Japanese Cinema
Japanese cinema flourished early on and silent films were being made right through the 1930s. Most were accompanied by a 'benshi' or live narrator telling the story as well as live music. Very little survives from this era however; the 1923 earthquake, the bombings of WW2 and the country's high humidity destroyed many of these historical works. Of those that survive, the early works of Kenji Mizoguchi are highly regarded and he went on to make the classic 'The Life of Oharu' in 1952. Of course no discussion on Japanese cinema is possible without mention of their best known son, Akira Kurosawa. With a career spanning 60 years Kurosawa's ground-breaking films (e.g. 'Seven Samurai', 'Kagemusha', 'Ran') influenced film makers around the world. Most recently Japanese cinema hero 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano revitalised the Yakuza genre; and young mavericks like Takashi Miike ('Audition', 'Ichi the Killer) and Hideo Nakata ('Ring', 'Dark Water') have breathed new life into the horror flick, their films often (and promptly!) remade by US production houses.
For Japanime, use the animation link to the left.
Pictured: Kurosawa teamed once more with the incomparable Toshiro Mifune for 'Seven Samurai'
The Empress Yang Kwei-fei (1955)
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Starring: Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori
Aka "Princess Yang Kwei-fei". Based on an ancient historical tale, this is a sumptuous costume drama set in 8th century China of the T'ang Dynasty, br... Read more
The End of Summer (1961)
6.2/10
Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Starring: Setsuko Hara, Ganjiro Nakamura, Yoko Tsukasa
Aka "Early Autumn". The penultimate film by Yasujiro Ozu examines the difficulties faced by the Kohayagawa family as they struggle to adapt their trad... Read more
The Flavour of Green Tea Over Rice (1952)
Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Starring: Shin Saburi, Michiyo Kogure, Koji Tsurata, Chikage Awashima
Influential Japanese auteur Yasujiro Ozu was the master of subtle elegant films that pack a bittersweet emotional punch. Made during his prime in the... Read more
The Garden of Words (2013)
7.6/10
Director: Makoto Shinkai
When Takao, a young high school student who dreams of becoming a shoe designer, decides to skip school one day in favour of sketching in a rainy garde... Read more
The Great Yokai War (2005)
6.5/10
Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Chiaki Kuriyama, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Bunta Sugawara, Kaho Minam...
An extravagant fun-filled fantasy the whole family can enjoy from the prolific and versatile Japanese director, Takashi Miike. Embracing and re-inter... Read more
The Grudge (2002)
6.7/10
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa
Aka 'Ju-on'. Japanese legend has it that a man who dies in a fit of rage leaves behind a malevolent presence that nests in his home; a contaminant tha... Read more
The Grudge 2 (2003)
6.4/10
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Noriko Sakai, Chiharu Niyama, Kei Horie, Yui Ichikawa
A Tokyo house has been the site of many strange disappearances. Kyoko is a horror film actress who is invited by a film crew to investigate the 'haunt... Read more
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
8.1/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki
Kurosawa takes the conventional Japanese period film and combines it with fairytale elements, the result is an energetic and brilliant farce. Toshiro... Read more
The Human Condition Trilogy (Blu-ray) (1959)
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Chikage Awashima, Keiji Sada
The Human Condition Part I: No Greater Love. A Japanese pacifist, unable to face the dire consequences of conscientious objection, is transformed by... Read more
The Idiot (1951)
7.4/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Masayuki Mori, Toshiro Mifune, Setsuko Hara, Yoshiko Kuga, Takashi Shimura
Based on Dostoyevsky's classic novel of love and murder, adapted by Kurosawa himself, the story tells of Kameda, a former soldier whose wartime experi... Read more