In Japan, samurai movies are sometimes referred to as Chanbara and are classified as a subgenre of the jidaigeki, or “period dramas,” genre. Following the premiere of the venerable samurai movie Seven Samurai, samurai cinema experienced a boom in the 1960s. With an average of one Chanbara movie directed each year for 20 years, director Akira Kurosawa is regarded as the genre’s father.
January 2023 update: This article has been modified by Dylan Reber to add new details and entries in order to keep it current.
Chanbara’s popularity declined as a result of the overproduction of samurai movies in the 1970s and the ageing of the actors who starred in them, which also led to a halt in samurai movie production. The best samurai movies came from the period when the genre was at its height, despite the fact that the genre has experienced a slight rebirth thanks to movies like the Rurouni Kenshin series. These are the top ten samurai films of all time.
Harakiri (1962)
The act of hara-kiri, also known as seppuku, the ritual suicide by disembowelment, gave rise to the term “hara-kiri.” The plot of Harakiri centres on an elderly Hanshiro Tsugumo who visits Kageyu Saito’s house. Saito declines Hanshiro’s request to perform seppuku on the property because he believes it is a scheme to get him fired. In order to get what he wanted, Chijiwa threatened to commit suicide, but was ultimately obliged to carry it out, according to Saito. Tsugumo unexpectedly discloses that Chijiwa is his son-in-law, laying the stage for a titanic struggle between the two. At the Cannes Film Festival, Harakiri was up for the Palme d’Or but lost out to the Special Jury Award.
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Lady Snowblood is one of the few movies on this list with a female lead. The main character of the movie is a little girl named Yuki, who is being raised by a priest after her mother is brutally murdered and she witnesses a sexual assault. Yuki plans to exact revenge on the men who stole her family on her 20th birthday. A sequel, Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance, was produced to the critically acclaimed Lady Snowblood. The Kill Bill series by Quentin Tarantino was greatly influenced by this movie. Tarantino insisted the Kill Bill cast and crew watch Lady Snowblood because he cared so much about the film.
Ran (1985)
Akira Kurosawa’s film Ran, which is based on Shakespeare’s play King Lear, depicts the tale of an elderly warrior who decides to split his realm among his three sons. Ran is undoubtedly the most aesthetically stunning movie on this list thanks to its huge scale and expansive cinematography. Its fight scenes are graphic, colourful, and expertly orchestrated. No other Kurosawa picture comes close to Ran in terms of grandeur. Its ageless themes of loyalty, family, and the perils of ambition helped the movie get almost universal praise from critics. It is now regarded as Kurosawa’s final masterpiece.
Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Mifune plays Isaburo Sasahara in Toho Samurai Rebellion, a character who must endure the terrible punishment of his clan when he disobeys in favour of what is right. Isaburo’s son Ichi is made to wed the daimyo’s undesirable mistress Yogoro as his punishment; the two end up falling in love. Ichi and Yogoro are not happy when the ruler asks them to come back, but they are fooled into doing so. Isaburo intervenes because he doesn’t want his son and daughter-in-law to be split up and is prepared to fight for their union for as long as he is able. One of the greatest samurai movies ever produced, Samurai Rebellion even won Mainichi Film Concours’ Best Film of the Year award.
Sanjuro (1962)
Sanjuro marks Toho Kurosawa and Mifune’s second collaboration. Sanjuro narrates the tale of seasoned samurai master Sanjuro Tsubaki, who imparts the necessary knowledge to new samurai before they fight for their lords. Sanjuro is less sombre than other movies in the samurai genre, yet it still has just the right amount of humour and action to delight any viewer. Although Sanjuro, unlike its predecessor, bears absolutely no similarity to the Western film genre, it is a sequel to Yojimbo and features the same main character. Tsubaki Sanjuro, a remake of Sanjuro by Yoshimitsu Morita, was made possible because of Sanjuro’s popularity.
Seven Samurai (1954)
Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is well-known to movie fans all around the world and is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. Samurai Kikuchiyo is required to enlist the aid of six other samurai in order to safeguard a community from bandits. The village’s residents are given self-defense training by the samurai so they can protect themselves from robbers. The Magnificent Seven, a spaghetti western-style movie, was made from the movie since it was so well-liked. As the best samurai movie ever, Seven Samurai has had a profound impact on filmmakers all around the world and has made countless lists of the greatest movies.
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Peasants Matashichi and Tahei accidentally come across a man and lady sheltering in the stronghold while trying to profit from a tribal conflict. The individuals, who Matashichi and Tahei mistake for tribe members, are actually General Rokurota and Princess Yuki. The villagers agree to accompany the pair to safety in exchange for cash. The general must safeguard Princess Yuki without disclosing his identity because their voyage is perilous. The Hidden Fortress, one of many Kurosawa movies on this list, received high accolades and the Silver Bear Award for Best Director. Even George Lucas has acknowledged how this movie influenced the original storyline for the first Star Wars movie.
The Twilight Samurai (2002)
After his wife dies, the-twilight-samuraiShochiku Samurai Seibei is compelled to work as a bookkeeper rather than carry out his duties as a warrior. His spirits are raised when Seibei’s childhood sweetheart Tomoe shows up in town. Seibei’s obligations as a father and his social standing in society prevent him from acting on his still-strong affections for Tomoe. The Twilight Samurai, one of the more recent movies on this list, maintains the audience’s interest with a high amount of drama and action throughout. The Twilight Samurai, which was directed by Yôji Yamada, has gained recognition and is today regarded as one of the best samurai movies ever filmed.
Throne of Blood (1957)
In the movie Throne of Blood, Toshiro Mifune yells as arrows are fired close to him. The Toho Samurai warriors Washizu and Miki set out to the castle of their master, but they were greeted by a spirit who told them what their futures held. When the first portion of the prophecy comes true, Washizu’s wife Asaji, who had previously dismissed this spirit, demands that he speed up the process by killing his lord. Akira Kurosawa’s film Throne of Blood, starring Toshiro Mifune, is essentially a Samurai adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth set in feudal Japan. Mifune earned the Best Actor Mainichi Film Award, and the Best Art Direction Mainichi Film Award, for the movie. Throne of Blood is regarded as the best Shakespearean theatrical film adaption to date.
Yojimbo (1961)
Akira Kurosawa’s iconic samurai film Yojimbo, which was released in 1961, depicts the tale of Sanjuro, a masterless Ronin who wanders into a small town that is being ripped apart by competing groups fighting for power. The protagonist character in Yojimbo, performed by the great actor Toshiro Mifune, is what audiences will remember it for the most. Sanjuro is a multidimensional and sophisticated hero who is equally prone to make a joke as to draw a sword. Mifune gives a captivating performance, and he gives the character a charming sense of humour that makes him enjoyable to watch. Furthermore, Segio Leone’s spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars owes its existence to this movie.
