Fact:Akira Kurosawais one of the greatest directors of all time. Many would argue he’s the best,considering just how much and how well he transitioned between genres, directing historical epics, Shakespearean adaptations, and modern crime stories. All of his movies delve into the human psyche and are ultimately philosophical stories about life, honor, love, hubris, and dedication.
Kurosawahas a track record of brilliant movies, andhis filmography can be clearly divided into eras: from his beginnings in the 1940s, when he made some relevant crime- and war-related stories,across his 1950s erawith the most famous features,to the 1960s, when he modernized his stories but still remained true to his unique brand of storytelling. In a mix of all three, here are the ten Akira Kurosawa movies that are bangers from start to finish.
10’Stray Dog' (1949)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Oftendeemed the proto-police procedural,Stray Dogtakes the noir genre and embraces it to the fullest. This detective movie is also one of the first buddy cop films hailing from Japan (and in general) andthe second film Kurosawa made with his longtime collaboratorToshirō Mifune.Stray Doghas a perfectRotten Tomatoescritics score, but beyond that, as a viewer, you become immersed in its high-stakes story very early on. Mifune is exceptional as a tormented young detective trying to right his wrongs.
Stray Doghas a particular setting, too: it’s set in post-war Tokyo, during a summer heatwave. A newly promoted homicide detective,Murakami (Mifune), has his work Colt stolen while riding a trolley; feeling humiliated, he tries to find the gun alone, but when he realizes he can’t do it alone, he enlists the help of senior detective Sato (Takashi Shimura). Sato and Murakami are very different people, but they manage to work together well. From start to finish,Stray Dogis exciting and fun.
9’No Regrets for Our Youth' (1946)
No Regrets for Our Youthis a political drama depicting the events of the Takigawa Incident in Kyoto. This is related to the Kyoto University professor Yukitoki Takigawa, whom then Education Minister Ichirō Hatoyama tried firing from his post for teaching anti-fascist rhetoric.This caused mass resignations by other professors in support of Takigawa and widespread student protests. Kurosawa wrote the script forNo Regrets for Our Youthtogether withKeiji MatsuzakiandEijiro Hisaita, with the former being once a student of Takigawa. The incident was only a historical backdrop; the movie itself is more of an exploration of rebellious youth in pre-war Japan.
No Regrets for Our Youthfollows Kyoko (Setsuko Hara), the daughter of the Kyoto University professor Yagihara. When Yagihara gets suspended for his views against fascism, Kyoko becomes involved with two of her father’s students—Noge (Susumu Fujita) and Itokawa (Akitake Kôno). Over time,Kyoko becomes involved with radical leftist Noge and the movie follows their romance through idealism. The movie is often considered one of the first Kurosawa films that are perfect, though its stances were often criticized and dissected. If you’re interested in history,No Regrets for Our Youthis a nice insight into prewar Japan.
8’Rashomon' (1950)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Rashomonis undoubtedly one of Kurosawa’s most famous movies and a gateway to his filmography for most people. This is one of the initial representations of the decade many consider to be the director’s best, when he was writing and directing plenty of historical, samurai-based movies.Rashomonis unique, and though its storytelling isn’t innovative today, we have to acknowledge it iswidely considered to be the first-ever movie to tell a story from multiple points of view. Many critics and fans alike use the word “Rashomon” as an adjective todescribe movies that use this technique.
Rashomonwas based onRyūnosuke Akutagawa’s short story “In a Grove,” but it borrows its title from Akutagawa’s story “Rashomon.” It’s set sometime in the Heian era (794-1185) and opens with a woodcutter (Shimura) and a priest (Minoru Chiaki) talking about a recent case of assault and murder of a samurai and his wife. Both have differing accounts of the event, until a third party, a bandit called Tajomaru (Mifune), tells his side, too. The story weaves the same narrative in different ways,with an emphasis on how everyone experiences the same events differently. It’s a short movie, too (88 minutes), and it’s great from its first to final moments.
