kihachi okamoto (1923–2005): filmography 1958-1970
by ethanoel | created - 18 Feb 2015 | updated - 22 Feb 2015 | Publicthe films from his greatest period. okamoto is still a little underrated director but those who know his work do know what i am talking about. i especially appreciate his war films which show the tragicomic absurdity of the whole thing but his contribution to the samurai genre has also fared better than many other directors in japanese film factory production.
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1. All About Marriage (1958)
85 min | Comedy, Romance
Ultra-perky model likes single freedom but feels ryosai kenbo ("good wife, wise mother") pressure, exemplified by her bored-to-tears sister
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Izumi Yukimura, Michiyo Tamaki, Michiyo Aratama, Ken Uehara
Votes: 42
2. Wakai musumetachi (1958)
78 min | Comedy, Romance
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Izumi Yukimura, Rumiko Sasa, Kuniko Miyake, Fumie Noguchi
Votes: 12
3. The Big Boss (1959)
101 min | Crime, Drama
Ryuta and Mineo Komatsu are brothers, both yakuza (gangsters). Mineo, although complicit in crime, even murder, wants out of the gangster life, hoping to become a successful singer instead.... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Kôji Tsuruta, Akira Takarada, Yumi Shirakawa, Keiko Yanagawa
Votes: 111
4. Aruhi watashi wa (1959)
105 min
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Misa Uehara, Akira Takarada, Ken Uehara, Sadako Sawamura
Votes: 15
5. Dokuritsu gurentai (1959)
109 min | Drama, War, Action
When Sergeant Okubo's brother is murdered at a Japanese outpost in Northern China during the Second World War, Okubo poses as a war correspondent and seeks out his brother's killer. The ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Makoto Satô, Izumi Yukimura, Misa Uehara, Tadao Nakamaru
Votes: 251
early okamoto war film, very well worth watching though it is not so grim than his later movies.
6. The Last Gunfight (1960)
95 min | Crime, Drama
Japanese police detective Saburo Fujioka is suspected of corruption, demoted, and sent to the city of Kojin. Kojin is the scene of fierce fighting between rival gangs. Fujioka is assigned ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Kôji Tsuruta, Yôko Tsukasa, Seizaburô Kawazu
Votes: 175
7. Daigaku no sanzôkutachi (1960)
94 min | Crime, Action, Thriller
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Akira Kubo, Tatsuyoshi Ehara, Mickey Curtis, Tsutomu Yamazaki
Votes: 16
8. Dokuritsu gurentai nishi-e (1960)
107 min | Drama, War
In this patriotic WW II drama, the Japanese army demonstrates its courage and willingness to do anything to win as they endeavor to sneak into Communist China to bring back the flag of a defeated enemy regiment.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Hideyo Amamoto, Tatsuyoshi Ehara, Akihiko Hirata, Kôji Iwamoto
Votes: 104
9. Ankokugai no dankon (1961)
73 min | Action, Crime, Drama
While testing the advance prototype of a revolutionary gas engine, the vehicle is involved in a mysterious accident killing its driver. The police report states that it was an accident, ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Makoto Satô, Tatsuya Mihashi, Kumi Mizuno
Votes: 125
10. Kaoyaku akatsukini shisu (1961)
97 min | Crime, Drama
After a long stint working in Alaska, Jiro returns to his hometown. He soon learns that his father, the town's mayor, was murdered and, in his absence, the yakuza gangs have seized control ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Shimazaki, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 68
11. Jigoku no kyôen (1961)
94 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Mihashi, Reiko Dan, Junko Ikeuchi, Jun Tazaki
Votes: 47
12. Dobunezumi sakusen (1962)
102 min | Drama, War
During World War II Captain Seki is assigned to a garrison on the north China frontier. Ignoring the advice of experienced officers, Seki leads a platoon against the Chinese only to have ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Yôsuke Natsuki, Makoto Satô, Kumi Mizuno
Votes: 25
13. Gekkyû dorobo (1962)
94 min
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Akira Takarada, Yôko Tsukasa, Tadao Nakamaru, Seiji Miyaguchi
Votes: 9
14. Sengoku yarô (1963)
98 min | Adventure, Drama
A lone masterless warrior with some new friends helps ship 300 rifles to a Japanese warlord during the sengoku period.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Yuriko Hoshi, Makoto Satô, Ichirô Nakatani
Votes: 161
15. The Elegant Life of Mr. Everyman (1963)
103 min | Comedy, Drama
This comedy portrays the everyday life of an ordinary salary-man who uses himself as a model to write a novella.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Keiju Kobayashi, Michiyo Aratama, Eijirô Tôno, Jerry Itô
Votes: 310
underrated comedy but deserves a far better appreciation because it is quite charming and a little bit of a curious oddity in okamoto´s career
16. Aa bakudan (1964)
95 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Filmed as a traditional Japanese play, a yakuza boss is released from prison, but finds his gang usurped by a shady politician. With the help of his former cell mate he decides to assassinate the politician with an explosive pen.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Yûnosuke Itô, Fubuki Koshiji, Ichirô Nakatani, Hideo Sunazuka
Votes: 168
17. 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: 2,510
a must for the samurai fans although it is a little static and stagy
18. Fort Graveyard (1965)
132 min | Drama, Music, War
In 1945, Japanese Army Sergeant Kosugi and a platoon of young green recruits must retake and defend a fort occupied by the Chinese forces.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Makoto Satô, Reiko Dan, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 300
excellent war movie and with okamoto flavour of very black satire
19. The Sword of Doom (1966)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Yûzô Kayama, Yôko Naitô
Votes: 12,081
haunting achievement... recommended
20. The Age of Assassins (1967)
99 min | Action, Comedy
A nerdy young college instructor named Shinji Kikyo returns home one day to find himself the target of a mad assassin.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Reiko Dan, Hideo Sunazuka, Hideyo Amamoto
Votes: 312
21. Japan's Longest Day (1967)
157 min | Drama, History, War
A dramatization of the 24-hour period in which the Japanese government was deadlocked over the decision to accept or reject the Allies' demand for an unconditional surrender following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Seiji Miyaguchi, Rokkô Toura, Chishû Ryû, Sô Yamamura
Votes: 1,011
exciting film if you dont take it too seriously
22. 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: 3,179
another masterpiece to put it simply
23. The Human Bullet (1968)
116 min | Drama, War
During World War II, a Japanese soldier finds himself assigned to a kamikaze mission against a U.S. battleship.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Minori Terada, Naoko Ôtani, Yûnosuke Itô, Shinsuke Achiwa
Votes: 477
one of the best japanese war movies because of its absurd style and unorthodox substance. i think this is one of okamotos best works and gets my high recommendations anytime
24. 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: 799
25. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Zatoichi tries to unrest the mob rule over a small village all while the gang leader's bodyguard is actually the Yojimbo, secretly taking the gang down from the inside. Will the two heroes realize in time that they are on the same side?
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Shintarô Katsu, Ayako Wakao, Osamu Takizawa
Votes: 2,831
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