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 Red Turtle (2016)
7.5/10
Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
If one day Studio Ghibli decides to produce an animator from outside the studio, it will be him, was Miyazakis pronouncement after watching Dudok de... Read more
The Red Turtle (Blu-Ray) (2016)
7.5/10
Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
If one day Studio Ghibli decides to produce an animator from outside the studio, it will be him, was Miyazakis pronouncement after watching Dudok de... Read more
The Sea is Watching (2002)
7.1/10
Director: Kei Kumai
Starring: Misa Shimizu, Nagiko Tohno, Masatoshi Nagase, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Renji Ishibashi...
From legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa comes his final screenplay; a beautifully crafted tale set in 19th-century Edo that centers on O-Shin,... Read more
The Street Fighter (1974)
7.1/10
Director: Shigehiro Ozawa
Starring: Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba stars as Terry Tsugury, the toughest mercenary around. After rescuing a client, Junju, from prison, he finds the client's family doesn't h... Read more
The Street Fighter's Last Revenge (1974)
Director: Teruo Ishii
Starring: Sonny Chiba
Meet the meanest karate master ever to rule the streets. He's Sonny Chiba, the greatest martial arts sensation since Bruce Lee! Chiba explodes as Terr... Read more
The Student Comedies: (1929)
Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Starring: Chishu Ryu
THE OZU COLLECTION THE STUDENT COMEDIES (2 DVD) Films by Yasujiro Ozu Master Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story) has been revered all ov... Read more
The Sword of Doom (1966)
8/10
Director: Kihachi Okamoto
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Yuzo Kayama, Toshiro Mifune, Michiyo Aratama, Yoko Naito
A brutal, amoral samurai, Ryunosuke (played brilliantly by Tatsuya Nakadai) is scheduled to fight an exhibition match. His opponent's wife offers her... Read more
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
8.1/10
Director: Isao Takahata
Eight years in the making and hot on the heels of Miyazaki's The Wind Rises, Studio Ghibli co-founder Takahata's adaptation of a centuries old Japanes... Read more
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya ( Blu-ray ) (2013)
8.1/10
Director: Isao Takahata
Eight years in the making and hot on the heels of Miyazaki's The Wind Rises, Studio Ghibli co-founder Takahata's adaptation of a centuries old Japanes... Read more
The Twilight Samurai (2002)
8.1/10
Director: Yoji Yamada
Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Osugi, Mitsuru Fukikoshi
Set in the late nineteenth century as the feudal Shogun period was giving way to the Meiji Restoration, Seibei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a low-ranki... Read more