7’Ikiru' (1952)
Though we often believe Toshirō Mifune to be Kurosawa’s most frequent acting collaborator, that’s actually Takashi Shimura, who plays the lead role inIkiru. This movie isone of the earliest meditations on life that Kurosawa filmed, and though many of his later movies feel similar, they weren’t as big or as widely accepted as Ikiru. It was partly based onLeo Tolstoy’s novelThe Death of Ivan Illichand is widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made.
Ikiru follows Tokyo-based bureaucrat Kanji Watanabe (Shimura), who learns the news that he’s terminally ill one day. He gave most of his life to his work, having 30 years of experience, and a lot of the things he and his office do is deflect and refuse to solve people’s problems.Watanabe tries to grapple with the terms of his life—having been given less than a year to live—questioning his purpose and relationships. Obviously,the meaning of life is a big themein this film, but it can help people find smaller messages in it, too;Ikirustillremains a powerful feature filmbecause of its timeless story.
6’Ran' (1985)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
In the 1980s, Kurosawa had a hard time finding funding for his movies due to a low-rated run throughout the 1970s. Moreover, Japanese production companies thought his time was up, and he wasn’t the same director as before anymore, so he looked for funding outside Japan.Ranis a Japanese-French co-production, andit was, at the time of filming, the most expensive Japanese movie ever made; it’s another adaptation ofWilliam Shakespeare’s work, afterThrone of BloodandThe Bad Sleep Well.Ranis a historical epicthat combines the story ofKing Learand the Japanese historical lord Mori Motonari.
Ranis aboutHidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai), a powerful lord who’s gotten old and wishes for his three sons, Taro, Jiro, and Saburo, to inherit him. However,the sons are in disagreement over who should get what and honor whom,creating a huge riftbetween each other. The movie was filmed on location, and the costumes were designed by Kurosawa himself and his costume designer,Emi Wada. More than just being an incredible epic,Ranalso shows some of Japan’s most stunning locations, from the Himeji castle to Mount Fuji; it’s worth watching for that alone, though the entire film is quite brilliant.
5’Yojimbo' (1961)
Yojimbois the inspiration for most Spaghetti Western movies, withthe most notable beingA Fistful of DollarswithClint Eastwood, for which the production company Toho sued directorSergio Leone. It felt like a remake, though it was done very unofficially, but it was still enough for Kurosawa to write to him, saying something along the lines of, “you’ve made a great movie, but sadly, it’s my movie.” In turn, though,Yojimbowas also inspired by Westerns, even if unofficially; it containsthe trope of the lonely, ally-less warrior entering a town and becoming its defender, whether by accident or on purpose. “Yojimbo” means “bodyguard.”
Yojimbofollows the wandering ronin (masterless samurai) Sanjuro (Mifune), who wanders through the countryside and encounters a community of people torn between two warring yakuza gangs. With both gangs trying to hire Sanjuro to their side,he concludes that the town would be better off without the warring gangs instead, choosing to eliminate them on his own. It’s a classic story of good versus evil, butit’s also. So. Very. Cool.Watching Mifune take on gangs of people who care for no one, slicing them with his trusted sword and defeating them for the sake of the villagers, is exceptional.
4’Sanjuro' (1962)
Sanjurois the sequel toYojimbo, and it was based onShūgorō Yamamoto’s novelHibi Heian.Kurosawa adapted the script to feature Mifune’sYojimbocharacter, Sanjuro, because of the great success of the previous film. The studio wanted to resurrect the character, and Kurosawa wrote him into the story he previously imagined without him; this time, the movie leaves out some Western influences and focuses on Japanese feudal clans and pure samurai action, which makes it even greater (don’t get me wrong, Yojimbo is great).
