Good Samurai Films

[Soviet Heavy]

So, after watching Sword of the Stranger following this thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.350459-I-challenge-you-to-find-a-battle-more-epic-than-this?page=2#13882091], I'm in the mood for some more samurai action.

Any recommendations? Animation or Live Action, I'm looking at both, and I'd like to see what I can find. I was very impressed with Sword of the Stranger, and I hope I can find another film that matches it for tone and feel.

 

[dyre]

I haven't watched Sword of the Stranger, so I'm not exactly sure what sort of samurai stuff you want, but I recently watched a wonderful live action film called The Twilight Samurai. It doesn't have much action (though the action is does have if excellently done); it's actually about a samurai who serves as basically a badly-paid accountant for his clan, all while having to raise two little girls on his own because his wife died. Obviously there's more to it, and the conflict of the story is action-oriented, not accounting-oriented, but I don't want to spoil anything.

It's a gorgeously made film, and probably the most wonderful thing involving samurai that I've ever had the good fortune of watching.

edit: just clicked your thread link, I guess you were looking for epic action flicks, which Twilight Samurai is not. Still, I'd recommend you give it a look if you have a chance. It has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and won 12 Japanese Academy Awards.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

13 Assassins, it takes a while to get going but the final third or so of the movie is non-stop samurai action. It's a good movie man, stream on Netflix immediately!

 

[Launcelot111]

Many, many of the works of Akira Kurosawa. Yojimbo is my favorite, but there's also Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Sanjuro, and Throne of Blood among others. They're not super action packed if that's what you're looking for, but they're all classics and just plain old fantastic movies

 

[ChupathingyX]

Well there's The Twilight Samurai, but that's a drama film (and a damn good one).

I know you asked for action but...you just have to watch it, it's so good!

The only action film I can think of off the top of my head is The Last Samurai which I personally enjoyed.

 

[ChupathingyX]

The only action film I can think of off the top of my head is The Last Samurai which I personally enjoyed.

Despite Tom Cruise being in it it was a very touching movie, like being touched by Xenu

The Last Samurai is the only film with Tom Cruise as the leading actor that I enjoyed, and even then he was generally okay in the film.

 

[PMorgan18]

13 Assassins. New, well in the States its new. Its a long movie with a great story and its subbed which for my is a plus. Also its got a great and long fight scene going for it.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/13_assassins_2011/

 

[NeutralDrow]

The Akira Kurosawa films are great, especially Yojimbo and Seven Samurai.

The Zatoichi movies are pretty good, as well, even if the main character isn't technically a samurai.

The only action film I can think of off the top of my head is The Last Samurai which I personally enjoyed.

Oh, good, I was starting to think I was the only one.

 

[SadakoMoose]

Onibaba is pretty good.
Sword of Doom was great.
I know that about a million people are going to recommend Akira Kurosawa, and with good reason.

Here are some non-samurai films from Japan that I recommend:

Tampopo, The Funeral, Minbo no Onna by Juzo Itami
Generally anything by Itami is good, especially Tampopo which was his funniest movie.

Kikujiro, Zatoichi, Glory to the Filmmaker by Takeshi Kitano
Another excellent director, though he's best known in America for acting in Battle Royale.

and finally:
Nobuhiko Obayashi
Hausu, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (1983), The Drifting Classroom, and Song of Goodbye
The King of Japanese Surrealism. His directorial debut was the legendary 1977 horror film Hausu, and since then he has bee entrusted with the film adaptation of several legendary Japanese Horror stories, such as the Drifting Classroom, a direct inspiration for the game Corpse Party.

Please, enjoy the movie!

 

[Scarim Coral]

Anime- Afro Samurai, Samurai Champloo and Samurai 7.

Live action- Seven Samurai (I haven't seen it but I want to since it I heard it's really good).

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

13 Assassins, it takes a while to get going but the final third or so of the movie is non-stop samurai action. It's a good movie man, stream on Netflix immediately!

It also has one of the best villains I think I have ever seen.

Seven Samurai is also a must watch.

 

[SckizoBoy]

I haven't watched Sword of the Stranger, so I'm not exactly sure what sort of samurai stuff you want, but I recently watched a wonderful live action film called The Twilight Samurai. It doesn't have much action (though the action is does have if excellently done); it's actually about a samurai who serves as basically a badly-paid accountant for his clan, all while having to raise two little girls on his own because his wife died. Obviously there's more to it, and the conflict of the story is action-oriented, not accounting-oriented, but I don't want to spoil anything.

It's a gorgeously made film, and probably the most wonderful thing involving samurai that I've ever had the good fortune of watching.

I love that film... and boy is Sanada Hiroyuki a damned good actor (and totally wasted on the Last Samurai). But yeah, not a samurai action flick at all... not that it needed to be to be a brilliant piece.

The Last Samurai is the only film with Tom Cruise as the leading actor that I enjoyed, and even then he was generally okay in the film.

I watched that more for Billy Connolly... '

Live action- Seven Samurai (I haven't seen it but I want to since it I heard it's really good).

Seven Samurai is also a must watch.

I find Seven Samurai (the Kurosawa one...) can be a tad heavy, given its length and how misunderstood Kikuchiyo's character generally is. His diatribe towards the end is quite a sucker punch...

OT: The irony of the Akira Kurosawa suggestions is that they were homages to either westerns (e.g. Yojimbo/Seven Samurai) or classic literature (e.g. Ran). Anyway, all damned good films IMO so it hardly matters.

I was very impressed with Sword of the Stranger, and I hope I can find another film that matches it for tone and feel.

Yeah, that ending fight scene is one of the best pieces of animated combat I've seen... haven't seen much that can top it...

Though if you want something more visceral... as in really visceral, go for Shigurui.