoto Fujita
Votes: 1,399
98. Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980)
PG | 162 min | Drama, History, War
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu
Votes: 38,187
99. Taira Clan Saga (1955)
108 min | Drama, History
After his father is not rewarded for his military achievements, Taira Kiyomori rebels against the court and the monks who rule the country. He also falls in love with Tokiko and discovers unsettling revelations about his parentage.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Narutoshi Hayashi, Raizô Ichikawa, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Michiyo Kogure
Votes: 1,101
100. Ninja, a Band of Assassins (1962)
Not Rated | 104 min | Action, Drama
A young ninja becomes embroiled in a plot to kill a tyrannical warlord. He journeys across feudal Japan, facing deceit, betrayal, and enemy ninja at every turn. Goemon must complete his mission, regain his honor, and survive.
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Yûnosuke Itô, Katsuhiko Kobayashi
Votes: 936
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