Sanjurobegins with nine young samuraimeeting in secret to discuss their suspicions that their lord (daimyo) might be corrupt. A wandering ronin warns them and then saves them from an ambush. He then joins them in the fight.Sanjurowas often called brilliant and superbly acted by critics,but it was also called very funny; Mifune embraces the character of Sanjuro with some comedic flair and style, displaying a bit of rogueness in his character. He himself said since Sanjuro is a masterless samurai, he’s been alone for a while and his mannerisms reflect that. In this movie, Sanjuro grows as a character, which is reason enough for it to be considered perfect from start to finish.
3’Seven Samurai' (1954)
On the one hand, the legendarySeven Samuraiis very long and not the greatest first watch for many beginners in the Kurosawa realm. On the other hand, if you get over the colossal 207-minute runtime first, later you’ll be able to watch any other Kurosawa film. Whenever you choose to see it,remember thatSeven Samuraiis a brilliantly linear movie that guides viewersthrough brilliant character development,exciting fight sequences, and a genuine love story. That’s why it’s often considered among the greatest movies ever made.
Seven Samuraifollows the villagers of a rural area getting bullied by local thugs, who can’t seem to leave them alone.The villagers resort to hiring a retired samurai, Kambei (Shimura), whogathers six other warriorsto help him defeat the thugs. This is one of the first movies that included a crew-gathering sequence, much like we see in plenty of heist movies today. IfSeven Samuraiseems familiar, it was remade asThe Magnificent Seven, one of the most iconic Westerns ever made.
You might wonder, how isThe Bad Sleep Wellhigher on this list thanSeven Samurai? This (loose)adaptation of Shakespeare’sHamletis one of the best modernized versions of it, set in a unique Japanese story that reflects back on its society and problems with corporate corruption. Thecinematography and Kurosawa’s directingflow effortlessly,with stunning framing compositions that give more meaning and symbolism to the movie’s events. It’s very easy to follow, despite being a heavy story; its official genres are neo-noir, crime, and mystery, and it’s such a great film from start to finish that you won’t find even a moment of it lacking.
The Bad Sleep Wellfollows Koichi Nishi (Mifune), the secretary of the famous Tokyo corporation’s boss. Nishi gets married to the boss' daughter, and his integration into the company begins with that. Soon,we realize Nishi has sinister plans and that he’s not the man his boss believes he is; this sort of “lone hero fighting evil” was a prominent theme in Kurosawa’s 1960s era, and it’s unusual that it began with a movie about corporate Japan and its problems, when it’s so obviously a Western trope (like inYojimboandSanjuro).
The Bad Sleep Well
1’High and Low' (1963)
High and Lowis the greatest police procedural movie of all time, and I’ll fight anyone to defend that stance. Simply put,High and Lowinspired police procedurals and became one of the most remade movies ever, includingSpike Lee’s latest movie,Highest 2 Lowest, withDenzel Washington. It’sanother reflection on the plights of post-war Japanese society,including social divides and class problems (obviously juxtaposed in certain frames and scenes), but it also introduces character studies by facing its protagonist with a moral issue almost immediately into the film. It’s an adaptation ofEvan Hunter’s novelKing’s Ransom, though it strays from the novel’s events a lot.
High and Lowfollows a stakeholder in a major shoe company, Kingo Gondo (Mifune). Gondo wishes to buy out the rest of the stakes in the company to become the majority shareholder, but when his plan is set in motion, he gets a call that his son was kidnapped. The ransom is as high as the money he’s saved for his business venture. However, the kidnapped child turns out to be Gondo’s chauffeur’s son, but the kidnapper remains adamant about the ransom.Does Gondo pay, despite the possibility of losing everything?The dilemma is so interesting and tough to just go over in one sitting; the second part of the movie is a very detailed and well-shot process ofdetectives looking for the kidnapper, and it’s just one of the best examples of how police work should be shown. Banger from start to finish, indeed.
High And Low
KEEP READING:10 Underrated Japanese Action Movies You Need To Watch Now
